Chapter 6: The Truth Buried Before Our Marriage
I drove home without remembering most of the drive.
My hands held the steering wheel.
My eyes watched the road.
But my mind was somewhere else.
Before me.
Before our wedding.
Before Caleb.
Before Maya.
Before the house.
Before the life I thought I knew.
Marcus had a history.
And somehow, that history had found me.
When I arrived home, Evelyn was sitting on my porch.
I almost kept walking.
But then I noticed her face.
She looked older than she had the day before.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Like the weight of secrets had finally become too heavy to carry.
"I suppose you're angry with me.""
I stood there.
"I don't know what I am.""
That was the truth.
Evelyn nodded.
"Fair enough.""
I sat across from her.
"Did you know about Vanessa?""
She closed her eyes.
"Yes.""
My heart sank.
"How long?""
"Since before you married him.""
I stared.
The pain wasn't even surprising anymore.
It was almost expected.
Everyone knew.
Everyone except me.
"Why?""
Evelyn looked at the ground.
"Because Marcus begged me.""
"Begs seem to work well for him.""
She flinched.
"He told me Vanessa was dangerous.""
"Was she?""
Evelyn was quiet.
Then:
"Yes.""
I frowned.
"Then why are you defending her?""
"I'm not.""
She looked at me.
"But I also know my son.""
I waited.
"He is very good at making people believe they are saving him.""
Those words stayed with me.
Because that was exactly what Marcus had done.
He had made every woman feel like they were the exception.
The one who understood him.
The one who could fix him.
"Tell me the truth.""
Evelyn looked away.
"I don't know if I can.""
"Why?""
"Because I promised.""
I stood.
"To him?""
She nodded.
I laughed quietly.
"Of course.""
I walked toward the door.
Then she said:
"Marcus wasn't always like this.""
I stopped.
"He changed after Vanessa.""
"What happened?""
Evelyn looked terrified.
"Something happened in their marriage.""
"What?""
She whispered:
"Someone died.""
I turned around.
The air disappeared from my lungs.
"What do you mean?""
Evelyn looked at me.
"That is the truth Vanessa was trying to reveal.""
I couldn't move.
"Who died?""
Before she could answer, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Again.
This time, I answered.
"Hello?""
The same woman's voice.
But weaker.
Scared.
"Claire...""
I stood frozen.
"Who are you?""
A pause.
Then:
"My name is Vanessa.""
My entire body went cold.
The woman who had disappeared.
The woman everyone was talking about.
The woman who had been watching my life from the shadows.
She was alive.
"Where are you?""
"I don't have much time.""
My grip tightened around the phone.
"Tell me the truth.""
Her breathing shook.
"Marcus told you I was crazy, didn't he?""
I said nothing.
"Of course he did.""
Her voice cracked.
"He always does that.""
I looked at Evelyn.
She was staring at me.
She knew.
She knew exactly who was on the phone.
"What happened between you and Marcus?""
For several seconds, Vanessa didn't answer.
Then she whispered:
"The night we separated...""
I waited.
"...I found out Marcus had caused a man's death.""
My blood turned cold.
"What?""
"He told everyone it was an accident.""
The porch seemed to spin.
"But it wasn't.""
I could barely speak.
"Who died?""
Vanessa's voice dropped.
"The man who tried to expose him.""
The call suddenly became filled with static.
"Vanessa?""
Her voice returned one last time.
"Claire, listen to me.""
"I'm listening.""
"Marcus is not afraid of losing you.""
A pause.
"He's afraid you'll discover why he needed you.""
The line went dead.
I lowered the phone slowly.
Evelyn was crying.
And for the first time since the pregnant woman walked into my backyard...
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I realized the biggest secret wasn't that Marcus cheated.
It was that maybe I had never known the real reason he married me.
