Chapter 2 - THE WOMAN WHO DISAPPEARED AFTER THE WEDDINGRachel answered the phone.
Michael reached for it.
"Don't."
She stepped backward.
His hand stopped in midair.
Rachel pressed the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then a woman's voice.
"Michael?"
Rachel closed her eyes.
Nine years disappeared.
College apartments.
Cheap wine.
Late-night conversations.
Samantha laughing while helping Rachel choose her wedding dress.
Sam crying when Rachel asked her to be maid of honor.
It was unmistakably her.
"No," Rachel said. "It's Rachel."
The silence on the other end became absolute.
Then Samantha whispered, "Oh."
Rachel glanced at Michael.
He looked sick.
"Why are you calling my husband?"
"Rachel, I—"
"Don't hang up."
"I wasn't going to."
"Good. Then answer me."
Michael stepped closer.
"This isn't the place."
Rachel stared at him.
"Apparently this is exactly the place."
Emma was still behind her.
That stopped Rachel.
She couldn't do this with her daughter watching adults destroy one another.
Rachel crouched beside her.
"Sweetheart, go get your backpack from Grandma's guest room."
Emma hesitated.
"Are you coming?"
"Yes."
"Promise?"
Rachel's throat tightened.
"I promise."
Emma hurried away.
The instant she disappeared, Rachel put the call on speaker.
"Now talk."
Samantha exhaled shakily.
"Michael was supposed to tell you."
Rachel laughed once.
"Tell me what?"
"Sam," Michael said. "Don't."
Rachel turned on him.
"You don't get to control this conversation anymore."
Diane pulled out a chair and sat down, almost enjoying herself.
Samantha heard Michael's voice.
"You're with Diane."
Rachel looked at her mother-in-law.
"She seems to know plenty."
"Rachel, please leave that house."
"Why?"
"Because Diane will twist everything."
Diane smiled.
"Still blaming everyone else, Samantha?"
There was another silence.
Then Samantha's voice hardened.
"I see you're still exactly the same."
Rachel felt her pulse pounding.
"You've talked recently."
Nobody answered.
"How long?"
Michael rubbed both hands over his face.
"Rachel—"
"How long have you been talking to Samantha?"
"Six weeks."
Samantha interrupted.
"That's not true."
Michael closed his eyes.
Rachel stared at him.
"How long?"
Samantha answered.
"Almost fourteen months."
Rachel felt the room tilt.
Fourteen months.
Michael had been secretly speaking to her former best friend for more than a year.
"And the trip?"
Samantha didn't answer.
Rachel looked at Michael.
"Were you with her?"
"Yes."
The word landed like a stone in Rachel's stomach.
"For three days?"
"Yes."
Rachel stepped away from him.
Michael immediately said, "Nothing happened the way you're thinking."
"You have absolutely no idea what I'm thinking."
"I didn't sleep with her."
Diane laughed.
"Not this time."
Michael spun around.
"Enough!"
Rachel froze.
Not this time.
She looked at Samantha's name glowing on the screen.
Her voice became quiet.
"What does she mean?"
Samantha began crying.
"Rachel..."
"No. Don't cry. Tell me."
Michael said, "We need to go home."
Rachel ignored him.
"Did you sleep with my husband?"
A long silence.
Rachel's heartbeat became unbearable.
"Sam."
"Yes."
Rachel stopped breathing.
Michael stepped toward her.
"It was before we were married."
She lifted one hand.
He stopped.
Rachel looked at the wedding photograph displayed on Diane's sideboard.
She and Michael smiling.
Samantha standing beside them.
All three young.
All three apparently carrying a secret Rachel hadn't known existed.
"When?"
Samantha answered.
"Two months before your wedding."
Rachel felt nauseated.
Once could be described as a mistake.
Two months before a wedding could be one terrible night.
She asked anyway.
"How many times?"
Michael looked at the floor.
That told her before Samantha spoke.
"It wasn't once."
Rachel's fingers tightened around the phone.
"How long?"
"Six weeks."
Rachel stared at Michael.
"You had an affair with my maid of honor for six weeks."
"I ended it."
"Two weeks before our wedding."
"Yes."
"And you still married me."
"I loved you."
Rachel laughed because otherwise she might scream.
"You were sleeping with my best friend."
"I know."
"No. I don't think you do."
Footsteps came from the hallway.
Emma was returning.
Rachel lowered her voice.
"We're leaving."
Michael moved closer.
"I'm coming."
"No."
"Rachel."
"No."
Emma appeared with her backpack.
She looked from her mother's red cheek to her father's pale face.
"Are we going home?"
Rachel took her hand.
"Yes."
As they passed Diane, Rachel stopped.
"You knew about the affair."
Diane didn't deny it.
"Of course."
"Before the wedding?"
"Yes."
Rachel stared at Michael.
Another lie.
Samantha suddenly spoke through the phone.
"Rachel, wait."
Rachel stopped.
"I didn't call because of what happened nine years ago."
Rachel's stomach tightened.
"Then why did you call?"
Samantha inhaled.
"Because Michael left something at the house."
"What house?"
Michael immediately moved toward Rachel.
"Sam, stop."
Rachel stepped away.
"What house?"
Samantha continued.
"The place we stayed during his three-day trip."
Rachel's hands began shaking.
"And what did he leave?"
Samantha's answer changed everything.
"His paternity test."
Rachel looked at Michael.
He closed his eyes.
May you like
Samantha's voice broke.
"Rachel, I have a nine-year-old son."
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