Chapter 8: The Engagement He Buried
I couldn’t speak.
For a moment, I honestly thought I had misunderstood.
“You were what?””
Natalie looked away.
“Engaged.””
“To Grant?””
“Yes.””
The room suddenly felt too small.
I thought about every conversation I had ever had with him.
Every story.
Every memory.
Every moment where I believed I knew him.
“You never mentioned her.””
Natalie gave a bitter smile.
“I’m sure he didn’t.””
I stood.
“Why?””
“Because people like Grant don’t tell stories where they’re the villain.””
I looked at her.
“Tell me everything.””
Natalie was quiet for a long time.
Then she began.
“We met when I was twenty-eight. He was different back then.””
I almost laughed.
Everyone said that.
“He was charming?””
She nodded.
“Kind. Funny. He made me believe he wanted to leave the family business.””
My stomach tightened.
“He said that to me too.””
Natalie looked at me.
“Of course he did.””
The words hurt because they sounded familiar.
“He told me his family was controlling,” she continued.
“He said he wanted a normal life.””
“What happened?””
She looked toward the window.
“I found the accounts.””
The same accounts.
“The ones you found?””
“Yes.””
I leaned forward.
“What did you do?””
“I told Grant.””
The room became silent.
“And?””
“He begged me not to report it.””
My chest tightened.
Natalie continued.
“He said his father would destroy him. He said his mother would make sure I lost everything.””
“That’s exactly what happened.””
She nodded.
“Because I refused to stop.””
I looked at her.
“You reported them.””
“Yes.””
“And they blamed you.””
“Yes.””
I remembered the article.
The headlines.
The accusations.
“How did your engagement end?””
Natalie laughed sadly.
“It didn’t.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“He ended it after they had already ruined me.””
My hands went cold.
“Explain.””
“Three days after I reported the issue, Grant came to my apartment.””
Her eyes became distant.
“He cried.””
I listened.
“He told me he loved me. He said he was sorry. He said he would fix everything.””
“What did he do?””
Natalie looked at me.
“He gave my private emails to his family.””
I stopped breathing.
“He used my own messages against me.””
“Why?””
“Because they needed proof that I was ‘unstable.’”
I looked down.
My wedding ring was gone.
But I still felt its weight.
“How could he do that?””
Natalie’s expression softened.
“That’s the question I asked myself for years.””
A silence passed.
Then she said:
“Emily, Grant doesn’t wake up one morning and decide to hurt people.””
I looked at her.
“Then what?””
“He convinces himself he has no choice.””
That sentence scared me more.
Because people who believe they have no choice can justify anything.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Claire.
*Where are you?*
I ignored it.
I needed one more answer.
“Why send me the file?””
Natalie looked confused.
“I didn’t.””
“Then who did?””
Before she could answer, her face changed.
She looked toward the window.
“What?””
She stood quickly.
“Someone followed you.””
I turned.
“What?””
A black sedan was parked across the street.
My heart raced.
“How do you know?””
“Because that’s how they watched me.””
Natalie grabbed her coat.
“You need to leave.””
We rushed toward the back door.
The moment we stepped outside, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
Nobody spoke.
Then a familiar voice whispered:
“Emily, stop looking.””
I froze.
“Grant?””
His voice was shaking.
“You don’t understand what you’re getting into.””
I looked back at the house.
At Natalie.
At the car across the street.
“Did you send someone after me?””
Silence.
That silence was enough.
Then he said:
“Please.””
I felt something break inside me.
Not anger.
Not sadness.
Something colder.
“Were you ever going to tell me about her?””
Grant didn’t answer.
I whispered:
“Were you?””
The call ended.
And at that moment, Natalie looked at me with a terrified expression.
“Emily.””
“What?””
She pointed at my phone.
“You need to check who the call was from.””
I looked down.
My blood froze.
May you like
Because the number wasn’t Grant’s.
It belonged to someone who had been dead for seven years.
