PART 3 \u2014 THE WOMAN IN THE BACK ROW
\n“You promised you’d tell her.”
\nRebecca’s words seemed to hang over the entire wedding hall.
\nNobody moved.
\nNobody even seemed to breathe.
\nI stared at the pregnant woman standing near the back while my mind desperately tried to make sense of what I was seeing.
\nNathan’s face had gone gray.
\nLinda’s expression was worse.
\nShe looked frightened.
\nNot embarrassed.
\nNot angry.
\nFrightened.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
And that told me immediately that Rebecca’s pregnancy wasn’t the only secret about to come out.
\nI slowly turned toward Nathan.
\n“Tell me what?”
\n“Sharon…”
\nHis voice cracked.
\n“Tell me what?”
\nRebecca began walking toward us.
\nNathan suddenly stepped down from the altar.
\n“Rebecca, don’t.”
\nShe stopped.
\n“Don’t what?”
\n“This isn’t the place.”
\nRebecca laughed bitterly.
\n“You said that three months ago.”
\nNathan glanced toward the guests.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“Please.”
\n“You said you’d tell her before the wedding.”
\n“Rebecca.”
\n“You promised me.”
\nLinda rushed toward her.
\n“Sit down and keep your mouth shut.”
\nRebecca’s eyes snapped toward Linda.
\n“Don’t you dare speak to me like that.”
\n“You’re destroying everything!”
\n“No, Linda.”
\nRebecca pointed toward Nathan.
\n“He did that.”
\nThe guests erupted into whispers.
\nPhones appeared.
\nSeveral people had started recording.
\nI didn’t care.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I couldn’t take my eyes off Rebecca’s stomach.
\n“Is that Nathan’s baby?”
\nRebecca looked at me.
\nHer expression softened.
\n“I’m sorry.”
\nThree words.
\nThat was enough.
\nMy stomach twisted.
\nNathan rushed toward me.
\n“Sharon, listen\u2014”
\nI raised my hand.
\nHe stopped.
\n“How far along?”
\nRebecca hesitated.
\n“Six months.”
\nSix months.
\nI almost laughed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Six months earlier, Nathan had taken me to a lakeside restaurant for my birthday.
\nHe had given me a necklace.
\nHe had held my hands across the table and told me that meeting me had been the greatest blessing of his life.
\nAnd apparently, somewhere around that same time, he had been creating another life with another woman.
\n“Six months,” I repeated.
\nRebecca nodded.
\nNathan rubbed both hands over his face.
\n“It was a mistake.”
\nRebecca’s expression changed instantly.
\n“A mistake?”
\n“That’s not what I meant.”
\n“You told me you loved me.”
\nNathan looked around helplessly.
\n“Rebecca, please.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“You told me Sharon was temporary!”
\nThat sentence hit harder than I expected.
\nMy fingers tightened around the envelope.
\nRebecca’s voice began trembling.
\n“You told me you were only marrying her because you needed access to her assets.”
\nNathan’s father suddenly stepped forward.
\n“Nathan, what the hell have you done?”
\n“Dad, stay out of this.”
\n“No.”
\nHis father pointed toward me.
\n“You were going to marry this woman while another woman was carrying your child?”
\nNathan didn’t answer.
\nHis father’s face filled with disgust.
\n“I didn’t raise you this way.”
\nLinda scoffed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“Oh, spare us the performance, Richard.”
\nEvery head turned toward her.
\nRichard stared at his wife.
\n“What did you say?”
\n“You heard me.”
\n“Linda.”
\n“You’ve spent thirty years pretending you’re better than everyone.”
\nRichard stepped toward her.
\n“What does that have to do with what Nathan did?”
\nLinda’s jaw tightened.
\n“Nothing.”
\nBut Rebecca suddenly laughed.
\n“Oh, it has everything to do with it.”
\nLinda spun toward her.
\n“Shut your mouth.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Rebecca crossed her arms over her stomach.
\n“I’m done keeping secrets for this family.”
\nSomething changed in Richard’s face.
\n“What secrets?”
\nLinda went pale.
\nNathan whispered, “Rebecca, don’t.”
\nI watched all three of them.
\nNathan.
\nLinda.
\nRebecca.
\nWhatever had been happening behind my back was bigger than an affair.
\nI could feel it.
\nI looked at Rebecca.
\n“Start from the beginning.”
\nNathan immediately interrupted.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“She doesn’t owe you an explanation.”
