Chapter 5: The Person Behind the Lie
The words hung in the air.
Not Ava.
Not Rachel.
Someone else.
Someone Marcus was protecting.
I stared at Ava, waiting for her to explain.
For months, I had believed I knew every important person in Marcus’s life.
His family.
His friends.
His coworkers.
The people he trusted.
But standing there, surrounded by secrets, I realized something terrifying.
I didn’t know the man I was supposed to marry.
“Maya,” Ava whispered.
I shook my head.
“Who?””
She looked down.
“Please.””
“No.””
My voice was calm now.
Too calm.
“I am done begging people for the truth.””
Nobody spoke.
I walked toward Marcus.
He immediately looked away.
That small movement made my heart hurt more than if he had shouted.
“Look at me.””
Slowly, he did.
“Who are you protecting?””
His jaw tightened.
“No one.””
I almost smiled.
“Still lying?””
“Maya—”
“Still?””
My voice echoed through the restroom.
The people outside probably heard.
I didn’t care anymore.
“After everything tonight, you still think you can stand there and lie to my face?””
Marcus lowered his voice.
“Not here.””
I stared at him.
“Why?””
“Because this is a public place.””
I looked around.
A public place.
That was what mattered.
Not what he did.
Not what he destroyed.
Not what he hid.
Only whether people might see.
“You’re worried about people seeing you?””
“No.””
“Then what are you worried about?””
He said nothing.
Ava slowly stood.
“Maya, there’s something you need to understand.””
I looked at her.
“I’m listening.””
She took a deep breath.
“The reason I didn’t tell you right away…”
She paused.
“Was because Marcus asked me not to.””
My expression changed.
“He asked you?””
She nodded.
“He said if you knew everything, you would hate him.””
I laughed quietly.
“Interesting.””
“What?””
“He knew.””
Ava frowned.
“He knew what?””
“He knew exactly what he was doing.””
I looked at Marcus.
“He knew I would hate him.””
Marcus’s face tightened.
“I knew I would lose you.””
The honesty surprised me.
For the first time all night, he wasn’t trying to explain.
He was admitting.
And somehow that made it worse.
“You knew,” I repeated.
“Yes.””
“And you did it anyway.””
He looked down.
“Yes.””
That answer hurt.
More than excuses.
More than lies.
Because there was no misunderstanding.
No confusion.
No accident.
He made choices.
Again.
And again.
And again.
I walked away from him.
“Who is she?””
Marcus looked confused.
“What?””
“The person you’re protecting.””
Silence.
Then his phone rang.
Everyone looked at it.
He didn’t answer.
The screen lit up.
A name appeared.
*Mom.*
I watched his face.
Not because his mother was calling.
Because of the fear in his eyes.
That wasn’t the face of someone who didn’t want to deal with a difficult conversation.
That was the face of someone afraid a secret was about to escape.
“Answer it,” I said.
Marcus shook his head.
“Maya.””
“Answer it.””
“Maya, please.””
I smiled sadly.
“Funny.””
“What?””
“That’s the same word Ava used.””
He looked away.
“Answer the phone.””
He hesitated.
Then he picked up.
“Mom?””
The rest of us stayed silent.
I watched every small change in his expression.
His eyebrows.
His breathing.
His eyes.
Then suddenly, his face went pale.
“What?””
Ava covered her mouth.
Rachel looked worried.
Marcus turned away.
“I didn’t know she would be there.””
My heartbeat stopped.
She.
Who was she?
“Mom, listen to me.””
A pause.
“No. Don’t tell her anything.””
My body went cold.
Don’t tell her anything.
Who was he talking about?
Marcus noticed us watching.
He lowered his voice.
“I’ll handle it.””
Another pause.
Then he said something that changed the entire conversation.
“No, she cannot find out Maya knows.””
My name.
My name.
I felt like I had been punched.
His mother knew.
His mother knew something.
And she knew about me.
Marcus ended the call.
Nobody moved.
I stared at him.
“Your mother?””
He said nothing.
“Your mother knows?””
“Maya…”
“What does your mother know?””
He rubbed his face.
“This isn’t simple.””
I stepped closer.
“It has never been simple because you never told me the truth.””
Ava quietly said:
“Marcus’s mother knew about the affair.””
I turned toward her.
“What?””
She looked ashamed.
“She found out.””
“When?””
“Before I did.””
My stomach twisted.
“So his mother knew?””
Ava nodded.
“And nobody told me?””
No one answered.
I looked at Marcus.
“Your family knew?””
“Not everyone.””
“Enough.””
My voice shook.
“Enough people knew that I was the only person standing there planning a wedding.””
Marcus looked devastated.
“I was going to tell you.””
“When?””
He closed his eyes.
I laughed.
“Exactly.””
No answer.
I grabbed my purse.
“I’m leaving.””
Marcus moved toward me.
“Maya.””
I stepped back.
“Don’t.””
His face changed.
Not anger.
Pain.
But I couldn’t let his pain erase mine.
“You don’t get to comfort me after being the reason I need comfort.””
He stopped.
I walked toward the door.
Then Rachel spoke.
“Maya.””
I turned.
She looked nervous.
“There’s one more thing.””
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
“What?””
Rachel reached into her bag.
She pulled out a small folder.
“I wasn’t going to show you this.””
Marcus immediately reacted.
“Rachel, don’t.””
That was enough.
I walked back.
“What is it?””
Rachel handed me the folder.
Inside were printed emails.
Messages.
Documents.
I looked at the first page.
Then the second.
My confusion turned into disbelief.
“What am I looking at?””
Rachel’s voice was quiet.
“Financial records.””
I looked up.
“What?””
“Marcus has been moving money.””
I frowned.
“Money?””
She nodded.
“Large amounts.””
I looked at Marcus.
“What does this mean?””
He didn’t answer.
“Marcus.””
His silence was terrifying.
Rachel pointed to the documents.
“Look at the dates.””
I did.
The dates were familiar.
The first transfer happened right after Marcus and I opened our joint wedding account.
My hands started shaking.
“No.””
Rachel looked at me sadly.
“I’m sorry.””
“No.””
I looked at Marcus.
“What did you do?””
He finally spoke.
“Maya, it’s not what you think.””
I stared at him.
“I don’t even know what to think anymore.””
He stepped forward.
“I can explain.””
“Then explain.””
His mouth opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
Nothing.
I looked down at the documents.
The last page caught my attention.
There was a name.
A name I recognized.
A name that made every piece of the night fall into place.
My heart stopped.
Because the person Marcus had been protecting wasn’t a stranger.
It wasn’t another woman.
It wasn’t even someone from his past.
It was someone standing in that room.
Someone who had watched me cry.
Someone who had let me believe she was on my side.
I slowly lifted my eyes.
And looked directly at Ava.
“Ava…”
Her face went white.
Because she knew.
She knew exactly what I had found.
May you like
And then I asked the question that made her start crying.
“Why did Marcus transfer money to you?””
