Chapter 5: The Truth Nick Hid From Me
I thought the worst moment of my wedding was when Martha cut my hair.
I was wrong.
The worst moment was realizing there were secrets between me and Nick.
Secrets I never asked for.
Secrets I never should have had to discover this way.
Everyone was still watching.
Our guests.
Our friends.
Our families.
I wanted to disappear.
I wanted to run somewhere far away where nobody could see me breaking.
Nick stepped closer.
“Emily, please let me explain.””
I looked at him.
“Explain what?””
His face fell.
“That I didn’t want it to happen?””
“But it did.””
He nodded.
“I know.””
“You kept it from me.””
“I was afraid.””
The honesty in his voice stopped me.
Not because it fixed anything.
But because it was real.
Nick had always been brave when it came to protecting me from strangers.
But when it came to his mother…
He became someone else.
“I thought if I told you, it would hurt you.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You thought hiding it would hurt less?””
He looked away.
“No.””
The restaurant was quiet.
Nobody was dancing anymore.
Nobody was eating.
Everyone was watching the most painful conversation of our lives.
His grandmother stepped closer.
“Nick made a mistake.””
I looked at her.
“He did.””
She nodded.
“But mistakes do not erase what your mother did tonight.””
I knew she was right.
Two things could be true.
Martha was cruel.
And Nick had failed me.
Martha crossed her arms.
“This is exactly why Emily is wrong for you.””
Everyone looked at her.
She continued.
“She turns everyone against family.””
I stared at her.
“You cut my hair.””
She shrugged.
“And now everyone is attacking me.””
Her ability to avoid responsibility was unbelievable.
Nick’s grandmother looked disgusted.
“Martha, you have spent your entire life blaming others for your choices.””
Martha ignored her.
She looked at Nick.
“You’re really choosing her over your own mother?””
Nick didn’t hesitate.
“Yes.””
The answer shocked her.
Because she expected him to apologize.
She expected him to compromise.
She expected him to choose peace over truth.
But he didn’t.
“You humiliated my wife.””
The word wife made me look at him.
He continued.
“You crossed a line.””
Martha’s eyes filled with anger.
“Wife?””
She laughed.
“You’ve known her for years. You can find another woman.””
The room went silent.
Nick’s expression changed.
Not anger.
Disappointment.
Deep disappointment.
“I can’t believe you just said that.””
Martha looked away.
His grandmother shook her head.
“This is why I came.””
Martha froze.
“What?””
The older woman reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope.
“I knew you would eventually do something like this.””
Martha stared.
“What is that?””
“Proof.””
The word made everyone curious.
Nick looked confused.
His grandmother handed the envelope to him.
“Open it.””
Inside were photographs.
Old photographs.
Documents.
Letters.
Nick looked through them.
Then his face changed.
“What is this?””
His grandmother answered.
“The truth about Caroline.””
Martha immediately stepped forward.
“Give me that.””
Nick moved away.
“No.””
His voice was cold.
“What is this?””
His grandmother looked at me.
Then at Nick.
“Caroline was never interested in you.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“She was interested in your family’s money.””
Martha shook her head.
“That’s a lie.””
But nobody believed her.
Nick looked through the papers again.
“She knew?””
His grandmother nodded.
“She knew your mother was trying to arrange your marriage.””
A horrible feeling formed in my stomach.
“How long?””
The older woman sighed.
“Years.””
Martha’s face turned pale.
Because whatever was in those papers…
Was worse than anyone expected.
“She never wanted you,” the grandmother said.
“She wanted the lifestyle.””
Nick looked at his mother.
“You knew?””
Martha didn’t answer.
And that silence was enough.
Nick closed his eyes.
The betrayal on his face broke my heart.
Because for the first time, he wasn’t seeing his mother as someone who made mistakes.
He was seeing her as someone who had manipulated his entire life.
Then his grandmother said something that changed everything.
“There’s more.””
Everyone looked at her.
“What more?”” Nick asked.
She looked directly at Martha.
“Tell them what you planned to do after the wedding.””
Martha went completely still.
And I knew.
May you like
Whatever came next…
Would finally reveal the real reason she wanted to destroy me.
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