\nI turned toward him.
\n“You’re right.”
\nThen I looked back at Rebecca.
\n“But I think she owes herself one.”
\nRebecca stared at me for several seconds.
\nThen she nodded.
\n“I met Nathan almost three years ago.”
\nMy heart stopped.
\n“Three?”
\n“Yes.”
\nNathan and I had been together for two years.
\nRebecca had come first.
\nSuddenly, everything shifted.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She wasn’t simply the mistress who appeared during our relationship.
\nI might have been the other woman without ever knowing it.
\nRebecca continued.
\n“We were together for about eight months. Then he started disappearing.”
\nNathan looked at the floor.
\n“He said his work schedule had changed. He said he was traveling. Then eventually he told me he had met someone.”
\nShe looked at me.
\n“You.”
\nMy throat tightened.
\n“He told me you were wealthy.”
\n“I’m not wealthy.”
\n“That’s what I eventually realized.”
\nRebecca reached into her purse.
\n“But Nathan believed you were.”
\nLinda stepped toward her.
\n“Enough.”
\nRebecca ignored her.
\n“He told me your sister had left you money when she died.”
\nMy breath caught.
\nMy sister.
\nThe twins’ mother.
\nShe had left a modest life-insurance payment, but nearly all of it had been placed into protected accounts for her daughters.
\nNathan knew that.
\nOr at least, I thought he did.
\n“He told you that money belonged to me?”
\nRebecca nodded.
\n“He said there was a trust.”
\nMy entire body went cold.
\nThere was.
\nBut it wasn’t mine.
\nIt belonged to Emma and Sophie.
\nAnd suddenly Nathan’s obsession with becoming their legal father made horrifying sense.
\nI looked at him.
\n“You wanted to adopt the girls.”
\nNathan said nothing.
\n“You kept asking about adoption.”
\n“Sharon…”
\n“You told me it was because you loved them.”
\n“I do love them.”
\n“Don’t.”
\nMy voice echoed through the hall.
\n“Do not say that.”
\nNathan flinched.
\n“You called them freaks.”
\nHis mouth closed.
\nI stepped closer.
\n“Were you trying to get access to their trust?”
\n“No.”
\nThe answer came too quickly.
\nRebecca shook her head.
\n“Yes.”
\nNathan spun around.
\n“Rebecca!”
\nShe reached into her purse and pulled out her phone.
\n“I have the messages.”
\nLinda lunged toward her.
\nRichard caught Linda’s arm.
\n“Don’t touch her.”
\n“Let go of me!”
\n“No.”
\nRichard stared at his wife.
\n“I want to hear this.”
\nRebecca unlocked her phone.
\n“I kept everything.”
\nShe looked at me.
\n“At first, I believed Nathan. He said you were manipulating him. He said you were controlling. He said the children hated him.”
\nMy eyes burned.
\n“Then why did you stay with him?”
\nRebecca lowered her eyes.
\n“Because I was stupid.”
\n“No.”
\nI shook my head.
\n“Because he lied to you too.”
\nShe looked up.
\nFor the first time, something passed between us.
\nNot friendship.
\nNot forgiveness.
\nRecognition.
\nWe had both trusted the same man.
\nAnd he had built different versions of himself for each of us.
\nRebecca scrolled through her messages.
\n“Four months ago, he sent me this.”
\nShe held out the phone.
\nI read the message.
\nOnce the adoption goes through, everything becomes easier.
\nMy stomach dropped.
\nBelow it was Rebecca’s response.
\nWhat do you mean?
\nNathan had replied.
\nThe girls’ money is protected now. It won’t always be.
\nMy hands began shaking.
\nI looked at him.
\n“You knew.”
\nNathan’s eyes darted toward the doors.
\n“You knew that trust was theirs.”
\n“Sharon, you’re misunderstanding.”
\n“What exactly am I misunderstanding?”
\n“The trust doesn’t work the way you think.”
\nI stared at him.
\n“And how would you know?”
\nSilence.
\nThat was the moment my fear turned into something else.
\nNathan knew details I had never given him.
\nDetails about accounts.
\nDetails about the trust.
\nDetails only a handful of people should have known.
\nMy attorney.
\nMy accountant.
\nMe.
\nAnd…
\nI slowly looked toward Linda.
\nLinda stared back.
\nHer expression gave nothing away.
\nBut then I remembered something.
