Chapter 5
I stared at the photograph.
For a few seconds, the room disappeared.
I saw only Marcus.
His arm.
Her waist.
Her face turned toward him as though she belonged there.
The date stamped in the corner was from three months earlier.
The same weekend Marcus told me he was attending a sales conference in Atlanta.
I had packed his suitcase.
I had even ironed the shirt he wore in the photograph.
Aaliyah whispered, “Nia.”
I could not answer.
Marcus stepped forward.
“It’s not what it looks like.”
I laughed.
The sound frightened even me.
“You really need a new sentence.”
He reached for the photo.
Aaliyah moved between us.
“Back up.”
Marcus glared at her.
“Stay out of my marriage.”
She folded her arms.
“Your marriage?”
I looked at the photograph again.
The woman was beautiful.
Around my age.
Long curls.
Red dress.
She looked happy.
So did Marcus.
That hurt more than I expected.
Not because I wanted him back.
Because I could not remember the last time he had looked that relaxed beside me.
“Who is Tara?”
Marcus rubbed his jaw.
“A coworker.”
“Darren never mentioned her.”
“She works at another dealership.”
I held up the photo.
“Do you normally hold coworkers like this?”
“It was a party.”
“You told me you were at a conference.”
“It was part of the conference.”
Aaliyah muttered, “Unbelievable.”
Evelyn sat down again.
She looked exhausted now.
Not smug.
Not controlling.
Just small.
“Marcus,” she whispered, “tell her the truth.”
He turned.
“You knew?”
I looked at Evelyn.
Her eyes widened.
“No.”
“You knew about Tara?”
“I knew there was a woman calling him.”
My chest tightened.
“How long?”
“Nia…”
“How long?”
“Months.”
The betrayal landed in layers.
Marcus.
The money.
The house.
Now Evelyn.
Again.
I stared at the woman who had spent years sitting at my table and telling me I needed to be a better wife.
“You knew.”
“I didn’t know if it was serious.”
“You told me to cook more for him.”
Evelyn looked down.
“You told me men wander when their homes aren’t peaceful.”
“I was wrong.”
“You knew he was talking to another woman while you said that.”
Tears slid down her face.
“I’m sorry.”
I turned away.
I could not listen.
Marcus picked up his bag.
“I’m leaving.”
“Wait.”
He stopped.
I held up the photograph.
“Who sent this?”
“I don’t know.”
“It was in your work bag.”
“I’ve never seen it.”
His reaction seemed genuine.
That scared me more.
Someone had placed evidence in his bag.
Evidence meant for me.
Why?
Aaliyah turned the photo over again.
“There’s a number.”
I had missed it.
Tiny handwriting beneath the message.
CALL ME BEFORE HE TAKES EVERYTHING.
My skin went cold.
Marcus saw the number.
His face changed.
“You know it,” I said.
“No.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
Aaliyah pulled out her phone.
“Let’s find out.”
Marcus moved toward her.
I stepped between them.
“Don’t.”
He stared at me.
I expected anger.
Instead, I saw fear.
Aaliyah called.
The phone rang twice.
Then a woman answered.
“Hello?”
Aaliyah looked at me and put the call on speaker.
“Is this Tara?”
Silence.
Then, “Who is this?”
I took the phone.
“My name is Nia Carter.”
The silence became heavier.
Finally, Tara whispered, “You found the picture.”
Marcus cursed.
I closed my eyes.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Were you having an affair with my husband?”
Marcus said, “Nia, hang up.”
Tara heard him.
“Oh my God. He’s there.”
“Answer me.”
She inhaled.
“Yes.”
One word.
Eleven years of marriage cracked open inside it.
Aaliyah reached for my hand.
I held on.
“How long?”
“Eight months.”
My eyes burned.
Marcus shook his head.
“It wasn’t eight months.”
Tara laughed bitterly through the phone.
“That’s your defense?”
Marcus snapped, “You need to shut your mouth.”
Something in Tara’s voice changed.
“No. I don’t.”
I looked at him.
“What did you tell her?”
Tara answered.
“That you were separated.”
Of course.
“He said you were living together temporarily while selling the house.”
I almost laughed.
“The house.”
“Yes.”
Tara hesitated.
“He said the house belonged to him.”
I looked at Marcus.
He avoided my eyes.
“He said once the divorce was finalized, he was going to sell it and move.”
My hands began trembling again.
“He can’t sell it.”
Tara went quiet.
“What?”
“The house is mine.”
There was a long silence.
Then Tara whispered, “Oh.”
Marcus grabbed his bag.
“I’m done with this.”
I stood in front of the door.
“No.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Move.”
“What did you promise her?”
“Nia.”
“What did you promise her?”
Tara spoke.
“He said we were buying a house together.”
My stomach dropped.
Aaliyah squeezed my hand harder.
“With what money?”
Tara exhaled.
“He showed me an account.”
Marcus closed his eyes.
“What account?”
“He said he had nearly ninety thousand dollars.”
Everything inside me stopped.
“Ninety?”
“He said it came from selling an investment.”
I looked at Marcus.
“Where is it?”
“There is no ninety thousand.”
Tara said, “I saw it.”
Marcus shouted, “You saw a screenshot!”
I froze.
That was not denial.
It was confirmation.
“There is another account.”
He said nothing.
“Marcus.”
Silence.
I stepped closer.
“There is another account.”
He looked at me.
Then something changed in his expression.
Defiance returned.
“You wanted separate finances.”
I stared at him.
“So you hid ninety thousand dollars?”
“It wasn’t yours.”
Aaliyah laughed in disbelief.
“Some of it was stolen.”
Marcus turned on her.
“You don’t know anything.”
Tara’s voice trembled through the phone.
“Marcus, you told me it was legitimate.”
He ignored her.
I felt strangely calm again.
“Where is the account?”
He smiled.
Not warmly.
“You’ll never touch it.”
Those words told me exactly what I needed to know.
There was money.
A lot of it.
Maybe money from his employer.
Maybe money from me.
Maybe money from other people.
Marcus reached for the doorknob.
I stepped aside this time.
He opened the door.
Then Tara spoke again.
“Nia.”
I lifted the phone.
“Yes?”
“There’s something else.”
Marcus stopped.
He did not turn around.
Tara’s voice became quiet.
“He asked me to sign papers last week.”
My heart began pounding.
“What papers?”
“He said they were for the new house.”
Marcus closed his eyes.
“But I took pictures before I signed.”
I looked at him.
“What were they?”
May you like
Tara swallowed.
“They had your name on them.”
