Chapter 3: The Secret Behind The Lie
I barely slept.
By sunrise, I had replayed the phone call hundreds of times.
Someone wanted me to find out.
Those words wouldn’t leave my head.
Michael had cheated.
That was already enough pain.
But now there was another question.
Who had helped him hide it?
At seven in the morning, my father arrived with coffee and the same worried expression he had worn the night before.
“You should rest,” he said.
I looked at him.
“How long have you known something was wrong?””
Dad became quiet.
That silence told me everything.
“Dad.””
He placed the coffee on the table.
“I suspected.””
My chest tightened.
“You suspected my husband was cheating and didn’t tell me?””
“I wasn’t sure.””
“You saw him.””
“I saw him last night.””
He sighed.
“Before that, I noticed things.””
I sat down.
“What things?””
Dad looked uncomfortable.
“Michael stopped coming to family dinners. He started taking calls outside. He always had an excuse.””
I covered my face.
“I defended him.””
Dad reached for my hand.
“You loved him.””
That sentence hurt more than anything.
Because it was true.
Later that afternoon, Michael came to the apartment.
I almost didn’t open the door.
But I needed answers.
He stood there looking exhausted.
For the first time in years, he looked like someone who didn’t have control.
“Can I come in?””
“No.””
He nodded.
“Fair.””
I crossed my arms.
“Who was on the phone?””
His eyes changed.
“Sarah…”
“Answer me.””
He looked down.
“My sister.””
I froze.
“Your sister?””
“Yes.””
“Why would your sister tell you to hang up?””
Michael rubbed his face.
“Because she knows everything.””
“Everything about what?””
He hesitated.
And that hesitation made me angry.
“You don’t get to protect secrets anymore.””
He finally looked at me.
“Before I met Emily, I was already planning to leave.””
The words hit harder than I expected.
“Planning?””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t you?””
“Because something happened.””
I waited.
Michael looked toward the street.
“Someone convinced me to stay.””
“Who?””
He swallowed.
Then his phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen.
His face turned pale.
“What?””
I stepped closer.
“What is it?””
He didn’t answer.
I reached for the phone.
He pulled it back.
“Sarah, don’t.””
That reaction told me everything.
“Show me.””
“No.””
“Michael.””
He stared at me.
Then slowly unlocked the phone.
There was one message.
One name.
One sentence.
And when I read it, my entire body went cold.
May you like
The message was from my own sister.
“Don’t worry. She still doesn’t know what we did.””
