Chapter 6: The Truth Before We Met
I didn’t speak.
I couldn’t.
For a moment, I thought I had heard her wrong.
“What happened before we met?””
Emma looked away.
That was when I knew.
Whatever she was about to tell me wasn’t something small.
It wasn’t a misunderstanding.
It wasn’t another argument she wanted to explain away.
It was something she had carried with her from the beginning.
“Emma.””
She closed her eyes.
“I didn’t want you to find out like this.””
I almost laughed.
Because that sentence had become a pattern.
Everything important in our relationship seemed to be something I was never supposed to find out.
The conversation with Lauren.
The notebook.
The questions about my house.
And now this.
“When were you planning to tell me?””
She didn’t answer.
That was the answer.
I walked away from the table and stood near the kitchen counter.
The distance between us suddenly felt necessary.
“What happened before we met?””
Emma took a deep breath.
“Before I met you, I was in a bad situation.””
I waited.
“I was dating someone.””
“Who?””
She hesitated.
“His name was Ryan.””
The name meant nothing to me.
Not yet.
“What does Ryan have to do with this?””
Emma looked at her hands.
“Everything.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Explain.””
She swallowed.
“Ryan and I were together for almost four years.””
Four years.
A serious relationship.
One I knew almost nothing about.
“You never told me much about him.””
“I didn’t want to talk about him.””
“Why?””
“Because of how it ended.””
I leaned against the counter.
“And how did it end?””
Emma looked up.
“He left me.””
The answer was simple.
But the way she said it made it sound heavier.
“How?””
“He cheated.””
I stared at her.
For the first time that morning, I felt something other than anger.
I felt sympathy.
Because I knew what betrayal felt like.
Not the same kind.
But the feeling of realizing someone you trusted wasn’t who you thought they were.
“What does Ryan have to do with Lauren?””
Emma hesitated.
“Lauren knew him.””
I frowned.
“From where?””
“College.””
“And?””
“And she was the one who introduced us.””
The room became quiet.
I didn’t understand why that mattered.
Until Emma continued.
“After Ryan left, I was destroyed.””
“I can imagine.””
“I lost my apartment. I had debt. I had nowhere to go.””
I listened.
“Lauren let me stay with her.””
There it was.
The beginning of the bond.
The reason Emma always defended her.
The reason Lauren had so much influence.
“She helped me.””
“Yes.””
Emma nodded.
“And I never forgot that.””
I sat back down.
“So Lauren thinks you owe her.””
Emma looked uncomfortable.
“She doesn’t say it like that.””
“But she acts like it.””
Emma didn’t respond.
That was enough.
I looked at her.
“What happened with Ryan?””
Emma looked toward the window.
“He wasn’t just cheating.””
My expression changed.
“What else?””
“He was using me.””
“How?””
“He convinced me to put money into things he wanted.””
My eyebrows lowered.
“Investments?””
“Yes.””
“And you lost money?””
She nodded.
“A lot.””
I stayed quiet.
Because suddenly, I understood something.
Emma wasn’t just afraid of losing a relationship.
She was afraid of losing security.
After Ryan, she had been left with nothing.
That didn’t excuse what she did.
But it explained something.
“I understand why you were scared,” I said.
Emma looked at me.
“I’m glad.””
“But I don’t understand why you treated me like I was him.””
Her face changed.
“I didn’t.””
“Didn’t you?””
She looked down.
I continued.
“You looked at me and saw a person who could hurt you.””
“That’s not true.””
“Then why were you collecting information about me?””
She didn’t answer.
Because she knew.
I wasn’t wrong.
A few minutes passed.
Then Emma said:
“Because Lauren told me something.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“She said people always change when money is involved.””
I almost smiled.
“So she convinced you I was going to become Ryan?””
“No.””
“Then what?””
“She said I needed to protect myself.””
I shook my head.
“And you believed her.””
Emma’s voice became quiet.
“She was the only person who was there when my life fell apart.””
That sentence hit harder than I expected.
Because I finally understood the power Lauren had over her.
Lauren wasn’t just a friend.
She was connected to Emma’s worst memory.
She had been there when Emma was broken.
And maybe that made Emma unable to see her clearly.
“But Lauren didn’t just protect you,” I said.
Emma looked at me.
“She hurt me.””
“I know.””
“She insulted me.””
“I know.””
“She made me feel like I was lucky you chose me.””
Emma closed her eyes.
“I know.””
“Did you ever defend me?””
The question came out quieter than I expected.
Emma didn’t answer immediately.
“No.””
That honesty hurt.
“But I should have.””
I nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
She wiped her eyes.
“I thought she was just being protective.””
“She wasn’t.””
“I know that now.””
I looked at her.
“What changed?””
Emma looked at me.
“What do you mean?””
“What made you finally admit this?””
She was quiet.
Then:
“Because Lauren went too far.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Emma looked nervous again.
“The night she came over.””
“The night everything happened?””
“Yes.””
“What about it?””
“She wasn’t supposed to say that.””
“What?””
“The thing about me staying until I figured out how to leave.””
I waited.
Emma continued.
“That was a private conversation.””
“Between you and Lauren.””
“Yes.””
“And?””
“She promised she would never tell you.””
I laughed bitterly.
“So she broke your trust too.””
Emma nodded.
“Yes.””
I thought about that.
Lauren had betrayed Emma.
Emma had betrayed me.
Everyone had been keeping secrets.
Everyone except me.
Then Emma said:
“There’s another reason Lauren told you.””
I looked at her.
“What reason?””
Emma hesitated.
“She wanted you angry.””
“Why?””
“Because she wanted me to leave.””
I frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.””
“It does if you know Lauren.””
“Explain.””
Emma looked uncomfortable.
“Lauren doesn’t like losing control.””
I waited.
“She was the person I depended on after Ryan. She became used to being the person who saved me.””
“And?””
“And when I met you, that changed.””
I thought back.
The first few months.
Emma and I were inseparable.
She stopped calling Lauren every day.
She spent more time with me.
She built a life with me.
And maybe Lauren hated that.
“She didn’t want me to have someone else.””
Emma nodded.
“She wanted to be the person I needed.””
The words settled heavily.
Suddenly, every insult had a different meaning.
Every comment.
Every joke.
Every attempt to make Emma question me.
Maybe Lauren wasn’t trying to protect her.
Maybe she was trying to keep her dependent.
My phone buzzed.
I looked down.
A message.
From Lauren.
I almost ignored it.
But Emma saw the name.
Her face changed.
“What did she say?””
I opened it.
Only one sentence.
*Lauren: Ask Emma about the night Ryan came back.*
My eyes moved to Emma.
“What does that mean?””
Emma went completely still.
Her face lost color.
“James…”
“What happened?””
She didn’t answer.
“Emma.””
Her hands started shaking.
“I didn’t want you to know about that.””
The same words again.
I felt something cold settle in my chest.
Because I realized there was still another secret.
A secret from before we met.
A secret involving the man who had broken her.
And somehow, Lauren.
“Tell me.””
Emma looked terrified.
“Ryan didn’t just come back.””
I waited.
“What happened?””
May you like
She whispered:
“He came back because of you.””
