Chapter 6: The Woman Who Stole My Ring
I stared at the woman standing in Aunt Diane’s living room.
The woman who had been smiling beside my husband.
The woman wearing my wedding ring.
For a moment, my mind refused to accept what my eyes were seeing.
Because Daniel had left.
Daniel had disappeared.
Daniel had broken my heart.
But now he was standing ten feet away from me, looking at a woman who was wearing the symbol of our marriage like it belonged to her.
Like she had earned it.
Like I was the outsider in my own life.
My voice came out barely above a whisper.
“Who are you?””
The woman tilted her head.
“You know who I am.””
“No.””
I looked at Daniel.
“Tell me.””
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
That hurt more than the ring.
Because Daniel always had something to say.
An excuse.
A reason.
A story.
But now he was silent.
The woman smiled sadly.
“See?””
She looked at me.
“He still can’t tell you the truth.””
Aunt Diane stepped forward.
“Get out.””
The woman glanced at her.
“Still protective.””
“You don’t belong here.””
“Neither did you.””
The room went quiet.
I looked between them.
“You know each other.””
Nobody answered.
That was becoming a pattern.
Everyone knew something.
Everyone had secrets.
And I was always the last person to find out.
I walked closer.
“Enough.””
My voice shook.
“But I’m done standing in the middle of conversations where everyone knows what’s happening except me.””
I looked directly at Daniel.
“Who is she?””
His eyes met mine.
And for the first time in nineteen days, I saw something I recognized.
Fear.
Not guilt.
Fear.
“Jasmine…”
“No.””
I held up my hand.
“Don’t say my name like that.””
His face fell.
“Just answer.””
The woman stepped forward.
“My name is Vanessa.””
I looked at her.
“Vanessa what?””
She smiled slightly.
“Vanessa Cole.””
The name meant nothing.
Until I saw Aunt Diane’s reaction.
Her face went pale.
“You’re lying.””
Vanessa looked at her.
“Am I?””
Aunt Diane’s hands curled into fists.
“Jasmine, don’t listen to her.””
I turned.
“Why?””
“Because she’s dangerous.””
Vanessa laughed softly.
“That’s interesting coming from you.””
“What does that mean?””
Nobody answered.
Again.
My anger finally broke through the fear.
“What does that mean?””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Jasmine, listen to me.””
I looked at him.
“You don’t get to ask me to listen.””
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
My voice cracked.
“You left me alone with three children.””
“I know.””
“You let me believe you stopped caring.””
“I know.””
“You let me think I wasn’t enough.””
His face changed.
Pain crossed his eyes.
“I never thought that.””
“Then why did you leave?””
Silence.
Vanessa watched us.
Almost enjoying it.
Finally, Daniel said:
“Because I found out Noah wasn’t the only secret.””
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?””
He looked at Aunt Diane.
Then Vanessa.
Then me.
“I found documents.””
“What documents?””
“About your family.””
I laughed.
A sharp, bitter sound.
“My family?””
“Your mother.””
The room went still.
“You keep saying that.””
I looked around.
“My mother.””
I pointed at the envelope Vanessa was holding.
“That letter.””
Then at Vanessa.
“That woman.””
Then Daniel.
“You.””
My voice rose.
“All of you are talking about my mother like she’s some mystery you’re trying to solve.””
I stepped closer.
“She was my mother.””
Nobody spoke.
“I was sixteen when I lost her.””
My eyes burned.
“I spent twenty years thinking I knew what happened.””
I looked at Aunt Diane.
“But apparently everyone decided I wasn’t allowed to know the truth.””
Aunt Diane whispered:
“I was trying to protect you.””
I shook my head.
“I’m tired of being protected.””
The words came out stronger than I expected.
“I want the truth.””
Vanessa held up the envelope.
“Then read it.””
I looked at her.
“Why do you have it?””
She smiled.
“Because your husband gave it to me.””
My entire body froze.
I turned toward Daniel.
“What?””
