Chapter 9: The Last Lie He Told
I met Robert the next morning in a small office far away from Marcus’s company.
I chose the location carefully.
For the first time in years, I was making decisions without wondering what Marcus would think.
That alone felt strange.
The old Nia would have called Marcus first.
She would have asked for an explanation.
She would have searched his face for reassurance.
But that woman was gone.
The woman who walked into his office carrying lunch had disappeared the moment she saw him step out of that elevator.
Robert stood when I entered.
He looked older than I expected.
Tired.
Like carrying Marcus’s secrets had aged him.
“Nia.””
I nodded.
“Tell me everything.””
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then he slowly sat down.
“I represented Marcus for almost ten years.””
“And you knew?””
His expression changed.
“Knew what?””
“That he was doing this.””
Robert looked away.
That was enough.
“You knew.””
He sighed.
“I knew Marcus was complicated.””
I shook my head.
“Don’t say that.””
His eyes returned to mine.
“Excuse me?””
“Complicated is forgetting an anniversary. Complicated is being difficult.””
I leaned forward.
“What Marcus did was calculated.””
Robert didn’t argue.
Because he knew.
“You’re right.””
Those two words surprised me.
After weeks of hearing excuses, someone finally admitted the truth.
“He had a plan,” Robert said.
My hands tightened.
“What plan?””
Robert opened his briefcase.
He placed several documents on the table.
“These are copies of agreements Marcus prepared over the years.””
I looked at the papers.
“Agreements with who?””
“Different people.””
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?””
Robert took a breath.
“Marcus had a habit of creating financial arrangements with people before relationships became serious.””
My stomach dropped.
“You mean…”
“Yes.””
He nodded.
“He protected himself first.””
I looked at the documents.
There were dates.
Names.
Companies.
Everything organized.
Everything planned.
The same man who claimed he was spontaneous had created a detailed escape route from every relationship.
“Why call me now?”” I asked.
Robert was quiet.
Then he answered.
“Because I found something I should have noticed years ago.””
“What?””
“He wasn’t just preparing for divorce.””
I waited.
“He was preparing for a new identity.””
The words hit me.
“What?””
Robert pointed to a document.
“Marcus had plans to move certain assets overseas.””
I studied the pages.
“I don’t understand.””
“He wanted to disappear financially.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“From who?””
Robert looked at me.
“Everyone.””
The room became silent.
The truth was finally becoming clear.
Marcus didn’t think relationships were permanent.
He thought people were temporary.
And he always prepared for the moment they stopped being useful.
“What does this have to do with me?””
Robert hesitated.
Then he slid another document toward me.
“This.””
I looked down.
My name appeared again.
But this time, something was different.
My signature.
My supposed signature.
I stared at it.
“That’s not mine.””
Robert nodded.
“I know.””
My heart started racing.
“He forged my signature?””
“Yes.””
“For what?””
Robert looked uncomfortable.
“For control over certain accounts.””
I felt anger rise inside me.
Not sadness.
Not confusion.
Anger.
The kind that makes everything suddenly clear.
“He planned this.””
“Yes.””
“From the beginning?””
Robert looked at the papers.
“Not from the beginning.””
I looked up.
“What does that mean?””
“He didn’t start out planning to hurt you.””
For some reason, that almost hurt more.
Because it meant there might have been a time when he loved me.
Or at least believed he did.
“But eventually,” Robert continued, “he decided protecting himself mattered more.””
I looked out the window.
I thought about our first apartment.
Our wedding.
The nights we stayed awake talking about our future.
Were those moments fake?
Or did he simply become someone who could destroy the things he once cared about?
My phone buzzed.
Marcus.
I stared at his name.
Robert noticed.
“He knows.””
I looked at him.
“How?””
“Because people like Marcus always know when they are losing control.””
I answered.
Not because I wanted to hear him.
Because I wanted him to know I was no longer afraid.
“Hello.””
There was silence.
Then his voice.
“Nia.””
I closed my eyes.
“Marcus.””
“You’re making a mistake.””
I almost smiled.
“Is that what you tell everyone?””
His breathing changed.
“You don’t understand what’s happening.””
“No.””
My voice became steady.
“I understand now.””
“Nia, listen to me.””
“No. You listen.””
The silence on the other end told me he wasn’t used to that.
“You spent years making everyone believe your version of reality.””
I paused.
“But you forgot one thing.””
“What?””
“Eventually, all the people you lied to would compare stories.””
For the first time, Marcus had no immediate response.
Then he said something unexpected.
“I loved you.””
My heart tightened.
Because that was the one sentence I had wanted to hear.
But it came too late.
“I know,” I whispered.
Silence.
“I know you probably did.””
My voice cracked slightly.
“But love doesn’t look like this.””
I ended the call.
And for the first time in weeks, I felt free.
But before I could put my phone down, another notification appeared.
A message from Olivia.
May you like
One sentence.
I found something in Marcus’s office that you need to see before anyone else does.
