Chapter 6: The Lie I Was Never Supposed To Find
I stared at the message until the words stopped looking like words.
Mark Anderson.
Megan Anderson.
For years, I had looked at that name and never questioned it.
Because why would I?
Megan was his sister.
Of course they shared a last name.
But now that simple fact felt different.
The hotel receipt was dated three years ago.
The same year Mark started coming home later.
The same year he stopped wearing his wedding ring to work.
The same year he told me I was “overthinking.””
I remembered every excuse.
Every apology.
Every time I convinced myself marriage was just hard sometimes.
I looked up at Megan.
“Tell me it isn’t what it looks like.””
She didn’t answer.
That was the answer.
My voice became quieter.
“How long?””
Her face changed.
Not guilt.
Fear.
“You need to leave.””
I laughed.
“No.””
“Chloe.””
“No.””
I held up the phone.
“You don’t get to tell me anything anymore.””
She looked at the receipt.
Then at me.
“You should ask Mark.””
“I’m asking you.””
She looked away.
“Because you’re the one who came into this family and changed everything.””
My stomach twisted.
“What does that mean?””
She didn’t answer.
Instead, she walked to the kitchen.
Like she had all the time in the world.
Like my entire life had not just cracked open.
“You were always his choice,” she said.
I froze.
“What?””
She poured herself water.
“You were always the wife.””
The way she said it made my skin crawl.
“Then why?””
She looked at me.
“Because you had something I wanted.””
“What?””
Her eyes hardened.
“His attention.””
I stared.
“That’s insane.””
“No.””
She smiled sadly.
“It’s honest.””
Before I could say anything, the front door opened.
Mark.
He stopped when he saw me.
Then he saw Megan.
And the color left his face.
“Chloe.””
I held up the phone.
“Explain.””
He didn’t move.
That was all I needed.
“Explain.””
“Where did you get that?””
I almost smiled.
“You’re worried about where I got it?””
“Chloe—”
“Did you sleep with her?””
Silence.
Megan looked down.
Mark closed his eyes.
And in that moment, I knew.
I knew before he spoke.
“No.””
The word came too quickly.
Too desperately.
“Don’t lie to me.””
“I’m not.””
“Then why can’t you look at me?””
He looked up.
“Because I know how this looks.””
“How this looks?””
I stepped closer.
“My husband and his sister-in-law stayed in a hotel room together.””
“We didn’t have an affair.””
“Then what happened?””
His jaw tightened.
“Nothing.””
I pointed at Megan.
“Then why does she act like she owns you?””
Neither of them answered.
The silence was unbearable.
Then Megan spoke.
“Tell her.””
Mark turned sharply.
“Stop.””
“Tell her.””
“Not now.””
I looked between them.
“Tell me what?””
Mark’s face changed.
And suddenly I realized something.
The affair wasn’t the secret.
It was something worse.
“What happened?”” I whispered.
Mark looked at the floor.
“Three years ago…”
I waited.
“We had a fight.””
“With who?””
“With Megan.””
I frowned.
“That doesn’t explain a hotel.””
He swallowed.
“She was drunk.””
My heart sank.
“What?””
“She called me.””
“Why?””
“She said she was going to hurt herself.””
Megan looked away.
I stared.
“And you went.””
“Yes.””
“To a hotel.””
“There was nowhere else.””
I laughed.
“There was nowhere else?””
“Chloe—”
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You went to a hotel room with another woman and hid it from me.””
“I was trying to help her.””
“You were lying to me.””
He had no answer.
Then I noticed something.
Megan wasn’t looking ashamed.
She was watching Mark.
Waiting.
Like she knew exactly what he would do.
And he did.
He defended her.
“I didn’t want you to worry.””
I felt numb.
“You didn’t want me to worry?””
“Yes.””
“So you let me spend three years wondering why my husband was distant?””
“I was protecting you.””
“No.””
My voice broke.
“You were protecting her.””
Nobody spoke.
Then my phone rang.
Zoe.
I answered immediately.
“Chloe.””
Her voice sounded panicked.
“What happened?””
“Why?””
“Because I found something else.””
I looked at Mark.
“What?””
Zoe took a breath.
“I went through the old messages on the recording.””
My heart started pounding.
“And?””
“There’s a message from Megan to Mark.””
“What does it say?””
A pause.
Then Zoe whispered:
“It was sent two days before you gave birth to Lily.””
I felt the room spin.
“What message?””
Zoe’s voice dropped.
“She wrote…”
I waited.
“She wrote, ‘If Chloe dies during delivery, you know what we promised.’”
My blood turned cold.
“What promise?””
Zoe didn’t answer immediately.
Then:
“Chloe…”
May you like
“What?””
“The promise was about Lily.””
