Chapter 5: The Lie Behind The Affair
Marcus sat across from me, silent.
For years, I believed the worst thing he did was betray me.
But now I wasn’t sure.
“What happened that night?”” I asked.
He looked down.
“Evelyn…”
“No.””
My voice was calm.
“Five years ago, I walked into our kitchen and saw my husband with another woman. I spent years believing that was the whole story.””
Marcus swallowed.
“It wasn’t.””
I waited.
For once, I let him speak.
“Chloe wasn’t just an affair.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“She was involved in the company.””
“I know.””
“No. You don’t.””
He leaned forward.
“Chloe approached me months before you found out.””
I felt something cold move through me.
“Why?””
“Because she had access to investors. Connections.””
“And you?””
“I was ambitious.””
There it was.
The truth.
Not love.
Not passion.
Ambition.
Marcus continued.
“She convinced me that you were holding me back.””
I almost smiled.
Because that was exactly what he told me.
“You believed her.””
“Yes.””
A quiet answer.
A terrible answer.
The man I married didn’t just cheat.
He allowed someone else to convince him that destroying me was reasonable.
Then Marcus said something I never expected.
“She knew about the documents.””
My eyes lifted.
“What?””
“She knew you had copies.””
I stared at him.
“No one knew.””
“I didn’t either. Not then.””
“Then how?””
Marcus looked ashamed.
“She was the one who searched your office after you left.””
My hands tightened.
Chloe.
She had gone through my things.
She had looked for evidence.
And she had failed.
Because I was smarter than they thought.
A knock interrupted us.
Julian entered.
His expression was serious.
“Evelyn.””
I stood.
“What happened?””
He looked at Marcus.
Then back at me.
“Rhodes Capital completed the internal review.””
Marcus immediately stood.
“And?””
Julian’s eyes hardened.
“The acquisition is canceled.””
Marcus went still.
“Why?””
Julian didn’t answer immediately.
Then he placed a document on the table.
“Because we discovered the company has been hiding liabilities for years.””
Marcus looked at me.
Then Julian.
“You’re destroying me.””
Julian’s expression didn’t change.
“No.””
He looked directly at Marcus.
“You did that yourself.””
Silence.
Then Marcus’s phone rang.
Again.
This time, he didn’t answer.
Because he already knew.
But Julian picked up the phone from the table and looked at the screen.
“It’s Chloe.””
Marcus stared.
Julian answered.
“Hello?””
The room went silent.
Julian listened.
Then his expression changed.
“Evelyn.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He held out the phone.
“She wants to talk to you.””
I took it.
And Chloe’s voice came through.
Soft.
Almost amused.
“Hello, Evelyn.””
I said nothing.
She continued.
“I know you’re wondering why Marcus really left you.””
My heart stopped.
Because I had spent five years believing I knew the answer.
Then Chloe whispered:
“Because he wasn’t the one who found out about the secret.””
A pause.
“He was protecting me.””
The line went silent for a second.
Then she said the one sentence that changed everything.
“Evelyn, Marcus didn’t betray you because he stopped loving you.””
May you like
A breath.
“He betrayed you because he was afraid you would discover who he really was.””
