Chapter 4: The Woman Who Knew Too Much
I read the message five times.
Maybe six.
Because my brain refused to accept what my eyes were seeing.
Jessica.
The woman my husband abandoned me for.
The woman he defended.
The woman he destroyed our marriage for.
Was hiding something with her brother.
Something serious enough that she was afraid Ryan would find out.
Daniel watched me carefully.
“Sarah?””
I looked up.
“What exactly did Ryan know?””
Daniel shook his head.
“I don’t know.””
“Then why show me this?””
“Because I think you deserve the truth before you make any decisions about him.””
I looked back at the message.
The words burned into my mind.
If Ryan finds out what we did, we’re both finished.
“What do you think they did?””
Daniel leaned back.
“I don’t know.””
Everyone kept saying that.
I don’t know.
I don’t know.
I don’t know.
But somehow, everyone knew enough to keep secrets from me.
When I returned home, Ryan was waiting.
Still in his wheelchair.
Still looking like the man I used to love.
That was the hardest part.
If he had been cruel, it would have been easier.
If he had been heartless, I could have hated him.
But Ryan looked broken.
And broken people could still cause damage.
“Where were you?”” he asked.
I stared at him.
“Why?””
His expression changed.
“I was worried.””
I almost smiled.
“Worried?””
“Yes.””
“Ryan, you didn’t worry when you packed your bags.””
He looked down.
“I know.””
“You didn’t worry when you told me you loved another woman.””
“I know.””
“You didn’t worry when you spent our money on her.””
His head lifted.
“What?””
I threw the folder onto the table.
The papers scattered.
His face changed as he saw the bank statements.
“Sarah…”
“No.””
I pointed at the documents.
“Explain.””
Ryan stared.
His silence was the answer.
“You knew.””
“I was going to pay it back.””
The sentence shocked me.
Not because of what he said.
Because of how easily he said it.
Like taking from our marriage was something temporary.
Like betraying me was something he could fix later.
“You were going to pay it back?””
“Yes.””
“You stole from us.””
“I didn’t steal.””
I laughed.
A real laugh.
One filled with disbelief.
“You transferred money from our account to another woman while you were cheating on me.””
Ryan’s face turned pale.
“That’s not how it was.””
“Then tell me how it was.””
He looked away.
And I knew.
There was more.
Always more.
That night, Ryan finally admitted something.
Jessica had not just appeared in his life.
She had been there for almost a year.
A year.
While I was making dinner.
While I was celebrating holidays with him.
While I was planning a future with him.
He was secretly building a relationship with someone else.
“I was confused,” he said.
I sat across from him.
“No.””
He looked at me.
“You were selfish.””
The words hurt him.
Good.
They needed to.
“You wanted excitement. You wanted someone who made you feel young again. You wanted a fantasy.””
Ryan wiped his face.
“I regret it.””
I looked at him.
“Regret doesn’t erase choices.””
“I know.””
“Do you?””
He was quiet.
Then he whispered:
“I thought Jessica loved me.””
I looked away.
Because that was the part I couldn’t understand.
How could someone leave a person who loved them for someone who only loved what they could provide?
The next afternoon, someone knocked on my door.
I expected Ryan’s mother.
Maybe another apology.
Maybe another attempt to convince me to take him back.
But when I opened the door, I froze.
It was Jessica.
She looked different.
Not confident.
Not smug.
Terrified.
“What are you doing here?”” I asked.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I need your help.””
I almost closed the door.
Then she said something that stopped me.
“Ryan is not the only person who was lied to.””
I stared.
“What does that mean?””
Jessica looked over her shoulder.
Like she was afraid someone was watching.
Then she handed me a small envelope.
“I found this after the accident.””
I didn’t take it.
“What is it?””
Her voice dropped.
“Proof that Ryan wasn’t supposed to survive.””
My blood ran cold.
“What?””
Jessica started crying.
“I know you hate me. I know I deserve it.””
I said nothing.
“But you need to understand something.””
She looked directly into my eyes.
“Someone tried to kill Ryan.””
The street suddenly felt silent.
I looked down at the envelope.
Then back at her.
“Who?””
Jessica whispered the name.
And the moment she said it, my entire body went numb.
Because it wasn’t Ethan.
May you like
It wasn’t a stranger.
It was someone I knew.
