Chapter 2: What Margaret Kept in Her Nightstand
That same evening, Michael sat alone in his home office with the door closed.
He did not turn on the lights.
He just sat there, thinking about every moment he had missed.
Every dinner where Olivia had smiled at Sophie in front of guests.
Every morning he had left early without looking closely enough.
He had been so focused on the wedding that he had stopped paying attention to the house.
Then his phone buzzed.
A text from Margaret.
*"Michael.
Come see me when you have a moment.
Tonight if you can.
Don't tell Olivia."*
He read it twice.
His grandmother had never sent him a message like that in his life.
He found her sitting up in bed, her reading lamp on, both hands folded in her lap.
"Close the door," she said quietly.
He did.
"How long have you known?" she asked.
"Known what, Gran?"
Margaret looked at him with tired, steady eyes.
"That girl has been covering for you.
Covering for this whole house.
And that woman you are about to marry has been making her p@y for it every single day."
Michael said nothing.
"Last Thursday," Margaret continued, "Olivia told Sophie that if she ever spoke to you directly again about anything personal, she would make sure she never worked in this city again."
The room went very still.
"Sophie never told me," Michael said.
"Of course she didn't." Margaret reached over to her nightstand and picked up a small folded piece of paper.
"But I did."
She held it out to him.
He opened it.
And what was written inside stopped him cold.
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What Olivia said in that note changed everything Michael thought he knew.
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Click the link below to read the full story β and find out what he decided to do two days before the wedding.
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