“Ryan, you saved me. You called the ambulance. You stayed with me.”
“I know. But it’s more complicated than that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“So explain it to me.”
He shook his head.
“I can’t. Not yet. I just needed you to know that I’m responsible.”
He stood up abruptly.
“I need to get some fresh air.”
“Ryan, don’t just leave like that!”
But he left.
I remained alone, still in my wedding dress, trying to understand what had just happened.
“I need to get some fresh air.”
Ryan returned an hour later.
He apologized. He said he shouldn’t have said that to me on our wedding night. But he refused to explain further.
I asked to sleep alone. I needed time to think.
He agreed, reluctantly.
The next morning, everything seemed different.
As if there were a wall between us, a wall that didn’t exist before.
He agreed, reluctantly.
And then, as the days went by, Ryan started to behave strangely.
He came home later than usual.
“Overtime at the office,” he said. But it sounded fake.
He avoided my gaze. His phone was still locked. He went outside to make his calls.
My suspicions have grown.
What was he hiding? Was there someone else? Was our entire relationship based on lies?
I needed answers.
He avoided my gaze.
I called my sister, Marie.
“There’s something wrong with Ryan,” I told him. “He’s acting strangely. He’s coming home late.”
“Do you think he’s cheating on you?”
“I don’t know. But I must find out the truth.”
Marie agreed to help me.
The following evening, we went near Ryan’s office and parked a few meters away.
We waited.
“Do you think he’s cheating on you?”
Ryan left at 5:30 PM.
He got into his car, but instead of taking the road that led home, he went in the opposite direction.
“Follow him,” I said.
Marie started cautiously, keeping her distance.
We followed Ryan through the city.
He drove for thirty minutes before parking in front of a small old house.
We watched him disappear through the front door.
We followed Ryan through the city.
My stomach knotted.
“What is this place?”
“I don’t know. But we’ll find out,” replied Marie.
I asked him to help me get in.
Marie accompanied me to the front door.
It wasn’t locked. We opened it gently and went in.
Ryan was standing near a bed set up in the middle of the living room.
In the bed was an old man. Thin. Pale. Connected to an oxygen tank.
Ryan was standing near a bed set up in the middle of the living room.
Ryan turned around abruptly when he saw us.
“ANDREA? What are you…”
“Who is it? Who is this man?” I asked.
Ryan collapsed.
“I can explain.”
“Then do it!”
The old man turned his head towards me. His eyes filled with tears.
“ANDREA? What are you…”
Ryan took a deep breath.
“Andrea is my uncle. His name is Cody.”
“Your uncle? Why are you hiding him here? Why have you never told me about him?”
“Because he’s the one who knocked you over five years ago.”
” What ? ”
Ryan approached.
Continued on next page:
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