Chapter 5: The Woman Who Knew Derek Before Me
“She found me.””
Derek’s voice was barely a whisper.
But somehow, those three words felt louder than everything else that had happened that day.
The birthday decorations.
The broken illusion.
The hidden debts.
The confession that he married me for my success.
All of it suddenly felt connected.
I stared at the phone in his hand.
“Who is Rebecca?””
Derek didn’t answer.
That was becoming his favorite response.
Silence.
Avoidance.
Waiting for problems to disappear.
But problems didn’t disappear.
They waited.
Linda watched her son carefully.
And for once, she wasn’t defending him.
She looked nervous.
That told me more than anything.
“Derek.””
My voice was steady.
“I asked you a question.””
He looked at me.
“Rebecca was someone I knew before you.””
“Obviously.””
My tone was sharper than I intended.
“She was someone important.””
His eyes dropped.
“Claire…”
“No.””
I shook my head.
“I’m done with half-truths.””
I pointed toward the phone.
“Who is she?””
Derek took a breath.
“She was my fiancée.””
The words landed quietly.
But they hurt.
Not because he had a past.
Everyone had a past.
It hurt because I suddenly realized how little of his life I had actually known.
Seven years.
A marriage.
A home.
A future.
And there were still pieces of him that belonged to someone else.
“You were engaged?””
He nodded.
“Before I met you.””
“And what happened?””
He looked away.
“She left.””
“Why?””
Silence.
Again.
I almost smiled.
Because even now, he couldn’t give me the truth unless someone forced it out of him.
Linda walked toward the kitchen table and sat down.
“She didn’t leave because she stopped loving him.””
I looked at her.
“Then why?””
Linda glanced at Derek.
“Because she discovered what he was doing.””
My eyes moved back to my husband.
“What was he doing?””
Derek’s expression changed.
“Mom.””
“No.””
Linda looked at me.
“You deserve to know.””
I almost laughed.
That sentence sounded strange coming from her.
The woman who had spent years hiding things.
But apparently, even Linda had limits.
“He was stealing.””
My eyebrows lifted.
“Stealing?””
Derek immediately shook his head.
“It wasn’t like that.””
Linda looked at him.
“Really?””
Her voice was cold.
“You want to explain how you used Rebecca’s family money?””
My stomach tightened.
I looked at Derek.
“What?””
He rubbed his face.
“I was desperate.””
The same words.
Always the same excuse.
Desperate.
Scared.
Trying.
As if every terrible choice became acceptable once he felt enough pressure.
“What did you do?””
He sat down slowly.
“I borrowed money from Rebecca’s father.””
“How much?””
“Two hundred thousand.””
I stared.
Another debt.
Another secret.
Another person he had used.
“And she found out?””
He nodded.
“She found the documents.””
“And she left.””
“Yes.””
I looked at him.
“And then you found me.””
His silence was painful.
Because I didn’t need him to answer.
I already knew.
Derek had lost one woman who discovered his lies.
Then he found another woman who trusted him.
Me.
Linda stood.
“You need to understand something.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“Rebecca didn’t just leave.””
She walked closer.
“She threatened to expose him.””
Derek looked angry.
“Mom.””
“What?””
Linda turned toward him.
“She almost destroyed you.””
I looked at Derek.
“Why?””
His face hardened.
“Because she was angry.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“Because she knew the truth.””
The room became silent.
My phone buzzed.
I looked down.
A message from James.
*I found another name connected to Derek’s financial records. Rebecca Collins. She may be willing to provide testimony.*
My heart skipped.
I looked at Derek.
“You knew she was contacting me.””
His eyes widened.
“What?””
I showed him the screen.
His face changed.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
“You knew.””
“No.””
But his reaction was too fast.
Too defensive.
I stepped closer.
“Why are you afraid of her?””
“I’m not.””
“You are.””
Derek stood.
“Claire, you don’t understand.””
“Then explain.””
He opened his mouth.
Nothing.
Because explaining meant admitting everything.
Linda crossed her arms.
“Tell her.””
Derek looked at his mother.
“You’re enjoying this.””
“No.””
Linda’s expression was bitter.
“I’m tired of cleaning up your mistakes.””
That surprised me.
Because for years, Linda had protected him.
But now?
Now that she was losing control, even she was turning against him.
Derek looked at both of us.
Then he finally spoke.
“Rebecca knows something about the money.””
“What money?””
He looked at me.
“The money I used to start my company.””
I waited.
“It wasn’t all from her father.””
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?””
He looked down.
“Some of it came from my mother.””
Linda went still.
I looked at her.
“You funded him?””
She didn’t answer.
“Linda.””
She sighed.
“Yes.””
The answer shocked me.
Not because she helped her son.
Because of what it meant.
The entire Mercer family image was built on pretending.
The house.
The business.
The lifestyle.
All of it.
A performance.
“How much?””
Linda looked uncomfortable.
“Enough.””
“That’s not a number.””
She looked away.
“Four hundred thousand.””
I stared.
Four hundred thousand.
Between Rebecca.
Linda.
Hidden debts.
Derek’s lies.
It was like peeling layers off a rotten wall.
Every time I removed one piece, something worse appeared.
Then I remembered something.
Something Derek said years ago.
A sentence I had ignored.
My family has always taken care of me.
I thought it was confidence.
I realized now it was dependence.
Derek wasn’t a successful man who lost his way.
He was a man who built an image using other people’s sacrifices.
Including mine.
“I need to ask you something.””
Derek looked at me.
“What?””
“Did you ever love me?””
His face changed.
The question was simple.
But it was the hardest one.
He took too long to answer.
And that was the answer.
“I cared about you.””
I nodded slowly.
“Cared.””
“I did love you.””
“But not enough.””
He looked away.
“No.””
I felt tears burning behind my eyes.
But I refused to let them fall.
Because I had cried enough for a man who never understood my worth.
A knock suddenly came from the front door.
Everyone froze.
Derek looked terrified.
Linda whispered:
“Who is that?””
Nobody moved.
Another knock.
Louder.
I walked toward the door.
Derek stepped forward.
“Claire, wait.””
I turned.
“Why?””
His face was pale.
“Because you don’t know who it is.””
I placed my hand on the doorknob.
“Maybe I should.””
I opened the door.
A woman stood outside.
She looked around my age.
Dark hair.
Tired eyes.
A folder pressed against her chest.
She looked past me.
Straight at Derek.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then she said:
“I see you finally told her.””
Derek stepped back.
“Rebecca.””
The woman’s eyes moved to me.
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way.””
I stared at her.
“Who are you?””
She held up the folder.
“The person who can prove your husband never married you for love.””
My breath caught.
Derek’s face turned completely white.
May you like
Rebecca looked directly at me.
“And I have the documents to prove exactly what he planned to do with your money.””