\nEight months earlier, Linda had recommended someone to me.
\nA financial adviser.
\nShe had insisted he was excellent.
\n“He helped our family for years,” she had said.
\nI had met him twice.
\nI hadn’t invested anything through him because something about him had made me uncomfortable.
\nBut I had brought documents to the first meeting.
\nCopies.
\nTrust summaries.
\nProperty information.
\nI whispered, “Charles.”
\nLinda’s face changed.
\nRichard looked at me.
\n“Who is Charles?”
\nI didn’t answer him.
\nI stared at Linda.
\n“Charles Merritt.”
\nNathan closed his eyes.
\nAnd that reaction was all the confirmation I needed.
\nLinda stepped backward.
\n“Sharon, don’t start making ridiculous accusations.”
\n“You introduced me to him.”
\n“He is a financial adviser.”
\n“How does Nathan know the details of my nieces’ trust?”
\nLinda’s lips tightened.
\n“I have no idea.”
\nRebecca spoke from behind me.
\n“Charles is Linda’s cousin.”
\nRichard’s head snapped around.
\n“What?”
\nLinda turned toward Rebecca.
\n“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
\n“Yes, I do.”
\nRebecca opened another message.
\n“Nathan told me.”
\nRichard stared at his wife.
\n“You told Sharon he was an independent adviser.”
\n“He is!”
\n“You didn’t mention he was family.”
\n“It wasn’t relevant.”
\n“It becomes relevant when confidential information somehow reaches our son!”
\nLinda’s composure finally cracked.
\n“You are all being dramatic!”
\nI almost couldn’t believe it.
\n“Someone tried to access money belonging to two orphaned children, and I’m being dramatic?”
\nLinda’s mouth opened.
\nNothing came out.
\nThen my phone vibrated.
\nOnce.
\nI looked down.
\nPATRICIA GOMEZ.
\nMy forensic accountant.
\nI answered immediately.
\n“Patricia?”
\nHer voice was urgent.
\n“Sharon, are you somewhere private?”
\nI looked around the packed wedding hall.
\n“No.”
\n“Can you get somewhere private?”
\n“Whatever you’ve found, say it.”
\nShe hesitated.
\n“Are you sure?”
\n“Yes.”
\nNathan was watching me.
\nSo was Linda.
\nAnd both of them looked terrified.
\n“Go ahead.”
\nPatricia exhaled.
\n“The account I told you about this morning wasn’t the only one.”
\nMy heart began pounding.
\n“How many?”
\n“Four that I’ve identified.”
\nThe room tilted.
\n“Four?”
\n“Two were opened using variations of your information. One appears connected to a business entity. The fourth…”
\nShe stopped.
\n“What?”
\n“The fourth account appears to have been opened using information belonging to one of the twins.”
\nEverything inside me went silent.
\n“What did you say?”
\nNathan turned toward Linda.
\nLinda shook her head frantically.
\nPatricia continued.
\n“I’m still verifying it, but Sharon, someone may have attempted identity fraud involving Sophie.”
\nI couldn’t breathe.
\nSophie.
\nMy little girl.
\nThe child who still slept with the stuffed rabbit her mother had bought before she died.
\nThe child Nathan had tucked into bed.
\nThe child who had drawn him Father’s Day cards.
\nI slowly lowered the phone.
\nNathan took a step backward.
\nI looked at him.
\n“You used Sophie’s identity?”
\n“No.”
\nHis voice was barely audible.
\n“Nathan.”
\n“I swear.”
\n“Did you use my daughter’s identity?”
\n“She’s not your daughter.”
\nThe words escaped his mouth before he could stop them.
\nThe entire hall froze.
\nMy vision blurred.
\nNathan immediately realized what he’d said.
\n“Sharon, I didn’t mean\u2014”
\nI slapped him.
\nThe sound cracked across the room.
\n“You never say that about her.”
\nHe touched his cheek.
\nI stepped toward him.
\n“Emma and Sophie are my daughters in every way that matters.”
\n“I know.”
\n“No. You don’t.”
\nI pointed toward the exit.
\n“Get out.”
\nNathan didn’t move.
\n“GET OUT.”
\nThen Linda stepped forward.
\n“We aren’t going anywhere.”
\nI turned toward her.
\nShe lifted her chin.
\n“You have no proof Nathan opened those accounts.”
\n“Patricia is finding it.”
\nLinda laughed.
