Chapter 6: The Name Written on the Note
The name at the bottom of the note made my hands go numb.
I read it once.
Then again.
Then a third time, hoping my eyes had somehow misunderstood the letters.
They hadn’t.
*Natalie Vale.*
I hadn’t heard that name in almost ten years.
But I remembered her.
Everyone in my hometown remembered her.
Natalie was the woman people whispered about. The woman who had once been my father’s business partner. The woman who disappeared after a lawsuit destroyed their company.
The woman my mother had blamed for everything.
I looked up slowly.
“Who is Natalie Vale?””
The room changed.
My father’s face lost all color.
My mother stopped crying.
Claire looked between us.
And that was when I knew.
This name meant something.
My father stepped forward.
“Where did you get that?””
I held up the note.
“It was attached to my dress.””
He reached for it, but I pulled it back.
“No.””
My voice surprised everyone.
“No more secrets.””
My father stopped.
I looked at him.
“I want the truth.””
He closed his eyes.
For a moment, he looked exhausted.
Like he had been carrying something heavy for years and finally realized he could no longer carry it alone.
“Emma,” he said quietly, “Natalie was not just my business partner.””
I waited.
“She was your mother’s best friend.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
My mother looked away.
My father continued.
“They were inseparable before you were born. They knew everything about each other.””
I looked at my mother.
She refused to meet my eyes.
“Then why did Mom say she ruined your life?””
My father’s jaw tightened.
“Because Natalie knew something.””
“What?””
He looked at the ruined dress.
At the ink stain.
At the family standing around me.
Then he said:
“She knew your mother was planning to frame me.””
The room went silent.
Claire whispered:
“Frame you for what?””
My father looked at her.
“For stealing from the company.””
I felt like the floor moved beneath me.
“No.””
My father nodded.
“She created fake records. Fake transactions. She made it look like I had taken money.””
My mother finally spoke.
“That’s not true.””
Everyone turned.
Her voice was shaking.
“You’re twisting everything.””
My father looked at her.
“Then explain why Natalie has the original documents.””
My mother froze.
I noticed.
A tiny reaction.
But enough.
My heart sank.
“You knew she had proof.””
My mother looked at me.
“Emma, please.””
“Please what?””
I felt tears burning my eyes.
“Please let you lie again?””
She flinched.
That hurt more than I expected.
Because despite everything, some part of me still wanted her to say something that fixed it.
Something that made her the mother I remembered.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she looked at Claire.
“Tell her.””
Claire stepped back.
“Tell her what?””
My mother’s eyes filled with desperation.
“You know.””
Claire shook her head.
“No.””
“Claire.””
“No!””
My sister’s voice cracked.
“I’m tired of everyone expecting me to clean up your mess.””
The words hit the room like a slap.
My mother stared at her.
“What did you say?””
Claire laughed bitterly.
“I spent years believing Emma was the problem.””
She pointed at me.
“I thought she was the reason Dad left.””
My father lowered his eyes.
“But now I find out you lied to me too.””
My mother whispered:
“Claire…”
“No.””
Claire wiped her tears.
“You made me hate my own sister because you needed someone to blame.””
Nobody spoke.
For the first time in my life, my sister and I were standing on the same side.
Not because we had forgiven each other.
Not yet.
But because we finally saw the same enemy.
My phone buzzed.
I looked down.
A new message.
Unknown number.
My heart stopped when I opened it.
*You found the note. Good. Now you need to find the second dress.*
I frowned.
Second dress?
Another message appeared.
*The ink was never meant to ruin your wedding. It was meant to make everyone look in the wrong direction.*
I felt a chill.
I looked at Vivian.
“What does that mean?””
She stepped closer.
“I don’t know.””
My father grabbed my arm gently.
“Emma, you need to leave.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
His face was serious.
“Because whoever sent that message knows more than they should.””
Another notification appeared.
This one had a picture attached.
My breath caught.
It was a photograph of my wedding dress.
Taken before it arrived at the boutique.
But someone had written something on the fabric.
A message hidden underneath the layers.
A message nobody had seen.
Except the person who put it there.
I zoomed in.
And read the words.
*YOUR MARRIAGE IS BUILT ON A LIE. ASK MARK ABOUT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING.*
I slowly looked toward my fiancé.
Mark.
He had been quiet the entire time.
Too quiet.
May you like
And suddenly I wondered…
What had he been hiding?