Chapter 2: The Little Boy Who Was Afraid to Tell Me
The drive home felt longer than any journey I had ever taken.
My hands were tight around the steering wheel. I kept checking the security application whenever traffic slowed.
I wanted to call Vanessa.
I wanted to scream at her.
I wanted to demand the man's name and ask how long she had been bringing him into my house.
But every time I looked at the footage, I saw Ethan standing behind that staircase.
And suddenly, my anger became something else.
Fear.
I was afraid of what my son had experienced while I was away.
I was afraid of what Vanessa might say to him after the cameras stopped recording.
Most of all, I was afraid that he had been carrying this secret alone.
I called Maria, our housekeeper.
She answered after the third ring.
"Hello, Mr. Carter?""
"Maria, where are you?""
"I'm at the grocery store. I left about twenty minutes ago.""
"Is Ethan home?""
"Yes, sir. He came home from school early today. Mrs. Carter said he wasn't feeling well.""
I glanced at the dashboard clock.
"Did you see anyone else at the house?""
There was a pause.
"Well...""
"Maria, tell me.""
"I saw a car parked outside when I left. A black Mercedes. I thought it belonged to one of Mrs. Carter's friends.""
My stomach tightened.
"Have you seen that car before?""
Another pause.
"Yes, sir. A few times.""
I tightened my grip on the phone.
"A few times?""
"Please don't be angry with me, Mr. Carter. I didn't think it was my place to ask questions.""
"Did Vanessa tell you who the man was?""
"No.""
"Did Ethan ever say anything about him?""
Maria was quiet for several seconds.
Then she spoke softly.
"Your son once asked me whether people could have two fathers.""
I almost drove off the road.
"What?""
"He asked me that about two weeks ago. I told him he already had a father who loved him very much.""
I swallowed.
"Did he explain why he was asking?""
"He said he had heard Mrs. Carter talking to someone on the phone. He said she mentioned another daddy.""
I felt the air leave my lungs.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"I didn't want to cause trouble in your marriage. I'm sorry.""
I ended the call without answering.
Another daddy.
The words echoed in my mind.
I had thought Vanessa was simply unfaithful.
Now I was beginning to suspect something much worse.
When I reached my neighborhood, I parked several houses away.
I didn't want Vanessa to hear my car entering the driveway.
I walked through the side gate and used the back entrance.
The house was strangely quiet.
A faint smell of vanilla candles floated through the hallway.
I could hear a television upstairs.
Then I heard Vanessa laughing.
It was an ordinary, cheerful laugh.
The kind she used when she wanted everyone to believe nothing was wrong.
I entered the kitchen.
A small plate sat on the counter with two untouched cookies.
Beside it was Ethan's blue school backpack.
I looked toward the staircase.
"Ethan?""
There was no answer.
I climbed the stairs quietly.
His bedroom door was half-open.
I pushed it gently.
My son was sitting on the floor beside his bed, holding the stuffed brown bear his mother had given him before she died.
His eyes were red.
When he saw me, he immediately stood up.
"Daddy!""
He ran into my arms.
I dropped my keys and caught him.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
He pressed his face against my chest.
I could feel his little shoulders trembling.
"Hey, buddy," I whispered.
"What's wrong?""
"Nothing.""
I pulled back slightly.
"Look at me.""
He avoided my eyes.
"Did you fall?""
He shook his head.
"Did someone hurt you?""
Another shake.
I gently wiped his cheeks.
"Did Vanessa say something to you?""
At the mention of her name, he looked toward the bedroom door.
That was when I knew.
He was afraid.
I sat on the edge of his bed and brought him onto my lap.
"You can tell me anything, Ethan. You're not going to get in trouble.""
He stared at the bear in his hands.
Then he whispered, "Are you mad at me?""
My heart cracked.
"Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?""
"Because I didn't tell you.""
I took a deep breath.
"Didn't tell me what?""
His lower lip trembled.
"About the man.""
I closed my eyes briefly.
"Which man, sweetheart?""
"The man who comes when you're gone.""
I held him tighter.
"How long has he been coming here?""
Ethan looked down.
"I don't know. A lot.""
"A lot?""
He nodded.
"Sometimes he comes when Maria is here. Sometimes she goes outside, and then he comes.""
I felt sick.
"Does Vanessa tell you to keep it a secret?""
Ethan nodded again.
"What does she say?""
He hesitated.
"She says it's a grown-up friendship.""
I swallowed.
"And today?""
He began twisting one of the bear's ears.
"Today I came downstairs because I wanted a snack.""
"What happened?""
"I saw them.""
He stopped.
I waited.
He finally continued.
"She was kissing him.""
His voice became smaller.
"I thought maybe he was giving her medicine or something. But then he kissed her again.""
I pressed my lips together.
"And what did you do?""
"I asked who he was.""
"What did she say?""
"She said he was a friend.""
Ethan's eyes filled again.
"But friends don't kiss like that, Daddy.""
I couldn't speak.
He looked up at me.
