Was there another woman?
Had he married me for money?
Was he planning to leave?
Was everything a lie?
I wanted to burst through the door.
I wanted answers.
Instead, I quietly backed away.
If Aaron had spent fifteen years hiding something, one more hour wouldn’t kill me.
I needed to know the truth.
So I decided to play along.
When Aaron returned to the dining room, I was sitting at the table pretending everything was normal.
My heart was pounding so hard I thought he might hear it.
But he smiled as if nothing had happened.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Perfect.”
The lie tasted bitter.
Dinner continued.
He chatted casually.
I barely heard a word.
My thoughts kept replaying his conversation.
Pulling the wool over her eyes.
Since school.
Tonight I’ll finally do what I planned.
The more I thought about it, the worse it sounded.
Finally, Aaron stood up.
“I have something for you.”
Behind his back, he was hiding something.
My stomach twisted.
This was it.
Whatever he’d been planning.
Whatever secret he’d hidden for fifteen years.
Then headlights flashed through the window.
A car pulled into the driveway.
A moment later came a knock at the front door.
Aaron grinned.
A strange grin.
One I’d never seen before.
“Well, well,” he said.
“Did you really think I was with you because of love?”
The words hit me like a punch.
Every fear instantly became real.
I stared at him in shock.
Aaron opened the front door.
And a man walked inside.
I had never seen him before.
He appeared to be around sixty years old, wearing a navy suit and carrying a leather folder.
He looked directly at me.
Then he smiled.
“Hello, Emily.”
I stood up.
“Who are you?”
The man glanced at Aaron.
Aaron nodded.
The stranger extended his hand.
“My name is Michael Carter.”
I didn’t recognize the name.
Then he added softly:
“I was your father’s business partner.”
Everything inside me froze.
My father had died when I was twelve.
I barely remembered his business.
“What does this have to do with anything?” I asked.
Michael looked emotional.
“More than you realize.”
Aaron walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder.
For the first time all evening, his expression looked serious.
Not cruel.
Not guilty.
Just nervous.
“Emily,” he said quietly, “there’s something I’ve been trying to tell you for years.”
I pulled away.
“Then start talking.”
Michael opened the leather folder.
Inside were photographs.
Old documents.
Letters.
And one faded picture of my father.
I hadn’t seen that photo in decades.
Tears instantly filled my eyes.
“What is this?”
Michael took a deep breath.
