Chapter 3: The Secret Hidden Before the Wedding
I didn’t sleep that night.
The wedding venue emptied slowly until only a few people remained.
The flowers were still beautiful.
That was the strangest part.
Everything looked perfect.
The roses.
The candles.
The decorations.
Only the people were broken.
My mother sat in my childhood home’s living room wearing the same dress from the wedding.
She looked smaller than I remembered.
Not because she had changed.
Because I was finally seeing how tired she was.
“Mom,” I said quietly.
She looked up.
“I’m sorry.””
Her eyes filled immediately.
“Daniel, don’t apologize.””
“I should have noticed.””
She shook her head.
“You loved someone. That’s not something to apologize for.””
I sat across from her.
“Tell me about the letter.””
She looked toward the window.
For a long time, she said nothing.
Then she walked to the old wooden cabinet near the hallway.
She opened the bottom drawer.
Inside was a small envelope.
My name was written across the front.
My heart started beating faster.
“Why do you have this?””
My mother sat down.
“Because I wasn’t sure if you should ever see it.””
I picked up the envelope.
The paper was old.
“What is it?””
She took a deep breath.
“It’s from Emma’s former fiancé.””
I froze.
“What?””
My mother looked at the floor.
“His name is Jason.””
The room seemed to shrink.
“Emma was engaged before me?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t she tell me?””
My mother’s silence answered before her words did.
“Because Jason disappeared after discovering something.””
My hands tightened around the envelope.
“What something?””
My mother looked at me.
“She was still seeing someone else while she was planning that wedding.””
I stared at her.
“No.””
“I hoped it wasn’t true.””
“You don’t know that.””
“I didn’t.””
Her voice cracked.
“That’s why I kept the letter. Because I didn’t want to destroy your happiness based on someone else’s accusation.””
I looked at the envelope.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because every time I tried, you looked so happy.””
She wiped her eyes.
“I thought maybe I was wrong.””
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
Daniel,
I don’t know if you’ll ever believe me, but you deserve to know the truth about Emma.
She doesn’t love people. She loves what people can provide for her.
The letter continued.
Jason described how Emma had convinced him to buy a house before their wedding.
How she changed after the paperwork was completed.
How she became obsessed with appearances.
How she treated his family like obstacles.
My stomach turned.
But one sentence stopped me.
“She always said the perfect man would choose her over everyone else.””
I read it twice.
Because those words sounded familiar.
A memory came back.
Three weeks before our wedding, Emma had looked at me during an argument.
“If you really loved me, you would put me first.””
At the time, I thought she was asking for reassurance.
Now I wondered if she was testing me.
My phone rang.
I looked down.
It was Emma.
My mother watched me.
“You don’t have to answer.””
I did.
“Hello?””
For several seconds, there was only silence.
Then Emma spoke.
“Daniel.””
Her voice sounded broken.
“I know you’re angry.””
I said nothing.
“I didn’t want today to happen.””
“But it did.””
“I lost control.””
“You hit my mother.””
“I know.””
Her voice cracked.
“I’m sorry.””
I closed my eyes.
Part of me wanted to believe her.
That was the worst part.
Because love doesn’t disappear the moment someone hurts you.
Sometimes it stays.
Sometimes it fights against the truth.
“Daniel,” she whispered, “please let me explain.””
I looked at the letter.
“Explain the letter first.””
Silence.
A long silence.
Then Emma said:
“Your mother showed you that?””
I froze.
Not because she denied it.
Because of the way she said it.
Like she already knew.
“Emma…”
She started crying.
“Daniel, there are things you don’t understand.””
“What things?””
Another silence.
Then she said:
“Things your mother has been hiding from you for years.””
I stood up.
“What are you talking about?””
The call suddenly ended.
I stared at my phone.
Then I noticed something.
A message had arrived from an unknown number.
I opened it.
There was one sentence.
“Meet me tomorrow. I know why Linda never told you the truth.””
May you like
And below it was a name.
Jason.
