Chapter 7: The Truth Behind His First Marriage
I stared at the photo until my eyes started to hurt.
The image was blurry.
Dark.
Taken from a distance.
But there was no mistake.
It was Eric.
And standing beside him was someone I knew.
Someone who had smiled at me on my wedding day.
Someone who had held my hands and told me how lucky I was.
My aunt Rebecca.
My stomach twisted.
Not because I was surprised.
Because deep down, I think I already knew.
The people who hurt you the most are often the ones you never think to question.
I read the message again.
*Your husband didn’t just hide a divorce. He hid the reason it happened.*
My fingers hovered over the phone.
I wanted to reply.
I wanted to demand answers.
But fear stopped me.
Because what if the truth was worse?
What if there was another secret waiting for me?
Another piece of my life that wasn’t real?
The door to my hospital room opened quietly.
My father stepped inside carrying two cups of coffee.
Then he saw my face.
“What happened?””
I handed him the phone.
He looked at the picture.
The color drained from his face.
“Where did you get this?””
“Someone sent it to me.””
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
My father stared at the screen.
Then he whispered something I never expected to hear.
“Rebecca.””
My heart sank.
“You knew?””
He looked at me.
“No.””
But his hesitation was enough.
“Dad.””
He sat down slowly.
“I suspected something.””
I felt anger rise.
“You suspected?””
His eyes filled with regret.
“Claire—”
“No.””
My voice cracked.
“Everyone knew something except me.””
“That’s not true.””
“Isn’t it?””
I looked at him.
“Eric’s first wife knew. You knew. Melissa knew. Rebecca knew.””
My father lowered his head.
“I was trying to protect you.””
I laughed quietly.
“From the truth?””
“Yes.””
I looked away.
“Dad, the truth was the only thing that could have protected me.””
The words hurt him.
I could see it.
But they were true.
My entire marriage had been built on people deciding what I could handle.
And nobody had asked me what I wanted.
The next morning, Melissa returned.
She knew immediately something had happened.
“You found something.””
It wasn’t a question.
I showed her the photo.
Her expression changed.
“Where did you get this?””
“Someone sent it.””
Melissa zoomed in.
Then she looked at me.
“Your aunt.””
I nodded.
“What was she doing with Eric?””
Melissa stayed quiet.
That scared me.
“Melissa.””
She took a breath.
“I don’t know everything.””
“But you know something.””
She looked at the floor.
“I know Eric was never as innocent as he claimed.””
I waited.
“After we separated, he told everyone I destroyed our marriage.””
I nodded slowly.
“That’s what he told me.””
“Of course it was.””
Her voice was bitter.
“He never tells people what he did. He tells them what he wants them to believe.””
“What did he do?””
Melissa looked at me.
“He had a relationship with someone else.””
My chest tightened.
“Before the divorce?””
She nodded.
“Yes.””
The room felt colder.
“Who?””
Melissa looked at the photo.
“I don’t know if it was your aunt.””
I stared at her.
“But you think it was.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
She hesitated.
“Because Rebecca was around before our marriage ended.””
I felt sick.
“My aunt?””
Melissa nodded.
“She would come to our house sometimes.””
I remembered Rebecca saying she barely knew Eric.
A casual introduction.
A coincidence.
A lie.
“She told me she was helping me,” Melissa continued.
“Helping?””
“She said Eric needed someone who understood him.””
My hands curled into fists.
“So she was helping him cheat?””
Melissa looked away.
“I don’t know.””
“But you suspect.””
“Yes.””
The answer was painful.
Not because I was learning Eric had lied.
I already knew that.
Because I was learning how many people helped him.
That afternoon, my father finally told me the part he had kept hidden.
The part that explained why he had been so afraid.
“After Eric proposed,” he said, “I started investigating.””
I looked at him.
“You investigated my fiancé?””
He nodded.
“I had a bad feeling.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
He looked ashamed.
“Because I didn’t have enough proof.””
I looked at the documents.
“You had enough to know something was wrong.””
“Yes.””
Silence.