"Does that mean she doesn't love you?""
I pulled him against my chest.
"Oh, buddy.""
"Did I do something wrong?""
"No.""
"Was I supposed to go upstairs?""
I held his face between my hands.
"Listen carefully. You did absolutely nothing wrong. Nothing. Do you understand?""
He nodded, but his eyes were still frightened.
I kissed his forehead.
"You never have to hide something that makes you feel scared. And you never have to protect an adult's secret.""
He began crying harder.
"I wanted to call you.""
"Why didn't you?""
"Vanessa said if I told you, you would get angry and leave.""
I went completely still.
"She said that?""
Ethan nodded.
"She said you might send me away because I always make problems.""
For a moment, I couldn't find my voice.
My wife had not only betrayed me.
She had used my son's greatest fear against him.
I hugged him until his breathing became calmer.
"Nobody is sending you away. You're my son. This is your home. And I will always come back for you.""
He rested his head on my shoulder.
Then he asked a question that would haunt me for a long time.
"Daddy, if you knew she was kissing another man, would you still make her my mommy?""
I looked at the family photograph on his bedside table.
Rebecca was smiling in it, holding Ethan as a baby.
"No, sweetheart," I answered quietly.
"I would never ask you to pretend something was okay when it wasn't.""
I tucked Ethan into bed and stayed beside him until his eyes closed.
Then I went downstairs.
Vanessa was standing in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of sparkling water.
She looked surprised when she saw me.
"Daniel?""
She smiled.
"You're home early.""
I stared at her.
"Yes.""
She walked toward me and leaned in for a kiss.
I stepped aside.
Her smile disappeared.
"What's wrong?""
"Where is he?""
She blinked.
"Who?""
"The man who was in my living room this afternoon.""
For a split second, her face went completely blank.
Then she laughed nervously.
"What man?""
I took out my phone and opened the security footage.
I held it up.
Vanessa looked at the screen.
The color drained from her face.
"Daniel...""
"Don't.""
She took a step toward me.
"Please, let me explain.""
"His name.""
"What?""
"Tell me his name.""
She glanced at the phone.
Then at me.
"His name is Ryan.""
"Ryan what?""
"Ryan Mitchell.""
"How long have you known him?""
She rubbed her forehead.
"It's complicated.""
I laughed bitterly.
"No, Vanessa. It's actually very simple. You brought another man into my house, kissed him in front of my son, and told him I would never find out.""
Her eyes widened.
"Ethan told you?""
I stared at her.
"That's your first concern?""
She folded her arms.
"Daniel, you're misunderstanding what happened.""
I stepped closer.
"I watched you kiss him. I heard what you said. I heard him ask whether Ethan knew anything.""
She looked away.
"That was taken out of context.""
"Then give me the context.""
She said nothing.
I pointed toward the staircase.
"My son was standing right there. He saw everything. He asked you who the man was, and you shouted at him.""
Vanessa's expression changed.
"He's a child. He shouldn't have been downstairs.""
I stared at her.
"What did you just say?""
She sighed impatiently.
"Daniel, you're making this bigger than it needs to be. It was a private moment between two adults.""
"Inside my house?""
"Yes!""
Her voice suddenly rose.
"And perhaps if you weren't constantly traveling, I wouldn't have to find companionship elsewhere!""
I stood motionless.
There it was.
The excuse.
She had taken my absence, my work, and the sacrifices I made to provide for our family and turned them into a justification for betraying us.
I spoke slowly.
"You could have asked for a divorce.""
She shook her head.
"Don't be ridiculous.""
"You could have told me you were unhappy.""
"Daniel—"
"You could have walked out of this house before bringing another man into it.""
She looked at me angrily.
"And leave everything? Is that what you wanted?""
I frowned.
"What does that mean?""
She pressed her lips together.
For the first time, I noticed something strange in her expression.
She wasn't simply afraid of losing me.
She seemed afraid of losing something else.
I looked around the kitchen.
The expensive appliances. The imported marble countertops. The house I had bought before we married.
Then I looked at her.
"Are you with me because you love me?""
Her eyes flashed.
"Of course I am!""
"Then why does it sound like you're more worried about losing this house than losing your marriage?""
She slapped her palm against the counter.
"Because I gave up everything to be with you!""
I stared at her.
"What exactly did you give up?""
She opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Before she could answer, my phone vibrated.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
*Unknown:* Mr. Carter, my name is Ryan Mitchell. We need to talk before Vanessa tells you another lie.
I looked at Vanessa.
She had seen the message.
Her face turned pale.
"Don't answer that," she whispered.
I raised my eyes.
"Why?""
She shook her head.
"Because you don't know what you're getting involved in.""
I looked back at the message.
Then another one arrived.
*Unknown:* Your wife isn't the only person keeping secrets in that house.
I felt a chill run down my spine.
I looked toward the staircase.
May you like
Ethan was upstairs.
And suddenly, I realized that whatever was happening between Vanessa and Ryan might be only the beginning.
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