\n“Then let her.”
\nThere was confidence in her voice.
\nToo much confidence.
\nAnd suddenly I realized something.
\nLinda wasn’t frightened of the financial investigation.
\nWhy?
\nBecause maybe Nathan hadn’t opened the account.
\nI looked at her.
\n“Was it you?”
\nHer smile disappeared.
\n“Excuse me?”
\n“The account using Sophie’s information.”
\nNathan stared at his mother.
\n“Mom?”
\nInteresting.
\nHe hadn’t known.
\nLinda folded her arms.
\n“You’ve become hysterical.”
\nI stepped closer.
\n“Was it you?”
\n“No.”
\nBut she looked away.
\nRichard saw it too.
\n“Linda.”
\n“Stop.”
\n“Answer her.”
\n“I said stop!”
\nRichard’s expression hardened.
\n“What did you do?”
\nLinda suddenly grabbed her handbag.
\n“I’m leaving.”
\nRichard blocked her path.
\n“No.”
\n“Move.”
\n“Not until you explain.”
\n“This is none of your business.”
\n“I’m your husband!”
\n“And maybe that was your first mistake.”
\nRichard went completely still.
\nNathan whispered, “Mom.”
\nLinda seemed to realize she had said too much.
\nThen my phone vibrated again.
\nA message from Patricia.
\nI opened it.
\nFOUND SOMETHING ELSE. CHECK YOUR EMAIL. URGENT.
\nI tapped my inbox.
\nThere was one new email.
\nSubject:
\nPROPERTY TRANSFER DOCUMENT.
\nMy stomach tightened.
\nI opened the attachment.
\nIt showed my address.
\nMy house.
\nThe home I had purchased eleven years earlier.
\nThe home where I had raised Ben.
\nThe home where Emma and Sophie had come to live after my sister’s death.
\nI scrolled down.
\nThere was a signature.
\nMy signature.
\nExcept I had never signed it.
\nSomeone had forged my name.
\nThe document appeared to transfer an ownership interest in my property to a company.
\nI read the company name.
\nLNR Holdings LLC.
\n“LNR,” I whispered.
\nLinda stopped moving.
\nNathan looked at his mother.
\nRichard frowned.
\n“What is it?”
\nI stared at the initials.
\nLinda.
\nNathan.
\nAnd…
\nR.
\nRebecca?
\nI turned toward her.
\nRebecca looked confused.
\n“Don’t look at me.”
\n“Do you know LNR Holdings?”
\n“No.”
\nNathan suddenly rushed toward me.
\n“Give me the phone.”
\nI stepped backward.
\nMichael moved between us again.
\n“Don’t touch her.”
\nNathan’s voice rose.
\n“That document isn’t real!”
\n“How do you know which document I’m looking at?”
\nHe froze.
\nThere it was.
\nAnother mistake.
\nAnother piece.
\nAnother crack in the wall.
\nI held up my phone.
\n“You know about this.”
\n“No.”
\n“You just said it wasn’t real.”
\n“Because whatever you’re looking at has to be fake!”
\nI shook my head.
\n“You’re a terrible liar when you’re scared.”
\nLinda grabbed Nathan’s arm.
\n“We need to go.”
\nBut before they could move, the doors at the back of the hall opened.
\nTwo uniformed police officers entered.
\nEvery guest turned.
\nBehind them walked a woman in a charcoal suit carrying a leather folder.
\nI recognized her immediately.
\nMy attorney, Diane Mercer.
\nNathan stared at me.
\n“You called the police?”
\n“No.”
\nI hadn’t.
\nDiane walked toward me.
\n“Sharon.”
\n“What happened?”
\nShe lowered her voice.
\n“Patricia contacted me after finding the property document.”
\nLinda began walking toward the side exit.
\nOne of the officers moved in front of her.
\n“Ma’am, please remain here.”
\nLinda stopped.
\nHer face drained of color.
\nDiane handed me the folder.
\n“We ran an emergency title check.”
\n“And?”
\n“Your house hasn’t been legally transferred.”
\nI exhaled.
\n“But someone tried.”
\nMy relief disappeared.
\nDiane continued.
\n“The filing was rejected because of an inconsistency in the notarization.”
\nI looked at Nathan.
\nHe was sweating.
\n“Who submitted it?”
\n“We’re still confirming that.”
\nThen Diane glanced toward Richard.
\nHer expression changed.
