Chapter 6
I thought the divorce papers were the cruelest thing Marcus could have placed in front of me.
Then Elijah showed us the documents Victor had prepared for my husband.
They weren't divorce papers.
They were business agreements.
And if Marcus had signed them, he could have lost everything he'd spent fifteen years building.
I stared at the pages.
"How does this connect to our marriage?"
Elijah sat beside me.
"Victor planned to use the financial scandal as leverage."
Marcus leaned forward.
"What kind of leverage?"
"He wanted you convinced Nia had stolen investor money through accounts linked to your company."
Marcus's face tightened.
Elijah continued.
"Then Caleb would offer a solution."
I looked at Marcus.
"What solution?"
"A private restructuring agreement."
Marcus stared at the documents.
"Caleb mentioned restructuring last month."
My stomach dropped.
Elijah nodded.
"That was part of it."
Detective Brooks explained that the proposed agreement would have transferred significant control of Marcus's company to a lender associated with Victor.
In exchange, the lender would supposedly resolve disputed financial obligations.
Marcus looked stunned.
"I never would've signed that."
Elijah studied him.
"Maybe not under normal circumstances."
I felt sick.
"But if you thought your wife had stolen money?"
Marcus looked toward the floor.
"And if you thought your company was about to collapse?"
He didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
I remembered the restaurant.
His cold eyes.
His anger.
His certainty that I'd betrayed him.
Victor had known exactly which wound to open.
And I'd helped create it by hiding so much.
I looked at Elijah.
"Did he know about the divorce papers?"
Elijah nodded.
"Caleb was monitoring Marcus's response."
My chest tightened.
Then Marcus spoke.
"Wait."
Everyone turned.
He frowned.
"Caleb didn't suggest divorce."
I stared at him.
"What?"
Marcus looked at me.
"That was my decision."
The room became silent.
He swallowed.
"I found the documents in an anonymous package. I believed Nia had been stealing."
He rubbed his face.
"I was furious."
I looked down.
He continued.
"I called my attorney and asked him to prepare the divorce petition."
Elijah nodded slowly.
"Victor probably expected that reaction."
Marcus stared at the papers.
"But he didn't force me to humiliate my wife."
My throat tightened.
He turned toward me.
"That part was mine."
I felt tears gathering.
For days, we'd been surrounded by people trying to manipulate us.
It would've been easy for Marcus to blame Victor for everything.
But he didn't.
And that mattered.
Detective Brooks continued reviewing the documents.
She explained that investigators were tracing payments, interviewing employees, and examining digital records.
Caleb had been placed on administrative leave while the company conducted an independent review.
Marcus had transferred temporary financial oversight to an outside accounting firm.
I was relieved.
But I was also exhausted.
Every answer seemed to reveal another betrayal.
After the meeting, Marcus and I drove home.
He was quiet.
I watched the road.
Finally, he spoke.
"I keep thinking about the restaurant."
I looked at him.
"So do I."
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"I wanted you to feel embarrassed."
My chest ached.
"I know."
He swallowed.
"I thought you'd made me look like a fool."
I stared out the window.
"And you wanted everyone to see me suffer."
His voice broke.
"Yes."
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then he pulled into a quiet parking lot.
He turned toward me.
"Nia, I'm sorry."
My eyes filled.
He continued.
"Not because Victor manipulated us."
He shook his head.
"Because I chose to hurt you."
I wiped my cheeks.
"I deserved questions."
He nodded.
"Yes."
"I deserved anger."
"Maybe."
"But I didn't deserve that."
Marcus's eyes filled.
"No."
I took a breath.
"And you didn't deserve years of lies."
He looked down.
I continued.
"I told myself I was protecting you."
My voice cracked.
"But I was also afraid you'd stop loving me if you knew everything."
He stared at me.
"Nia, I married you."
"I know."
"You were supposed to trust me with the hard things."
I nodded.
"I know."
We sat in silence.
Then he whispered, "Can we ever get back what we had?"
I thought carefully.
"I don't think we should."
He looked stunned.
I reached for his hand.
"What we had was beautiful in some ways."
I swallowed.
"But we were both hiding things."
He nodded slowly.
"I want something better."
His eyes filled.
"With me?"
I looked at him.
"I hope so."
He squeezed my hand.
For the first time, the hope between us felt honest.
But I wasn't ready to pretend everything was fixed.
That evening, I met Tasha at a quiet coffee shop.
She had asked to see me.
I almost refused.
For years, she'd been the person I called when something wonderful happened.
Or terrible.
She knew my childhood stories.
My favorite songs.
My fears.
And almost every secret I'd ever shared.
Except Elijah.
That one I'd hidden even from her.
Now she sat across from me, crying.
"Nia, I don't know how to apologize."
I stared at her.
"Then start by telling me why."
She wiped her cheeks.
"Damian made me believe you were stealing."
I nodded.
"You said that."
"He showed me statements."
"And you believed him."
She looked down.
"Yes."
I felt my chest tighten.
"You didn't ask me."
"I know."
"You didn't even warn me."
"I know."
I leaned forward.
"Tasha, you sent my private information to my husband."
Her tears fell.
"I thought he deserved to know."
I took a breath.
"If you were worried, you could've told me."
She nodded.
"But you chose to investigate me behind my back."
Her voice broke.
"Yes."
I looked toward the window.
For a moment, I remembered us at nineteen.
Sharing a tiny college dorm room.
Eating instant noodles.
Talking about the men we'd marry.
Promising we'd always have each other's backs.
Now I felt as though I was looking at a stranger.
Tasha reached across the table.
"I'll do anything to fix this."
I pulled my hand away.
"I don't know if you can."
Her face crumpled.
"Nia..."
"I love you, Tasha."
She started crying harder.
"But I don't trust you."
The words hurt both of us.
I stood.
She looked up.
"Are we done?"
I hesitated.
"I don't know."
Then I added, "I need space."
She nodded.
"I understand."
I walked away.
And for the first time, I didn't look back.
Two weeks later, Detective Brooks called.
Caleb had been arrested following the discovery of additional evidence.
Investigators had obtained messages connecting him to Damian and Victor.
Several financial authorizations had been falsified.
And Caleb had received payments through accounts associated with the scheme.
Marcus was devastated.
He sat in his office staring at an old photograph of himself and Caleb after their high school graduation.
I stood beside him.
He whispered, "He was my brother."
I placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry."
He looked at me.
"How do you stop trusting people you've loved for years?"
I thought about Tasha.
Then Elijah.
Then my own decisions.
"I don't think you stop trusting everyone."
He looked down.
"I think you learn to trust more carefully."
Marcus nodded.
Then his phone rang.
Olivia.
He answered.
His expression changed.
"What?"
I stepped closer.
He listened.
Then slowly sat down.
When he ended the call, he stared at me.
"Marcus?"
His lips trembled.
"They found the recording."
My heart jumped.
"The one Elijah mentioned?"
He nodded.
"And?"
He looked at me.
His face was white.
"Victor admitted something."
I stopped breathing.
"What?"
Marcus swallowed.
"He said he never expected you to survive the pressure."
I felt cold.
"What pressure?"
Marcus looked devastated.
"The threats. The financial accusations. Losing me."
I stared at him.
Then he whispered the part that made my knees weaken.
"Nia, they weren't just trying to destroy our marriage."
May you like
His voice broke.
"They were trying to make you disappear from the investigation."
