Chapter 4: The Envelope on the Table
I stared at the phone in my hand, listening to Simone’s breathing on the other end.
For years, I knew every sound she made.
The way she sighed when she was annoyed.
The way her voice softened when she wanted something.
The way she became quiet when she was hiding the truth.
And right now, she was terrified.
“Adrian,” she whispered again.
“Please come home.””
I looked at the envelope sitting in front of me.
The envelope Daniel had brought.
The envelope Simone somehow knew about.
My fingers rested against the edge of it.
“You know what’s inside,” I said.
Silence.
That was all the answer I needed.
“Simone.””
Her voice shook.
“I know you’re angry.””
“Angry?””
I almost laughed.
The word felt too small.
“You brought another man into our home and humiliated me.””
“Adrian, it’s not what you think.””
I looked at Daniel.
He looked away.
That bothered me more than anything.
Because Daniel had always been direct.
Even when the truth hurt.
“Then tell me what it is,” I said.
Another pause.
“I can’t explain over the phone.””
“Convenient.””
“Please.””
Her voice cracked.
A sound I hadn’t heard from her in a long time.
Not since the hospital.
Not since the night she promised she would never leave.
“I’m asking you as someone who once loved you.””
I closed my eyes.
Once.
That word carried more weight than she realized.
“Where are you?””
“At home.””
“I’ll be there.””
I ended the call.
Daniel immediately shook his head.
“Are you sure?””
“No.””
He looked surprised.
I continued.
“But I need to see her face when she explains.””
The drive back was quiet.
Evelyn followed in another car after insisting she should be nearby.
I didn’t argue.
Trust was something I had given too freely before.
Now I measured it carefully.
When I entered my apartment, everything looked exactly the same.
The gray sofa.
The large windows.
The expensive furniture Simone once chose because she said our home needed to look successful.
Funny how a place could look perfect and still feel empty.
Simone stood near the window.
No Marcus.
No confidence.
No arrogant smile.
Just her.
When she turned around, she looked smaller.
“Adrian.””
I didn’t answer.
Her eyes moved to my wheelchair.
Then to the oxygen tube.
Then back to my face.
“I never wanted this.””
I rolled closer.
“Wanted what?””
“For you to find out this way.””
I stared at her.
“You mean you wanted to tell me?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Exactly.
I stopped a few feet away.
“Who is Marcus?””
Her face changed.
A tiny reaction.
But I saw it.
“I told you.””
“No.””
My voice stayed calm.
“You told me he was someone you met after you left.””
She looked down.
“Adrian…”
“Who is he?””
She walked toward the sofa.
“I thought I was protecting you.””
That sentence made my stomach tighten.
People always used protection when they wanted forgiveness.
“From what?””
She sat down.
“I made mistakes.””
“Everyone makes mistakes.””
I leaned forward.
“Not everyone destroys someone’s life and calls it a mistake.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
For a moment, I almost remembered the woman I married.
Almost.
Then I remembered yesterday.
The kiss.
The laughter.
The words.
A real man.
She wiped her face.
“Marcus approached me before you got sick.””
I felt my expression change.
“Before?””
“Yes.””
The room became silent.
“Why?””
She looked away.
“Because of your company.””
There it was.
The answer I wasn’t ready for.
I had expected betrayal.
I had expected cruelty.
But I had not expected calculation.
“What does my company have to do with Marcus?””
Simone hesitated.
“He knew about your investments.””
My heart sank.
“He knew about my finances?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
She looked at me.
“Because he thought you would die.””
The words hit harder than any insult.
For several seconds, I couldn’t speak.
Simone immediately regretted saying it.
“Adrian, listen—”
“No.””
My voice was quiet.
“That’s enough.””
She stood.
“I was scared.””
“You were planning.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
I pointed toward the envelope in my hand.
“You knew about this.””
Her face went pale.
“I didn’t know exactly.””
“But you knew something existed.””
She looked at the floor.
That was confirmation.
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a copy of a document.
The first page was enough.
My name.
My signature.
A date.
And another name.
Simone.
Her face changed when she saw it.
“What did Daniel show you?””
I looked up.
“You tell me.””
She didn’t answer.
I flipped through the pages.
And then I saw something that made every memory rearrange itself.
A transfer.
A payment.
A transaction made months before Simone ever left.
My hands became still.
“Adrian?””
I looked at her.
“Why did Marcus pay you?””
Her entire body froze.
The room suddenly felt too quiet.
Because there were many ways someone could betray you.
But the worst way was when they convinced you they were the victim.
Simone whispered:
“You weren’t supposed to see that.””
I slowly lowered the papers.
“What did you do?””
Before she could answer, my phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
From Daniel.
Only one sentence.
“Don’t let her convince you. The money was the beginning.””
I looked at Simone.
And she knew.
She knew I had seen it.
May you like
Then she said something that made my blood run cold.
“Adrian, if you want the truth, you need to know what Marcus was really trying to take from you.””
