Chapter 2: The Secret Behind the Tradition
The person standing beside Nick was an elderly woman wearing a cream-colored dress and holding a small wooden box.
I knew her face.
But I couldn’t place it.
The room buzzed with whispers.
Martha’s confident expression slowly faded.
“Nick,” she said sharply.
“What are you doing?””
He ignored her.
He took the microphone.
“I owe my wife an apology.””
My heart sank.
Not because I thought Nick betrayed me.
Because I realized he had been carrying something I didn’t know about.
He looked at me.
“Lily, I should have protected you sooner.””
The entire room became silent.
“I spent years hoping my mother would change,” he continued.
“I thought if I ignored her comments, if I kept defending you quietly, eventually she would understand why I love you.””
He looked toward Martha.
“But today she crossed a line.””
Martha crossed her arms.
“You’re embarrassing yourself.””
Nick’s voice remained calm.
“No. You embarrassed yourself.””
A gasp moved through the crowd.
The elderly woman stepped forward.
Nick introduced her.
“This is Eleanor Hayes.””
Martha went pale.
Everyone looked confused.
Nick continued.
“She was my grandmother.””
I stared at the woman.
“But… I thought your grandmother passed away.””
“She did,” Nick said softly.
“But before she died, she left something behind.””
He opened the wooden box.
Inside was an old photograph.
It showed a young woman with a long braid.
And beside her stood Eleanor.
Nick held up the picture.
“My grandmother had the same braid style Lily wears today.””
Martha looked away.
“Nick, this is ridiculous.””
“No,” he said.
“What’s ridiculous is you pretending this was ever a family tradition.””
The room went quiet.
Eleanor looked directly at Martha.
“Tell them the truth.””
Martha’s face tightened.
I felt a chill run through me.
“What truth?”” I asked.
Nick looked at me.
“My grandmother loved her braid. She wore it every day. But after my grandfather died, my mother…”
He paused.
“She cut it off.””
Everyone stared at Martha.
She whispered, “That was years ago.””
Eleanor nodded sadly.
“Yes. And you told everyone it was a tradition because you didn’t want anyone to know you did it out of cruelty.””
My stomach twisted.
Martha had done this before.
Nick walked closer to me.
“She didn’t cut your hair because of tradition, Lily.””
He looked at the braid still sitting in Martha’s hand.
“She did it because she wanted to humiliate you.””
Martha suddenly laughed.
“You’re believing some old woman over your own mother?””
Nick’s expression hardened.
“I’m believing the truth.””
Martha stepped forward.
“You have no idea what you’re doing.””
Nick shook his head.
“No, Mom. I know exactly what I’m doing.””
The elderly woman opened the wooden box again.
Inside was a letter.
“I found this after my grandmother died,” Nick said.
He looked at Martha.
“And I think everyone deserves to hear it.””
Martha’s face changed completely.
For the first time all day, she looked afraid.
“Nick, don’t.””
But he unfolded the letter.
And read the first line.
“Dear Nicholas, if you are reading this, then your mother has finally done what I feared she would…”
The room held its breath.
I looked at Martha.
She looked at the door.
Like she was thinking about running.
May you like
And then Nick read the next sentence.
“The woman who raised you has spent years hiding the reason she hates Lily…”
