PART 5: THE SECRET PERSON FROM MY PAST
I stood frozen at the entrance of the restaurant.
For a moment, I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Sophie was sitting there, calmly drinking her coffee.
But beside her…
was the last person I ever expected to see.
My older brother, Daniel.
The brother who disappeared from my life five years ago.
The brother who left after a terrible argument with my family and never contacted me again.
I looked at Sophie.
Then at Daniel.
My voice barely came out.
“What is he doing here?”
Sophie smiled.
But it wasn’t the friendly smile I used to know.
It was a smile full of confidence.
“You deserve to know the whole truth.”
I sat down slowly.
My heart was racing.
For years, I thought Daniel abandoned me because he was angry.
But now…
I started to wonder if there was another reason.
Daniel looked at me with guilt in his eyes.
Then he spoke.
“I didn’t leave because I hated you.”
I stared at him.
“Then why did you disappear?”
He took a deep breath.
And the next words changed everything.
“Because I found out what your husband and your mother-in-law were planning five years ago.”
The room suddenly felt silent.
Five years ago?
Before the Manhattan Plan?
Daniel continued.
“Your husband didn’t suddenly become a different person. He has been planning this for a long time.”
My hands tightened around the coffee cup.
I felt sick.
All those years…
all those memories…
were they all fake?
Daniel pulled out an old envelope from his jacket.
He placed it on the table.
“I kept this because I knew one day you would need it.”
Inside was a copy of a financial document.
A document showing my husband had secretly moved money from our shared accounts.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
At the bottom of the page was another signature.
My mother-in-law’s.
I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
The people closest to me…
had been working together against me.
I looked at Sophie.
“Why are you helping me now?”
Her expression changed.
For the first time, she looked nervous.
“Because your husband is planning something worse than divorce.”
I froze.
“What do you mean?”
Sophie looked around to make sure nobody was listening.
Then she leaned closer.
And whispered:
“He doesn’t just want your money.”
A pause.
“He wants to make sure you disappear from his life completely.”
My blood ran cold.
Before I could ask another question, my phone suddenly rang.
It was my husband.
I looked at the screen.
He was calling from Manhattan.
I answered.
His voice sounded calm.
Too calm.
“Honey… I just got a very interesting message.”
I didn’t say anything.
Then he continued:
“Someone told me you met with Daniel and Sophie today.”
My heart stopped.
He knew.
But how?
Then he said the words that made me realize…
I wasn’t the only one investigating.
“You should have asked yourself one question before opening that tablet…”
Silence.
Then his voice became colder.
“Who do you think left it there for you to find?”
