Chapter Four — The Secret Before Me
Daniel refused to talk.
That was when I knew whatever happened between him and Ava's family was worse than cheating.
I followed him the next morning.
He drove to an old office building downtown.
I waited until he went inside.
Then I followed.
He entered a room on the third floor.
A man was waiting for him.
They argued.
I couldn't hear everything.
But I heard one sentence.
"She knows."
Daniel replied,
"Not everything."
I stepped into the doorway.
"Then tell me."
Both men turned.
Daniel looked devastated.
The other man looked angry.
"Claire, you shouldn't be here."
I looked at Daniel.
"Who is he?"
Daniel hesitated.
"My former business partner."
The man laughed.
"Former?"
Daniel glared at him.
Then the man looked at me.
"Your husband destroyed my company."
I stared at Daniel.
"Is that true?"
"It wasn't like that."
"It was exactly like that," the man said.
Daniel stepped forward.
"Enough."
"No."
I raised my hand.
"Let him speak."
The man told me everything.
Years ago, Daniel and Ava's father had owned a company together.
Daniel had secretly moved money.
The company collapsed.
Ava's father took the blame.
His marriage fell apart.
His health deteriorated.
And eventually, he died.
Ava blamed Daniel.
My husband had known.
He had never told me.
I felt sick.
"So Ava married you?"
"She didn't marry me."
"But she planned to."
"She approached me deliberately."
"Why?"
"To destroy me."
I remembered her words.
I'm going to marry your husband.
It wasn't romance.
It was revenge.
But there was still something I didn't understand.
"If Ava wanted revenge, why tell me?"
Daniel looked at me.
"Because she changed her mind."
"Why?"
He didn't answer.
His former partner did.
"Because she discovered something."
"What?"
He looked at Daniel.
"That the money Daniel stole wasn't actually stolen."
I stared at him.
"What?"
Daniel went pale.
The man continued.
"Someone else moved it."
"Who?"
Silence.
Then Daniel whispered,
"My brother."
I felt like I had entered another marriage entirely.
There were secrets everywhere.
Everyone had lied.
Everyone had motives.
And I was standing in the middle of all of them.
That evening, Ava came to my house.
I almost didn't let her in.
But I needed answers.
She sat across from me.
"Your sister told me."
Ava nodded.
"I knew she would."
"You planned to marry Daniel to destroy him."
"Yes."
"You slept with him."
"Yes."
"You knew he was married."
"Yes."
"And you still pursued him."
"Yes."
I stared at her.
"Why?"
She looked down.
"Because I hated him."
"Do you still?"
She shook her head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I found out he wasn't responsible for what happened to my father."
"Then who was?"
She looked directly at me.
"Your father."
My blood froze.
"My father?"
"Yes."
I laughed.
"My father died three years ago."
"I know."
"What are you saying?"
"Your father and Daniel's brother worked together."
She leaned closer.
"They framed Daniel."
I couldn't breathe.
"My father destroyed Daniel?"
"Yes."
"And Daniel knew?"
"No."
"Then why didn't he tell me?"
Ava looked away.
"Because he discovered the truth only recently."
My entire world cracked.
The man I had married had cheated on me.
But he had also been carrying a secret about my own family.
Ava reached into her handbag.
She pulled out an envelope.
"What's that?"
"Proof."
I took it.
Inside were documents.
Bank transfers.
Emails.
Contracts.
And one photograph.
My father.
Standing beside Daniel's brother.
Both men smiling.
I stared at the photograph.
