Chapter 6: The Woman Behind the Affair
The photograph sat between Daniel and me on the coffee shop table.
Neither of us touched it.
Because sometimes a picture can reveal a truth you are not ready to accept.
The person standing beside Brenda was a man.
Older.
Well-dressed.
Confident.
Someone I had met once.
Years ago.
“Who is he?”” I asked.
Daniel looked at me.
“You don’t remember?””
I studied the photograph.
Then it came back.
A business dinner.
Eight years earlier.
A man who tried to buy Crestview.
A man my father rejected.
“Richard Hale.””
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.””
My stomach tightened.
Richard Hale had wanted our company.
My father refused.
“He threatened your father after the deal failed,” Daniel said.
I stared at him.
“Why didn’t I know?””
“Because your father handled it.””
Of course he did.
That was my father.
He protected people.
Even when he was afraid.
“What does Brenda have to do with him?””
Daniel leaned back.
“That is what we need to find out.””
I returned home that evening with one decision.
I was done waiting.
For years, I had reacted to things happening around me.
Now, I was going to move first.
When I entered the house, I found Brenda sitting in my living room.
I stopped.
She looked uncomfortable.
“What are you doing here?””
Mark stood behind her.
“We need to talk.””
I laughed softly.
“You brought her here?””
“It’s not what you think.””
I looked at Brenda.
“Then explain.””
She looked at Mark.
That small movement told me everything.
She still looked to him for permission.
Interesting.
“Mark,” I said, “leave the room.””
His eyes narrowed.
“This is my house.””
I smiled.
“No.””
I looked around.
“My father helped buy this house.””
Silence.
That hurt him.
Because for the first time, I reminded him that his success was never created alone.
He walked away.
Slowly.
But he didn’t leave.
Brenda remained seated.
“You know about Richard.””
It wasn’t a question.
I sat across from her.
“Yes.””
Her face changed.
“How?””
“Does it matter?””
She looked down.
“No.””
For several seconds, we just stared at each other.
Two women connected by the same man’s lies.
Except we weren’t the same.
Because I had never chosen betrayal.
“Why?”” I asked.
She looked confused.
“Why what?””
“Why Mark?””
Her eyes moved toward the hallway.
“I loved him.””
I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
“Did you?””
She looked offended.
“Yes.””
“Or did you love what he promised you?””
Her silence answered.
I leaned forward.
“Brenda, he was never planning to leave me for you.””
Her face became pale.
“You’re lying.””
“No.””
I opened the folder.
“I know about the transfers.””
Her expression changed.
“He promised me…”
“What?””
She looked away.
“He promised after Crestview was sold, we would start over.””
There it was.
The truth.
Not love.
A deal.
I studied her face.
“You were part of the plan.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I didn’t know everything.””
“Enough.””
She looked at me.
“What?””
“You knew enough to hurt another person.””
Her tears fell.
But I didn’t comfort her.
Not this time.
Then she whispered:
“I can help you.””
I froze.
“What?””
“I can give you proof.””
“Why?””
She looked toward the hallway.
Toward Mark.
“Because I finally realized something.””
“What?””
Her voice dropped.
“Mark was never going to choose me.””
A strange silence filled the room.
“What proof?””
She reached into her purse.
Pulled out a small flash drive.
“He kept copies of everything.””
I didn’t move.
“What’s on it?””
Her answer changed everything.
“Evidence that Mark planned to destroy Crestview…”
She paused.
“And evidence that Ofelia knew exactly what he was doing.””
I reached for the flash drive.
But before my fingers touched it, Mark appeared in the doorway.
His face was different.
No calm expression.
No confidence.
Just anger.
“What are you doing?””
Brenda stood.
For the first time, she didn’t look afraid of him.
“You lied to me.””
Mark stared at her.
“Brenda.””
“No.””
She stepped back.
“You promised me everything.””
His eyes moved to the flash drive.
Then to me.
And I saw something I had never seen before.
Panic.
Pure panic.
“Give that to me.””
Nobody moved.
Mark took one step forward.
“Laura, don’t.””
I closed my hand around the flash drive.
“Why?””
His face tightened.
“Because if you open it, there’s no going back.””
I looked at him.
“Good.””
His expression changed.
Because he realized something.
The woman who had spent twenty-eight years protecting him was gone.
I walked upstairs.
Locked myself in my room.
And inserted the flash drive into my laptop.
The first file opened automatically.
A video.
Recorded six months earlier.
Mark appeared on screen.
Brenda sat beside him.
And then another voice entered the room.
A voice I recognized instantly.
Ofelia.
The video began.
And the first sentence I heard made me cover my mouth.
Because it proved my mother-in-law had not only known about the affair.
May you like
She had arranged it.
“Once Laura is out of the way, Crestview will finally belong to us.””
