Chapter 6: The Secret Behind The Jealousy
A month after graduation, David believed the worst was over.
The house was peaceful again.
Aaliyah was preparing for college.
The arguments had stopped.
The tension had disappeared.
But peace can sometimes be temporary.
One evening, David received a phone call from an unknown number.
He almost ignored it.
But something made him answer.
“Hello?””
A woman’s voice responded.
“Is this David Carter?””
“Yes.””
“My name is Rachel. I think you need to know something about Lauren.””
David immediately became alert.
“What about my wife?””
There was a pause.
Then the woman said:
“She hasn’t been honest with you.””
David felt his stomach tighten.
“What are you talking about?””
“I think you deserve to know before it gets worse.””
The next sentence changed everything.
“Lauren has been telling people that you only care about Aaliyah because you feel guilty about your first wife.””
David went silent.
The accusation was cruel.
But it wasn’t the worst part.
The worst part was that Rachel continued.
“She told Mia that Aaliyah was the reason she never felt like part of your family.””
David closed his eyes.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
Mia’s jealousy.
Her resentment.
Her belief that Aaliyah was the enemy.
Someone had been feeding that idea.
Someone had been encouraging it.
“Who are you?”” David asked.
Rachel hesitated.
“I used to be Lauren’s friend.””
David gripped the phone.
“What else do I need to know?””
The silence on the other end lasted several seconds.
Then Rachel answered.
“You need to know that the graduation dress wasn’t the first thing Mia destroyed.””
David froze.
“What?””
“There were other things.””
The room suddenly felt colder.
“What things?””
Rachel sighed.
“Things Lauren told me to keep quiet.””
David stood up.
His heart started racing.
Because now he understood.
The broken dress wasn’t a random act.
It was the result of something much bigger.
And somewhere along the way…
Aaliyah had been fighting a battle she didn’t even know existed.
David looked toward the hallway where his daughter’s room was.
The same room where her dress had been destroyed.
The same room where she cried.
And he made a decision.
This time, he wasn’t just going to protect her.
May you like
He was going to uncover the truth.
No matter how painful it was.