“Then why did you let me marry him?””
The question broke something in him.
“I thought I could keep watching.””
I stared.
“Watching?””
“I thought if he showed any signs of danger, I would step in.””
I shook my head.
“You thought you could control it.””
He didn’t deny it.
“I was wrong.””
The room became quiet.
Then he reached into his bag.
“I found this after the wedding.””
Another envelope.
I almost laughed.
Another secret.
Another hidden piece of my life.
“What is it?””
My father looked at me.
“A copy of a message Rebecca sent Eric.””
My stomach dropped.
“Why do you have it?””
“She accidentally sent it to me.””
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a printed message.
The date was two days before my wedding.
Eric,
She still believes everything you told her. Don’t ruin this by getting emotional. You know what we agreed. After the wedding, everything will settle down.
My hands went cold.
Everything will settle down.
I read the sentence again.
“What does this mean?””
My father looked devastated.
“I don’t know.””
I looked at Melissa.
She was silent.
And then she spoke.
“I do.””
Everyone turned toward her.
Melissa took a breath.
“Eric always needed a plan.””
I frowned.
“What kind of plan?””
“A plan where he looked like the victim.””
My heart started racing.
Melissa continued.
“When I left him, he lost control of the story.””
She pointed at the message.
“But if he married someone new quickly…”
She stopped.
I understood before she finished.
“He could prove he was the one who moved on.””
Melissa nodded.
“And he could make me look unstable.””
I felt sick.
My marriage.
My pregnancy.
My life.
Was I just part of a story he was creating?
A way to rewrite his past?
That evening, my aunt Rebecca showed up.
Without calling.
Without asking.
The second she entered the room, I knew she was afraid.
Not worried.
Afraid.
“Claire.””
I looked at her.
“Why are you here?””
She glanced at my father.
Then Melissa.
“You need to understand something.””
I almost smiled.
Another person telling me what I needed to understand.
“What?””
Her eyes filled.
“I made mistakes.””
I waited.
She sat down.
“Eric asked me for help.””
My father stood.
“Rebecca.””
“No.””
She looked at him.
“I need to tell her.””
I stared.
“Tell me what?””
Rebecca swallowed.
“When I introduced you to Eric, I already knew he wasn’t divorced.””
The room went silent.
I felt like someone had punched the air out of my lungs.
“You knew?””
She started crying.
“I thought it was temporary.””
“Temporary?””
“He told me the paperwork was delayed.””
My voice became quiet.
“You believed him.””
She looked down.
“Yes.””
I laughed.
A painful, empty sound.
“So you helped me marry a man who was still married because you believed him?””
She had no answer.
Then she whispered:
“There’s something else.””
My heart sank.
“What?””
Rebecca looked at Melissa.
Then at me.
“The reason Eric’s divorce was delayed…”
She paused.
“…was because his first wife accused him of something serious.””
I stared.
“What?””
Rebecca’s face turned pale.
“He was investigated.””
The room went completely still.
“For what?””
Rebecca looked at me.
And said the words that changed everything.
“For trying to hide money and assets before the divorce.””
I blinked.
Money.
Assets.
Not love.
Not anger.
Not a broken marriage.
A plan.
Melissa stepped forward.
“That wasn’t the worst part.””
I looked at her.
“What was?””
She reached into her bag and pulled out a small folder.
“I found this after I left.””
She opened it.
Inside was a document.
A financial agreement.
With Eric’s signature.
And another name.
My name.
Except I had never signed it.
My blood turned cold.
“Why is my name on this?””
Nobody answered.
Because they all knew.
The truth was no longer just that Eric lied.
The truth was that he had been preparing something.
Something involving me.
Something that started before I even knew I was part of his life.
Melissa looked at me.
“Claire…”
I stared at the document.
“What?””
Her voice trembled.
“You need to know why Eric married you.””
I looked up.
“Why?””
She swallowed.
“Because you were never just his wife.””
A chill moved through me.
“Then what was I?””
Melissa looked at the papers.
May you like
And whispered:
“His next financial escape plan.””
