Chapter 6: The Picture That Almost Destroyed Us
I stared at the message on my phone.
The picture remained open on the screen.
A photo of Megan.
Before our marriage.
Before our baby.
Before all the pain and confusion.
My first reaction was fear.
Not because of what I saw.
Because of what my mother wanted me to feel.
Doubt.
That was her weapon.
She didn’t need proof.
She only needed to plant a question.
And once that question entered my mind, she knew I would start searching for answers.
I looked at Megan.
She immediately noticed my expression.
"Jake?"
I locked my phone.
"What is it?"
Her voice became quieter.
That scared me.
She already knew something was wrong.
"I got a message."
Her face changed.
"From who?"
"I don't know."
I hesitated.
Then I showed her the screen.
Megan looked at the picture.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then she closed her eyes.
Not because she was guilty.
Because she was hurt.
"You believe her."
The words were soft.
But they hit harder than anything else.
"No."
But even I heard the uncertainty in my voice.
Megan looked away.
"Jake, that's exactly what happened before."
I felt ashamed.
She was right.
Again, I was standing there with a question instead of trust.
I reached for her hand.
"I’m sorry."
She pulled her hand back slightly.
Not angrily.
Painfully.
And somehow that hurt more.
"I need to know what this picture means," I said.
She nodded slowly.
"I know."
There was no anger in her voice.
Only exhaustion.
Like she had spent months fighting battles she never should have had to fight.
"Who took it?" I asked.
Megan looked at the picture carefully.
Then she whispered:
"Your mother."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
"She had that picture before."
"How do you know?"
"Because she showed it to me."
The room became silent.
"When?"
Megan took a deep breath.
"Before we got married."
I stared at her.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She looked down.
"Because she told me you would never believe me."
Those words felt like a knife.
Because my mother had been right before.
I had believed her.
"Tell me everything."
Megan looked toward the window.
"It happened about two months before our wedding."
She explained that my mother had invited her to lunch.
At the time, Megan thought it was an attempt to build a better relationship.
She was wrong.
"My mother brought up your past," Megan said.
"She asked about my previous relationships. My family. My mistakes."
I listened carefully.
"Then she showed me that picture."
"What was in it?"
Megan looked uncomfortable.
"It was just a normal picture. I was at a friend's birthday party years ago."
I frowned.
"Then why would she use it?"
"Because she wanted it to look suspicious."
My hands tightened.
"What did she say?"
Megan swallowed.
"She said people could make assumptions. She said you deserved someone with a cleaner history."
My chest hurt.
My mother had been judging Megan from the beginning.
Not because Megan did anything wrong.
Because my mother had already decided she wasn't good enough.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Megan looked at me.
"Because I loved you."
I didn't understand.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It does."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I knew you loved your mother. I didn't want you to feel forced to choose between us."
A painful silence followed.
She continued:
"I thought if I was patient, she would eventually accept me."
I looked down.
My wife had been trying to protect my relationship with my mother.
While my mother had been trying to destroy my relationship with my wife.
The difference was unbearable.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed again.
Another message.
Same unknown number.
This time, there was no picture.
Only words.
"Ask Megan why she really stayed with you."
My heart sank.
I looked at Megan.
She saw the message.
And immediately, her face changed.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Recognition.
"You know who it is," I said.
She didn't answer.
"Megan."
She looked at me.
"I think I do."
"Who?"
She took a deep breath.
Then she said something I never expected.
"It's someone your mother knows."
I stood up.
"Who?"
Megan looked toward the door.
"Someone who helped her."
My blood ran cold.
"Helped her do what?"
Megan's voice dropped.
"Build a lie about me."
I grabbed my jacket.
"Then we're going to find out who."
But before I could leave, Megan grabbed my arm.
"Jake, wait."
I turned around.
Her eyes were filled with fear.
"There's something else."
"What?"
She hesitated.
Then whispered:
"The night before our wedding..."
A pause.
"I saw your mother talking to someone."
My heart started racing.
"Who?"
May you like
Megan looked at me.
"The person who sent that message."