\n“Mr. Caldwell?”
\nRichard blinked.
\n“Yes?”
\n“Richard Caldwell?”
\n“Yes.”
\nDiane stared at him.
\n“Do you own a company called RLC Property Services?”
\nRichard frowned.
\n“I owned one years ago. Why?”
\nLinda suddenly shouted.
\n“Don’t answer her!”
\nEveryone turned.
\nRichard stared at his wife.
\n“Why wouldn’t I answer?”
\nLinda said nothing.
\nDiane opened her folder.
\n“Because LNR Holdings was registered through RLC Property Services.”
\nRichard looked stunned.
\n“That’s impossible.”
\n“The registration traces back to your company.”
\n“I closed that company twelve years ago.”
\nDiane slowly shook her head.
\n“No, Mr. Caldwell.”
\nRichard’s face changed.
\n“What?”
\n“According to state records, it is still active.”
\nHe looked at Linda.
\nShe wouldn’t meet his eyes.
\n“And according to the filings,” Diane continued, “you are still listed as the controlling owner.”
\nRichard staggered backward.
\n“No.”
\nLinda whispered, “Richard…”
\nHe stared at her.
\n“What did you do?”
\n“I can explain.”
\n“What did you do?”
\nHis voice shook the room.
\nThen Diane said something none of us expected.
\n“There’s more.”
\nShe removed another page.
\n“LNR Holdings has existed for almost nine years.”
\nI frowned.
\n“Nine years?”
\nNathan and I had known each other for only two.
\nEven Rebecca looked shocked.
\nDiane nodded.
\n“And it appears to have been involved in multiple disputed property transfers.”
\nThe room became completely silent.
\n“How many?” I asked.
\n“We’ve identified seven so far.”
\nRichard sat down hard in the nearest chair.
\nLinda looked toward the doors.
\nOne officer was still standing there.
\nDiane continued.
\n“Three involved elderly homeowners. Two involved recently widowed women. One involved a disabled veteran.”
\nMy skin crawled.
\n“And the seventh?”
\nDiane looked directly at me.
\n“You.”
\nThis wasn’t a family trying to steal one woman’s house.
\nThis looked like something they had done before.
\nNathan shook his head violently.
\n“No. No, I wasn’t involved in those.”
\nLinda turned toward him.
\n“Shut up.”
\n“I wasn’t!”
\n“Nathan!”
\n“I didn’t even know about LNR until last year!”
\nThe second he said it, the room exploded.
\nLinda screamed, “YOU IDIOT!”
\nNathan covered his mouth.
\nToo late.
\nDiane looked at the officers.
\nOne of them stepped forward.
\n“Nathan Caldwell, we’d like you to come with us and answer some questions.”
\nNathan backed away.
\n“No.”
\n“You’re not under arrest at this time.”
\n“I’m not going anywhere.”
\n“Nathan,” Richard said.
\nNathan looked at his father.
\nRichard’s face had aged ten years in ten minutes.
\n“Go with them.”
\n“Dad\u2014”
\n“If you have nothing to hide, go.”
\nNathan looked at Linda.
\nFor the first time, she couldn’t save him.
\nThen Rebecca spoke.
\n“I’ll go too.”
\nNathan spun toward her.
\n“What?”
\n“I have messages.”
\n“Rebecca.”
\n“Emails too.”
\nHis face twisted.
\n“You said you loved me.”
\nShe stared at him.
\n“I loved the person you pretended to be.”
\nNathan’s shoulders dropped.
\nRebecca walked toward the officers.
\nThen she stopped beside me.
\n“I’m sorry.”
\nI looked at her stomach.
\n“Is the baby really his?”
\nShe hesitated.
\nThat hesitation was tiny.
\nMaybe one second.
\nBut I saw it.
\nNathan saw it too.
\n“What does that mean?”
\nRebecca went pale.
\n“Nothing.”
\nNathan stepped toward her.
\n“Rebecca.”
\nShe backed away.
\n“Don’t.”
\n“Is the baby mine?”
\n“Of course.”
\n“Then why did you hesitate?”
\nLinda suddenly stared at Rebecca’s stomach.
\nSomething about her expression made me uneasy.
\nRecognition.
\nRebecca noticed.
\n“Don’t.”
\nLinda whispered, “Oh my God.”
\nNathan looked between them.
\n“What?”
\nRebecca began crying.
\n“Please.”
\n“What aren’t you telling me?”
