Chapter 4: The Secret of My First Wife
“Because the thing she's hiding isn't just about the money.””
Marcus's words followed me up the staircase.
“It's about what happened to your first wife.””
I stopped halfway up.
For six years, I had tried not to think about the night Emily died.
My first wife.
Sophia's biological mother.
The woman whose laughter used to fill every room in our house.
The woman who had supposedly died in a car accident on a rainy highway.
I turned toward Marcus.
“What did you just say?””
Marcus looked at Patricia.
She was standing beside the coffee table, her arms crossed.
“Marcus, don't,” she warned.
He swallowed.
“Daniel, you need to listen to me.””
I took another step toward him.
“Start talking.””
Patricia moved between us.
“This is ridiculous. Marcus has been under a lot of pressure lately.””
“Pressure from whom?””
“Daniel, please. We can discuss this privately.””
“No. You just told me my daughter found something connected to her dead mother. Then this man tells me there's something you don't want me to discover. Nobody is leaving until I get an explanation.””
A loud thud came from upstairs.
Sophia.
I turned immediately.
“Move.””
Patricia grabbed my sleeve.
“Don't go up there!””
I pulled away.
“Get your hands off me.””
I ran up the stairs.
Sophia's bedroom door was open.
A small lamp lay broken on the carpet. Her tablet was on the floor, and several drawers had been pulled open.
Sophia was standing beside her bed, trembling.
“Daddy!””
I rushed toward her.
“Baby, what happened?””
She pointed toward the closet.
“Someone was looking for something.””
I glanced inside.
Her clothes had been thrown across the floor. A small wooden box sat open on the shelf.
“Did you see who it was?””
Sophia shook her head.
“I heard the door. Then someone came inside.””
“Was it Patricia?””
“I don't know. I hid under the bed.””
I checked the hallway.
Empty.
Then I noticed something on the carpet.
A small silver photograph frame.
The glass was cracked.
I picked it up.
Inside was a photograph of Emily holding baby Sophia.
I recognized the picture immediately.
It had disappeared from our bedroom years ago.
“Where did you get this?””
Sophia wiped her eyes.
“I found it in Patricia's room last month.””
My heart began pounding.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because Patricia said Mommy was a bad person.””
I knelt in front of her.
“What?””
Sophia's lip trembled.
“She said Mommy didn't want me. She said Mommy left because she didn't love me.””
I felt as though someone had punched me.
“Sweetheart, that's not true.””
“Patricia said Mommy was driving away from us when the accident happened.””
I took Sophia's face gently between my hands.
“Your mother loved you more than anything in this world.””
“Then why did she leave?””
I couldn't answer immediately.
Because I had asked myself that same question for six years.
I kissed Sophia's forehead.
“She didn't choose to leave you, baby.””
A shadow appeared in the doorway.
Patricia.
“Daniel, we need to talk.””
I stood.
“Get out.””
She blinked.
“Excuse me?””
“Get out of my daughter's room.””
Patricia looked at the photograph in my hand.
Her expression changed.
“Where did you get that?””
“That's what you should be asking yourself.””
She took a step forward.
“Give it to me.””
“No.””
“Daniel, that photograph is private.””
“It belongs to my daughter.””
Patricia's voice sharpened.
“You have no idea what that woman was like.””
I stared at her.
“You will not speak about Emily like that.””
“Then maybe you should ask why she was so desperate to leave this family.””
Sophia began crying again.
I stepped between them.
“Enough.””
Patricia folded her arms.
“You want the truth? Fine. Emily wasn't the perfect woman you remember.””
I took out my phone.
“I'm recording this conversation.””
Her eyes narrowed.
“Of course you are.””
“Tell me what happened the night she died.””
Patricia looked at the phone.
Then at Sophia.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Finally, she whispered:
“Ask Marcus. He knows.””
I turned toward the hallway.
Marcus was standing at the far end.
His leather folder was still in his hand.
“Daniel,” he said, “we need to leave this room.””
I shook my head.
“Not until someone tells me why my wife's photograph was hidden in Patricia's closet.””
Marcus glanced toward the staircase.
Then he lowered his voice.
“Because Emily discovered something before she died.””
“What?””
He looked at Patricia.
“She discovered that someone had been taking money from your business accounts.””
My mind raced.
“Who?””
Marcus hesitated.
Patricia answered for him.
“Your brother.””
I froze.
My brother, Andrew.
The man who had stood beside me at Emily's funeral.
The man who had promised to help raise Sophia.
The man who had introduced me to Patricia two years after Emily's death.
I looked at Marcus.
“Is that true?””
Marcus shook his head slowly.
“Not exactly.””
Patricia laughed.
“Of course. Now you're going to pretend you don't know?””
Marcus opened his folder and removed another document.
“Emily had evidence that someone was creating false financial records. She was going to take them to the police.””
I stared at him.
“And?””
Marcus looked directly at me.
“She called me the night before the accident.””
My stomach dropped.
“What did she say?””
“She told me she was afraid.””
“Afraid of whom?””
He looked toward Patricia.
Then he said:
“Your wife.””
I felt my entire body go cold.
Patricia immediately stepped forward.
“That's a lie!””
Marcus continued.
“Emily told me that Patricia had been visiting Andrew secretly. She believed they were working together to take control of your company.””
I looked at Patricia.
“You knew Andrew before you met me?””
She said nothing.
“Patricia!””
She finally answered.
“Yes.””
“How long?””
Her silence was enough.
I stepped backward.
The woman who had spent six years telling me she loved my daughter had apparently known my brother long before she became part of our family.
I looked at Marcus.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I received a phone call two days after Emily's accident.””
“From whom?””
He lowered his eyes.
“Andrew.””
“What did he say?””
Marcus swallowed.
“He told me that if I ever mentioned Emily's financial investigation, I would lose everything.””
I looked at the document in his hand.
Then at Patricia.
“Why are you telling me this now?””
Marcus reached into the folder again.
He pulled out a small photograph.
It showed Emily standing outside a hospital.
She was holding a brown envelope.
On the back was a handwritten message.
*IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME, FIND SOPHIA'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE.*
I stared at the words.
Then Sophia spoke from behind me.
“Daddy?””
I turned.
She was looking at the photograph.
Her eyes were wide.
“That's the envelope Mommy gave me.””
I felt my heartbeat stop.
“What envelope, sweetheart?””
Sophia pointed toward her school backpack.
“The one Patricia told me never to show you.””
I looked at Patricia.
Her face had gone completely white.
May you like
And for the first time, she wasn't trying to hide her fear.
She was terrified.
