Chapter 7: The Wife Who Disappeared
I stared at Victor’s message until the words stopped looking like words.
*“Ask your husband what happened to his first family.””*
My first instinct was to wake Cameron.
To drag him out of sleep.
To demand answers.
But I didn’t.
Because something inside me had changed.
For days, I had been chasing the truth by confronting him.
Every time I asked, he gave me a piece.
Never the whole thing.
Never enough.
And now I understood why.
Cameron wasn’t hiding one secret.
He was hiding a lifetime of them.
I saved the message.
Then I opened the photo again.
The woman standing outside the window.
The woman Rachel claimed was Cameron’s first wife.
I zoomed in until the pixels blurred.
I studied her face.
I had never seen her before.
But she had been close to my children.
Close enough to watch them.
Close enough to appear in our family photos.
My hands trembled.
I walked into the living room.
Cameron was still asleep on the couch.
For a moment, I just stood there.
This was the man I had loved.
The man who held my hand when I gave birth.
The man who cried when Ethan took his first steps.
The man who painted Emma’s bedroom purple because she said blue was “too serious.””
How could the same person have a past I knew nothing about?
I almost woke him.
Almost.
Then I noticed something.
His phone.
It was lying beside him.
The screen was dark.
I knew it was wrong.
I knew going through someone’s phone crossed a line.
But what line was left?
The line between husband and stranger had already been crossed.
I picked it up.
The password didn’t work.
I tried again.
Nothing.
Then I remembered something.
The day we got married.
Cameron had joked that his password was the date he would never forget.
I entered our anniversary.
The phone unlocked.
My heart sank.
Because I had not expected it to work.
I searched slowly.
Not because I wanted to invade his privacy.
Because I was terrified of what I would find.
Messages.
Emails.
Photos.
I opened his contacts.
There was no Victor.
Deleted.
I checked the trash folder.
Nothing.
He had cleaned it.
Carefully.
Too carefully.
Then I opened his notes.
One note caught my attention.
No title.
Just a date.
*March 17.*
I tapped it.
Inside were only three sentences.
*“She knows.””*
*“I can’t keep this from Naomi forever.””*
*“If anything happens, give her the file.””*
My breathing stopped.
She.
Who was she?
And what file?
I searched again.
Then I found a hidden folder.
It required another password.
I stared at the screen.
A memory came back.
Cameron always used the same phrase when he was stressed.
Something he said after bad days.
Something he believed.
“Everything happens for a reason.””
I typed it.
The folder opened.
There were six files.
The first was a scanned newspaper article.
The headline made my entire body go cold.
*LOCAL WOMAN MISSING AFTER FAMILY DISPUTE*
The woman in the photo was the same woman from our family picture.
I read the article.
Her name was Lauren Miller.
Cameron’s last name.
His first wife.
My fingers went numb.
The article said Lauren disappeared nine years earlier.
No body was found.
No charges were filed.
The investigation eventually went cold.
I kept reading.
Then I saw the name of their child.
A daughter.
Sophie.
My heart broke.
Cameron had a child before our twins.
A daughter I never knew existed.
I looked at the date.
Nine years ago.
I whispered:
“No.””
Because nine years ago was also when Cameron told me he was rebuilding his life after a painful breakup.
A breakup.
Not a missing wife.
Not a missing child.
A breakup.
He had erased an entire family.
The next morning, I confronted him.
No screaming.
No tears.
Just the truth.
Cameron was making coffee when I walked into the kitchen.
He looked exhausted.
Like he had aged overnight.
“Who is Lauren?””
The cup in his hand slipped slightly.
Not enough to fall.
Enough to tell me.
He knew exactly who I meant.
“Naomi…”
“Who is Lauren?””
He put the cup down.
“Where did you hear that name?””
I laughed quietly.
“That’s your first question?””
He looked away.
“Please.””
“No.””
I placed the newspaper article on the counter.
His face changed.
“Where did you get that?””
“Your phone.””
A long silence.
Then he closed his eyes.
“You shouldn’t have looked.””
I stared at him.
“That’s what you’re upset about?””
“Naomi—”
“You had a wife.””
“Yes.””
“And a daughter.””
His silence confirmed it.
I felt something break.
Not because he had a past.
Everyone had a past.
Because he had hidden it.
“How long were you going to keep this from me?””
“I was trying to protect you.””
I slammed my hand against the counter.
“Stop saying that.””
He flinched.
“Stop pretending every lie is protection.””
His face fell.
“I didn’t know how to tell you.””
“Try.””
He looked at the floor.
“Lauren and I were married young.””
“What happened?””
“We fought.””
“That’s not an answer.””
“No.””
He rubbed his face.
“No, it isn’t.””
I waited.
Finally, he spoke.
“Lauren found out about my debts.””
“The same debts?””
“Yes.””
“And Victor?””
“Yes.””
My stomach tightened.
“Was Victor involved with Lauren?””
Cameron went still.
That was all the answer I needed.
“What happened to her?””
He whispered:
“I don’t know.””
The anger inside me exploded.
“You don’t know?””
“She disappeared.””
“From your life?””
“From everywhere.””
“And your daughter?””
His eyes filled.
“Sophie disappeared with her.””
The room went silent.
I stared at him.
“Your daughter disappeared.””
“Yes.””
“And you just started over?””
His face collapsed.
“No.””
“Then what?””
He looked at me.
“I searched.””
“For how long?””
“Years.””
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
His voice broke.
“Because I found out something.””
“What?””
He hesitated.
Then:
“Lauren wasn’t just missing.””
I felt a chill.
“What does that mean?””
“She was running.””
“From who?””
Cameron looked toward the window.
“From Victor.””
I called Rachel immediately.
She answered on the first ring.
“You found out.””
It wasn’t a question.
“You knew.””
“I suspected.””
“You knew Cameron had a first wife.””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because I wasn’t sure.””
I closed my eyes.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
“I’m sorry.””
“No.””
I looked at the newspaper.
“I need the truth.””
Rachel was quiet.
Then she said:
“There’s something Cameron never told you.””
“What?””
“Lauren contacted him three months before Ethan and Emma died.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“She was alive.””
I sat down.
“Alive?””
“Yes.””
“Where is she now?””
Rachel’s voice lowered.
“I don’t know.””
“Then why are you telling me?””
“Because I think she was trying to warn Cameron.””
“About what?””
A pause.
Then:
“About Victor.””
My phone buzzed.
Another incoming call.
Unknown number.
I looked at Rachel’s name on the screen.
Then the new call.
I answered.
A woman’s voice whispered:
“Naomi?””
I froze.
“Who is this?””
The voice trembled.
“My name is Lauren.””
I couldn’t speak.
The woman continued.
“I know Cameron told you I disappeared.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Where are you?””
A pause.
Then the words that changed everything:
“I’ve been hiding from Victor for nine years.””
My heart raced.
“Why?””
Her voice cracked.
“Because I saw what he did.””
I stood slowly.
“What did he do?””
Silence.
Then:
“Naomi… your children weren’t the first ones he tried to take from Cameron.””
I felt the room spin.
“What are you saying?””
Lauren whispered:
“He’s been repeating the same plan for years.””
The call suddenly cut off.
I stared at the phone.
Then another message appeared.
This time from Cameron.
May you like
One sentence.
*“Naomi, don’t believe her. Lauren is the reason our children died.””*