\n“I didn’t want this to come out here.”
\nNathan laughed bitterly.
\n“Apparently that’s the theme of the day.”
\nRebecca wiped her face.
\nThen she looked toward Richard.
\nRichard was still sitting in the front row.
\nThe moment their eyes met, he stood.
\nSlowly.
\nToo slowly.
\nMy stomach dropped.
\nNathan saw it.
\nHis face changed.
\n“Dad?”
\nRichard looked confused.
\n“Why is she looking at you?”
\nRebecca closed her eyes.
\nLinda whispered, “I knew it.”
\nRichard snapped toward her.
\n“Knew what?”
\nLinda pointed at Rebecca.
\n“Tell him.”
\nRebecca shook her head.
\n“Linda, don’t.”
\n“TELL HIM.”
\nNathan stared at his father.
\nThen Rebecca.
\nThen her stomach.
\n“No.”
\nRebecca started sobbing.
\nNathan whispered again.
\n“No.”
\nRichard’s face went completely white.
\n“What is happening?”
\nRebecca opened her mouth.
\nBut before she could speak, one of the officers’ radios crackled.
\nThe officer listened.
\nHis expression changed.
\nThen he turned toward Linda.
\n“Linda Caldwell?”
\nShe didn’t answer.
\n“Ma’am?”
\nLinda gripped her handbag.
\nThe officer stepped closer.
\n“We just received confirmation regarding a warrant connected to an active financial-fraud investigation.”
\nLinda stared at him.
\nAnd then she did something nobody expected.
\nShe ran.
\nShe shoved past a chair and sprinted toward the side doors.
\n“Mom!” Nathan shouted.
\nThe officers went after her.
\nGuests screamed and scattered.
\nA table overturned.
\nGlasses shattered.
\nLinda reached the door.
\nPulled it open.
\nAnd stopped dead.
\nTwo more officers were standing outside.
\nShe backed into the hall.
\nOne of them took her arm.
\n“Linda Caldwell, you’re under arrest.”
\nNathan stared at his mother.
\nRichard looked completely broken.
\nBut Linda wasn’t looking at the police.
\nShe was looking at me.
\n“You stupid woman,” she hissed.
\nI stared back.
\n“You should have just married him.”
\nThe officers began leading her away.
\nThen Linda twisted around.
\n“And you think Nathan was after your money?”
\nShe laughed.
\nIt was a horrible sound.
\n“You still don’t understand anything.”
\nNathan shouted, “Mom, stop talking!”
\nBut Linda smiled at him.
\n“No, sweetheart.”
\nShe looked directly at me.
\n“Let’s finally tell Sharon why you chose her.”
\nNathan’s face transformed.
\nNot embarrassment.
\nNot anger.
\nTerror.
\n“Mom.”
\nLinda laughed again.
\n“You thought this started when Nathan met you?”
\nShe shook her head.
\n“Oh, Sharon.”
\nThe officers pulled her toward the doors.
\n“Your sister chose you long before Nathan ever did.”
\nMy heart stopped.
\n“What did you say?”
\nLinda’s smile widened.
\n“Ask Nathan how he knew your sister.”
\nI couldn’t move.
\nMy sister had been dead for six years.
\nNathan and I had supposedly met by accident two years ago.
\nI slowly turned toward him.
\nHe wouldn’t look at me.
\n“Nathan.”
\nNothing.
\n“Nathan, look at me.”
\nHis eyes finally lifted.
\nAnd I knew.
\nBefore he said a single word, I knew.
\nOur meeting had never been an accident.
\nOur relationship had never begun where I thought it had.
\n“How did you know my sister?”
\nNathan swallowed.
\n“Sharon…”
\n“HOW DID YOU KNOW MY SISTER?”
\nRichard stared at his son.
\nRebecca covered her mouth.
\nAnd Nathan whispered the sentence that made every betrayal from that morning suddenly seem small.
\n“Because I was with her the night she died.”
\nTO BE CONTINUED………………<\/p>\n
PART 3 \u2014 THE WOMAN IN THE BACK ROW “You promised you’d tell her.” Rebecca’s words seemed to hang over the entire wedding hall. Nobody moved. Nobody even seemed to … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echostoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echostoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echostoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echostoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echostoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6626"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/echostoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6631,"href":"https:\/\/echostoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6626\/revisions\/6631"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echostoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echostoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echostoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echostoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}