Chapter 2: The Woman Martha Claimed Was Dead
Nobody moved.
The elderly woman stood beside Nick, holding his arm as if she'd been waiting years for that exact moment.
Martha backed away from the broken champagne glass.
"No.""
The woman tilted her head.
"That's an interesting greeting for your own mother.""
My heart was pounding.
Her mother?
I looked from the stranger to Martha.
Nick returned to my side and squeezed my hand.
"Emily, there's something I need to explain.""
But Martha interrupted him.
"Get her out of here!""
Her voice cracked.
"Nick, I said get her out!""
The elderly woman didn't move.
Instead, she calmly removed her gloves.
"You're still giving orders, Martha. Some things never change.""
I had never seen my mother-in-law look frightened before.
Angry, certainly.
Arrogant, constantly.
But frightened?
Never.
Nick took the microphone from the abandoned DJ stand.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet someone. This is my grandmother, Helen.""
A wave of whispers traveled through the room.
I stared at him.
His grandmother?
I had heard about Helen only once.
Years earlier, when Nick and I were dating, I'd asked why his family photographs didn't include his maternal grandmother.
Martha had immediately changed the subject.
Later, Nick told me his grandmother had passed away when he was young.
Apparently, that wasn't true.
"Nick," I whispered, "you told me she died.""
He looked ashamed.
"I know. That's what Mom told me.""
Helen reached for my hand.
"You're Emily, aren't you?""
I nodded.
"Yes.""
She looked at my hair.
Her expression changed.
"Oh, sweetheart.""
She gently touched one of the uneven strands near my neck.
"She did it again.""
Again.
Those two words made my stomach tighten.
"What do you mean?""
Helen glanced toward Martha.
"Because this isn't the first time she's used those scissors.""
Martha rushed forward.
"Mother, stop!""
Helen raised one hand.
"No. I've been quiet long enough.""
Nick moved closer to me.
"Grandma, tell them what happened.""
Helen looked around at the guests.
"Perhaps we should begin with the truth about this so-called family tradition.""
Martha shook her head violently.
"You don't know what you're talking about.""
Helen gave a sad smile.
"Don't I?""
She turned toward the guests.
"Forty years ago, when I married Martha's father, I had hair almost as long as Emily's. I wore it in a braid because my mother had helped me style it.""
I listened, barely breathing.
"After the reception, my mother-in-law took scissors and cut it off. She told everyone it was a tradition in their family. I was humiliated, but I was young, and I wanted my marriage to work.""
Helen paused.
"Then I discovered there was no tradition.""
Murmurs spread through the room.
"What?"" someone whispered.
Helen continued.
"It was something that woman had done to me because she believed a bride should be taught that she belonged to her husband's family. She wanted to take something from me before I had a chance to establish my own place.""
She looked at Martha.
"And when I refused to let her do it to the next generation, she became furious.""
Martha's eyes filled with tears, but they weren't tears of regret.
They were tears of rage.
"You're twisting everything!""
Helen shook her head.
"No, Martha. I'm finally telling the truth.""
Nick looked at his grandmother.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because your mother made sure you never had the chance to know me.""
He lowered his eyes.
Helen reached into her handbag and removed a small photograph.
It showed a younger woman standing beside a man in a military uniform.
The woman had long dark hair braided down her back.
"That's me on my wedding day," Helen said.
"And this is my husband, your grandfather.""
Nick took the photograph.
I'd never seen him look so confused.
"Mom told me you abandoned the family.""
Helen's expression softened.
"I never abandoned you, Nicholas.""
Martha suddenly stepped forward.
"That's enough!""
She grabbed the photograph from Nick's hand and ripped it in half.
Several guests gasped.
Helen didn't flinch.
"You're proving my point.""
Martha dropped the torn pieces.
"She has always been jealous of me! She couldn't stand that I had a better life than she did!""
Helen looked at her for a long moment.
"Is that what you tell yourself?""
Then she turned to Nick.
"Your mother told you I left because I didn't approve of her marriage. But the truth is that I was forced out.""
Nick's face tightened.
"Forced out by whom?""
Helen looked at Martha.
"By your mother.""
The room became painfully quiet.
I watched Martha's jaw move, but no words came out.
Helen explained that after her husband died, Martha had gradually taken control of the family home and finances.
She had changed the locks.
She had hidden letters.
She had told relatives that Helen was unstable and didn't want contact with anyone.
"I tried to visit you when you were eight," Helen said.
"I stood outside your school for two hours. Your mother told the staff I was a dangerous stranger.""
Nick stared at her.
"I remember a woman outside the school.""
Helen nodded.
"I was that woman.""
His eyes filled.
"Why didn't you come back?""
"Because I didn't want you caught in the middle of a fight between your mother and me.""
Martha let out a bitter laugh.
"How convenient.""
Helen turned toward her.
"You want to discuss convenience? Then let's discuss why you invited Eleanor Whitmore to this wedding and told her daughter she would eventually marry Nick.""
My stomach dropped.
I looked at Martha.
"What?""
Nick's expression darkened.
"Grandma, how do you know about that?""
Helen reached into her handbag again.
This time, she removed a thick envelope.
"Because Eleanor contacted me last month.""
Martha lunged toward her.
"Don't you dare!""
Nick stepped in front of his grandmother.
"Mom, stop.""
Helen opened the envelope.
Inside were several printed messages and a photograph.
She handed the photograph to Nick.
It showed Martha standing with Eleanor and a younger woman outside an expensive restaurant.
On the back, someone had written a date.
Three months before our engagement.
Nick stared at it.
"Why would Eleanor contact Grandma?""
Helen took a breath.
"Because she discovered something about your mother that she could no longer keep secret.""
Martha's face changed.
For the first time that evening, she looked as though she wanted to disappear.
Nick opened the envelope.
There was a letter inside.
He read the first few lines.
Then he stopped.
His eyes moved back to the beginning.
"Mom...""
Martha shook her head.
"Nick, please.""
He looked up.
"What is this document?""
Helen answered before Martha could.
"It's the reason she never wanted me anywhere near this family.""
Nick held up the paper.
May you like
And when I saw the name printed at the bottom, I realized the woman who had cut my hair wasn't just trying to humiliate me.
She was trying to protect a secret.
