Chapter 4
I read the message again.
Then again.
Engagement ring.
Jordan.
My wife.
The words refused to make sense.
David watched me carefully.
"Marcus, don't assume it's true just because someone sent you a message."
I nodded.
But my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
"Then why would someone send this?"
"Maybe someone wants to hurt you."
I stared at the photograph.
Nia looked happy.
Not nervous.
Not guilty.
Happy.
The same woman who had spent the previous month complaining that we couldn't afford a vacation.
The same woman who told me she was exhausted from working long shifts at the beauty salon.
The same woman who had apparently been celebrating a business venture with her ex-boyfriend.
I looked at David.
"I need to know."
He nodded.
"Then we find facts. Not rumors."
The next morning, David drove me to an attorney's office.
Her name was Rebecca Hayes.
She was a sharp, confident woman in her early forties who specialized in financial fraud and family law coordination.
After listening to my story, she asked several questions.
"Did you authorize Nia to apply for credit using your identity?"
"No."
"Did you sign any loan documents?"
"No."
"Have you received any money from the loan?"
"No."
She nodded.
"Then we need to notify the lender, dispute the application, preserve all communications, and review your credit reports."
I leaned forward.
"Can they make me pay it?"
"That depends on the documents, the lender's investigation, and whether they can establish valid authorization. We shouldn't assume you're legally responsible simply because your name appears."
I exhaled slowly.
That was the first useful thing I had heard in twenty-four hours.
Rebecca continued.
"We should also review your joint accounts and your business information."
David leaned forward.
"Marcus owns half of Bennett Brothers Construction with me."
Rebecca nodded.
"Then we need to determine whether any company assets or documents were used."
My stomach tightened.
I hadn't even considered that possibility.
Nia had access to our home office.
She knew where I kept business records.
She had attended company events.
And she knew several employees.
I looked at David.
His expression had turned serious.
"We'll check everything," he said.
After the meeting, I returned home.
Nia had spent the night at her sister's apartment.
The house was silent.
For the first time, I noticed how many things belonged to our marriage.
Wedding photographs.
Matching coffee mugs.
A framed anniversary letter.
Every object felt like evidence of a life that might never have been real.
I walked into the bedroom.
The bed was neatly made.
Nia had removed some clothes.
Her perfume still lingered near the dresser.
I sat down.
Then I noticed something beneath the nightstand.
A small black jewelry box.
My heart began pounding.
I reached for it.
Inside was a receipt.
Not a ring.
A receipt from a jewelry store in Buckhead.
The purchase date was six weeks earlier.
The amount was eight thousand four hundred dollars.
The item description made my throat tighten.
Diamond engagement ring.
I stared at the paper.
My hands went cold.
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
Then I noticed the purchaser's name.
Jordan Ellis.
I felt sick.
The receipt had been folded and hidden beneath the nightstand.
But why?
Why would Nia have a receipt for an engagement ring Jordan purchased?
I photographed it.
Then I called Rebecca.
She told me to preserve the original and avoid confronting anyone until we understood the circumstances.
I agreed.
But I couldn't stop thinking.
Eight thousand four hundred dollars.
A secret loan.
A failed business.
A kiss.
And now an engagement ring.
I sat on the floor beside our bed and tried to remember when my marriage began falling apart.
Was it when Jordan returned?
Was it when Nia started accusing me of cheating?
Or had I been ignoring warning signs for years?
That evening, Nia called.
I stared at her name before answering.
"Marcus?"
Her voice was soft.
"Hello."
"Can we talk?"
I hesitated.
"About what?"
"Us."
I looked toward the jewelry box.
"What about us?"
She began crying.
"I made terrible mistakes."
I remained silent.
"I know I betrayed your trust. But I don't want to lose our marriage."
I closed my eyes.
"Then tell me the truth."
"I have."
"No, Nia. You haven't."
She sounded frightened.
"What do you mean?"
I took a breath.
"Did Jordan buy you an engagement ring?"
Silence.
Long.
Heavy.
Terrifying.
Then she whispered, "Where did you hear that?"
My chest tightened.
"Answer me."
"Marcus..."
"Did he?"
She began crying.
"Yes."
I felt the room spin.
"Are you engaged to him?"
"No!"
"Then why did he buy you a ring?"
She sobbed.
"Because he thought I was going to leave you."
The words hit me like a physical blow.
I gripped the edge of the bed.
"He thought you were leaving me?"
"Marcus, please."
"Why would he think that?"
She didn't answer.
"Nia."
She whispered, "Because I told him I might."
I closed my eyes.
Everything inside me went quiet.
I thought about the nights she lay beside me.
The mornings she kissed me goodbye.
The dinners we ate while discussing weekend plans.
And all that time, she had been telling another man she might leave me.
"Did you accept the ring?"
She hesitated.
Then whispered, "I tried it on."
I felt tears burn behind my eyes.
"Did you say yes?"
"No."
"Did you tell him no?"
Silence.
I swallowed.
"That's what I thought."
She began sobbing.
"Marcus, I was confused."
I laughed bitterly.
"Confused?"
"I thought you didn't love me anymore."
I stared at the wall.
"Why?"
"You were always working. You were distracted. You were hiding things."
I closed my eyes.
"My mother was sick."
"I didn't know!"
"Because she asked me to keep it private!"
Nia began crying harder.
"I know that now."
I took a breath.
"And what about the money?"
She fell silent.
"Did you use the loan to buy the ring?"
"No. Jordan paid for it."
"With what money?"
"I don't know."
I thought about the photograph.
The unfinished studio.
The champagne.
The secret business.
Then I asked something that frightened me.
"Nia, did Jordan contribute any money to the fitness studio?"
She hesitated.
"Not much."
"How much?"
"A few thousand."
I stared at the floor.
"So you risked seventy-five thousand dollars using my identity, and he contributed a few thousand?"
She began crying.
"I thought we would make it work."
I closed my eyes.
"Did you ever intend to tell me?"
She didn't answer.
I swallowed.
"Goodbye, Nia."
"Marcus, please!"
I ended the call.
For a long time, I sat in silence.
Then I called David.
He answered immediately.
"What's wrong?"
I told him about the ring.
He cursed under his breath.
Then he said something that changed the direction of everything.
"Marcus, I think we need to look at Jordan more closely."
I frowned.
"Why?"
"Because I checked the business registration for that fitness studio."
My heart began pounding.
"And?"
"Jordan isn't listed as an owner."
I sat upright.
"Who is?"
David hesitated.
"Someone named Monique Ellis."
I frowned.
"Who is that?"
"I did some digging."
He took a breath.
"Marcus, Monique is Jordan's wife."
The room went silent.
I stared at the wall.
"His what?"
"His wife."
My stomach dropped.
Jordan wasn't just Nia's ex-boyfriend.
He was a married man.
And according to David, his wife was the legal owner of the business Nia had financed.
I could barely breathe.
Because the truth was becoming clear.
Nia had betrayed me.
May you like
But Jordan might have been betraying her too.
And somewhere out there was another woman who had no idea her marriage was connected to mine.