He looked horrified.
“That’s not true.””
Vanessa laughed.
“Of course you’d say that.””
“When did you get that?””
Daniel stepped toward her.
“Give it back.””
She held it away.
“You’re still pretending?””
“What are you talking about?””
She looked at me.
“Jasmine, your husband came to me because he thought I could help him find Rebecca.””
I stared.
“What?””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
“He was desperate.””
“Vanessa, stop.””
“He believed your mother was alive.””
I looked at Daniel.
“Is that true?””
He didn’t answer.
That was enough.
My chest tightened.
“You knew?””
“I suspected.””
“You knew my mother might be alive?””
“I wasn’t sure.””
“And you didn’t tell me?””
His face twisted.
“I was trying to protect you.””
I almost laughed.
Everyone had the same excuse.
Protect.
Protect.
Protect.
While I was left standing in the dark.
“You had no right.””
“I know.””
“No, Daniel.””
I stepped closer.
“You don’t understand.””
My voice lowered.
“You made me grieve someone who might have been alive.””
His eyes filled.
“I was trying to find proof.””
“Proof?””
“Yes.””
“Of what?””
He looked at Noah’s car seat upstairs.
Then back at me.
“Of why Rebecca disappeared.””
I stared.
“What does Noah have to do with my mother?””
Daniel looked like he wished he could take back everything.
Then Vanessa answered.
“Because Noah’s birth wasn’t the first time someone tried to hide a child.””
The room went silent.
A cold wave moved through me.
“What?””
Vanessa looked at the stairs.
“Your mother wasn’t just running from someone.””
She looked back at me.
“She was protecting someone.””
“Who?””
Vanessa’s smile disappeared.
“Your brother.””
I froze.
The world stopped.
“What brother?””
Aunt Diane covered her mouth.
“No.””
I turned toward her.
“You know?””
She shook her head.
“No, Jasmine.””
But she was crying.
And I had never seen her cry like that.
“Tell me.””
Nobody spoke.
I looked at Daniel.
“Tell me.””
He swallowed.
“Rebecca had another child.””
My hands went numb.
“That’s impossible.””
“She believed he was taken from her.””
“Who?””
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
And for the first time, Vanessa looked uncomfortable.
“Your father.””
I felt the room tilt.
“My father?””
Daniel nodded.
“Before he died, he discovered what happened.””
I looked at the envelope.
At the letter my mother wrote.
At the woman wearing my ring.
At the man I thought abandoned me.
Nothing made sense.
“You’re telling me my father had another child?””
“Yes.””
“And my mother disappeared because of it?””
“Yes.””
“And somehow this connects to Noah?””
Nobody answered.
I looked at Daniel.
“Does Noah have anything to do with this?””
His silence was immediate.
Too immediate.
My heart dropped.
“Daniel.””
He looked away.
“Answer me.””
Finally, he whispered:
“Noah wasn’t the reason I left.””
A pause.
“Then what was?””
He looked at me.
And I saw tears in his eyes.
“I left because someone tried to take him.””
The room went silent.
“What?””
“Three days before I disappeared, I found someone watching our house.””
My breathing slowed.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because I thought I could handle it.””
“You thought?””
“I was wrong.””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“And now it’s too late.””
Daniel looked at her.
“Don’t.””
She ignored him.
“Jasmine, the reason your husband left was because he found out the truth.””
“What truth?””
She walked closer.
The gold ring on her finger caught the light again.
“The person who has been searching for your mother for twenty years…”
She looked at Noah’s room upstairs.
“…has finally found the one thing they wanted.””
My stomach twisted.
“What?””
Vanessa smiled.
“Your son.””
At that exact moment, a loud crash came from upstairs.
Everyone turned.
My blood ran cold.
“Noah.””
I ran.
But before I reached the stairs, Daniel grabbed my arm.
“Jasmine, wait.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
His face had gone completely white.
“Because if they’re here…”
May you like
A pause.
“…they already knew you’d come downstairs.””