Chapter 6: The Person Who Knew Too Much
I didn’t answer Devin’s message.
I didn’t answer Malik either.
I just stood there between two versions of the truth, wondering when my life had become something I needed to investigate.
A marriage shouldn’t feel like a crime scene.
A husband shouldn’t feel like a suspect.
A friend shouldn’t feel like a question mark.
But that was where I was.
Standing in my own living room.
Holding my phone.
Trying to decide which person had broken my trust first.
“Who was that?””
Malik’s voice pulled me back.
I locked my phone.
“No one.””
His expression changed immediately.
A small change.
Almost invisible.
But I saw it.
Because after years together, I knew him.
“You’re lying.””
The irony almost made me laugh.
“You say that like you’re surprised.””
His jaw tightened.
“Was it Devin?””
I didn’t answer.
That was enough.
Malik looked away.
And for a moment, I saw something I hadn’t expected.
Pain.
Real pain.
Not anger.
Not suspicion.
Pain.
“You really trust him over me?””
The question hit harder than I wanted it to.
Because the truth was complicated.
I didn’t trust Devin.
Not completely.
But I also didn’t trust Malik.
Not anymore.
“I don’t know what I trust.””
That answer seemed to hurt him more than an accusation would have.
He sat down on the couch.
“I never thought we would get here.””
I stayed standing.
“Neither did I.””
For a while, neither of us spoke.
The room felt like a place we had visited instead of a home we shared.
Finally, Malik looked up.
“I need to tell you something.””
I almost smiled.
“Another thing?””
“Yes.””
I crossed my arms.
“Go ahead.””
He took a deep breath.
“The business account wasn’t just mine.””
I froze.
“What?””
“It belonged to a company.””
“What company?””
He hesitated.
“An investment group.””
“Malik.””
“I’m telling you.””
“No, you’re giving me pieces.””
His face tightened.
“You want the truth? Fine.””
He leaned forward.
“The account was created because I was trying to fix something.””
“Fix what?””
He looked down.
“Our finances.””
I frowned.
“Our finances were fine.””
“No, they weren’t.””
The certainty in his voice bothered me.
“What does that mean?””
He stood and walked toward the bookshelf.
He pulled out an old folder.
A folder I had never seen before.
“This.””
He handed it to me.
Inside were printed emails.
Bank statements.
Letters.
My eyes moved quickly.
Then I saw a familiar name.
My name.
Again.
My stomach turned.
“What is this?””
“Debt.””
I looked at him.
“What debt?””
“Your father’s old business debt.””
I stared.
“My father?””
He nodded.
“He left it behind.””
“That’s impossible.””
“Simone—”
“No.””
I stepped back.
“My father died six years ago. Everything was settled.””
“That’s what you were told.””
I looked at the papers again.
There were numbers.
Legal documents.
Collection notices.
My hands went cold.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because I was trying to protect you.””
There it was again.
That sentence.
Everyone loved using it.
“I’m getting tired of people protecting me by hiding things from me.””
Malik looked away.
“I knew you’d blame yourself.””
“I deserved to know.””
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
My voice broke.
“You don’t get to decide what pain I can handle.””
Silence.
A painful one.
Then I looked back at the papers.
“Why is my signature on these documents?””
Malik’s face changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
“You saw those too?””
I stared.
“Answer me.””
He didn’t.
And that was answer enough.
“Malik.””
“I didn’t forge anything.””
“Then explain.””
He ran his hand through his hair.
“I signed for you.””
The words made my entire body go still.
“You what?””
“I had power of attorney.””
“No, you didn’t.””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Two years ago.””
“I never gave you that.””
His eyes dropped.
And suddenly I remembered.
The hospital.
The surgery.
The paperwork.
The week I was barely conscious after my appendix ruptured.
My mind raced.
“You used those documents.””
“No.””
“You did.””
“Simone—”
“You used something I signed when I was sick.””
His face fell.
“I was trying to help.””
“You keep saying that.””
“Because it’s true.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“Because it makes you feel better.””
The silence afterward was brutal.
Because neither of us could pretend anymore.
The truth wasn’t one simple thing.
It was layers.
Bad decisions.
Hidden information.
Half-confessions.
Everyone had their reasons.
And somehow every reason still hurt.
I left the house.
Not because I had a plan.
Because I needed air.
I drove without thinking.
Eventually, I ended up outside the coffee shop where I had met Devin earlier.
I didn’t know why.
Maybe because I needed someone to tell me I wasn’t losing my mind.
Maybe because I wanted someone to finally give me an answer.
Devin was still there.
Sitting in his car.
Waiting.
When he saw me, he immediately got out.
“What happened?””
I laughed.
“You tell me.””
His face changed.
“What?””
“You knew about my father’s debt.””
He froze.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
“You knew.””
“Simone.””
“You knew.””
He looked away.
“I knew there were financial problems.””
“And you didn’t tell me?””
“I didn’t know the details.””
“But you knew something.””
“Yes.””
The honesty made me angrier.
“Why does everyone know things about my life except me?””
Devin looked guilty.
“Because people thought they were protecting you.””
“Stop saying that.””
His face softened.
“Okay.””
“Did Malik create those documents?””
“I don’t know.””
“But you think he did.””
“I think he used your situation.””
“What situation?””
“The fact that you were sick. The fact that you trusted him.””
I looked at him.
“And you?””
He went quiet.
“What about me?””
“Did you use my situation too?””
His expression changed.
Like I had physically hurt him.
“No.””
“How do I know?””
“Because I never wanted anything from you.””
I stared.
That wasn’t true.
Not completely.
Everyone wanted something.
Malik wanted control.
Devin wanted to help.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
“What do you want from me, Devin?””
The question sat between us.
His eyes moved away.
And for the first time, he looked afraid.
“I want you to be okay.””
“That’s not an answer.””
“It’s the only one I have.””
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“What do you really want?””
He swallowed.
Then he said quietly:
“I wanted you to choose yourself.””
I felt my chest tighten.
Not because it was romantic.
Because it was dangerous.
“You mean choose you.””
“No.””
“Do you?””
He didn’t answer.
That silence was enough.
I stepped back.
“I need to know the truth.””
“I know.””
“All of it.””
“I’ll show you.””
He reached into his car and pulled out his laptop.
“I found something else.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
“A file hidden inside the company records.””
“What file?””
He opened the laptop.
Typed in a password.
Then turned the screen toward me.
A folder appeared.
The name made my blood run cold.
Because it wasn’t Malik’s.
It wasn’t Devin’s.
It was mine.
*SIMONE_CARTER_FINAL_PLAN*
I looked at Devin.
“What is that?””
His face was pale.
“I don’t know.””
My hands hovered over the keyboard.
“Open it.””
Devin hesitated.
“Simone…”
“Open it.””
The folder opened.
Inside were documents.
Photos.
Messages.
And one video file.
Created three months earlier.
Before I knew anything was wrong.
I clicked it.
The screen went black.
Then a familiar voice filled the car.
A voice I recognized instantly.
My own.
But I had never recorded this.
I had never said these words.
And yet there I was.
On the screen.
Sitting in our house.
Looking directly into the camera.
Saying:
“If you’re watching this, it means Malik found out…”
I stopped breathing.
Because the woman on the screen wasn’t talking to Malik.
She wasn’t talking to Devin.
She was talking to someone else.
Someone I never expected.
And then she said a name.
May you like
A name that made Devin go completely silent.
Because it was the last person either of us expected to be involved.