Chapter 2 - The Woman in the Photograph
I left the hotel through the staff entrance because I couldn't bear the thought of walking past the Valentine's couples in the lobby.
Outside, the morning air was cool.
I stood on the sidewalk and breathed until the tightness in my chest loosened.
Then my phone buzzed again.
The unknown number.
You deserve to know the truth before you make another decision.
I stared at the screen.
Three years ago.
Why had that person mentioned three years ago?
My relationship with Daniel had begun almost exactly three years earlier.
I'd met him at a charity dinner.
He'd spilled coffee on my dress.
I had been furious.
He had spent the next twenty minutes trying to apologize while making me laugh.
That night became a date.
The date became another.
And somehow, Daniel became home.
At least, I thought he had.
I opened the message thread.
Who are you?
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Finally:
Someone who watched Daniel destroy another woman's life.
My heart stopped.
Another message followed.
Her name was Sophie.
I knew that name.
Not personally.
But I'd heard Daniel mention it once.
He'd told me Sophie was someone he knew in college who had “moved away.”
Nothing more.
I typed:
What does Sophie have to do with me?
No response.
Instead, a photograph arrived.
I opened it.
My blood turned cold.
It showed Daniel three years ago, standing outside a courthouse.
Beside him was a woman with dark hair.
Sophie.
But that wasn't the part that frightened me.
In Daniel's hand was a folder.
And on the folder was a name.
Bennett Holdings.
Chloe's family company.
I zoomed in.
The image was blurry, but the date was clear.
September 18.
Three years ago.
I remembered that date.
Daniel had told me September 18 was the day his father died.
Except his father had died four years ago.
Why had Daniel lied?
My phone rang.
Daniel.
I let it ring.
He called again.
Then again.
Finally, a voicemail.
“Emma, please listen to me. I know you're hurt. I know I made the worst mistake of my life, but I can explain everything. Chloe and I are going to annul the marriage. I swear. Please just give me one chance to talk.”
I almost laughed.
One chance.
After he had spent eleven months promising me forever.
I deleted the voicemail.
Then I looked at the photograph again.
A woman had been standing beside Daniel outside the courthouse.
Sophie.
And Chloe's family name was on the folder.
Something had happened three years ago.
Something Daniel had hidden.
And now someone wanted me to know.
I drove home.
My apartment felt unfamiliar.
There were wedding magazines on the coffee table.
A seating chart beside them.
Sample invitations.
A notebook filled with flowers and menu ideas.
My entire future was spread across the room.
Except the groom had apparently gotten married to someone else.
I sat on the floor.
For ten minutes, I did nothing.
Then I opened the wedding notebook.
On the first page, I'd written:
Daniel + Emma
August 21
Underneath it:
Forever starts here.
I tore out the page.
Not because I hated the memory.
Because I couldn't let a lie keep occupying the space where my future belonged.
At noon, someone knocked.
I froze.
Another knock.
“Emma?”
Daniel.
I didn't answer.
“Please.”
Silence.
“I know you don't want to see me.”
Correct.
“But there's something you need to know.”
I almost opened the door.
Then I heard another voice.
Chloe.
“Daniel, stop.”
I moved closer.
“What are you doing here?” Chloe asked him.
“Trying to talk to Emma.”
“She doesn't want to talk to you.”
“She deserves an explanation.”
“She deserves the truth.”
Silence.
Then Chloe said something that made my blood run cold.
“You weren't supposed to marry me.”
Daniel's voice dropped.
“I know.”
“You were supposed to scare her.”
“What?”
“You said the dare would make her jealous.”
“I never said that.”
“You told me you wanted to see if she'd fight for you.”
A long silence followed.
My hand went to my mouth.
Daniel whispered, “That's not what happened.”
Chloe laughed bitterly.
“No. What happened is you finally found out she doesn't play games.”
I heard footsteps.
Then Chloe said:
“And now she knows about Sophie.”
Everything inside me went still.
Daniel said nothing.
I opened the door.
Both of them turned.
Chloe's face drained of color.
Daniel looked destroyed.
I stared at them.
“What happened to Sophie?”
Neither answered.
I stepped onto the hallway.
“Tell me.”
Daniel looked at Chloe.
Chloe looked at him.
Then she whispered:
“She died.”
The world seemed to tilt.
May you like
Daniel closed his eyes.
“And three years ago,” Chloe continued, “Daniel helped my family make sure nobody ever found out why.”
