Chapter 2: The Woman Martha Wanted
The room went silent.
Not because Nick had returned.
Because Catherine had returned with him.
She stood beside my husband wearing a simple black dress, her expression serious.
Martha immediately straightened.
The smugness disappeared from her face.
“Catherine?”” she whispered.
Catherine didn’t look at her.
She looked at me.
“Emily,” she said softly, “I’m sorry.””
Those three words confused me more than anything else.
I looked at Nick.
“Why is she here?””
Nick walked toward me.
His face looked exhausted.
Not angry.
Not surprised.
Exhausted.
“I need to explain.””
Jenna stepped forward.
“You better explain quickly.””
Nick nodded.
“You’re right.””
He looked at the guests.
Then at his mother.
“Mom, what you did was wrong.””
Martha crossed her arms.
“Everyone is overreacting.””
“No,” Nick said.
His voice was louder than I had ever heard.
“You cut my wife’s hair without asking.””
A wave of whispers moved through the room.
Martha’s face hardened.
“She needed to learn.””
“Learn what?””
“How this family works.””
Nick stared at her.
“This isn’t how our family works.””
Martha laughed bitterly.
“You think you know everything now because you have a wife?””
“No.””
He took my hand.
“I know because I finally stopped letting you decide what’s acceptable.””
My fingers tightened around his.
I wanted to believe him.
I really did.
But a small voice inside me asked why he had left me standing there alone.
Why he needed time.
Why I had to be humiliated before he found his courage.
Catherine finally spoke.
“Martha, you need to tell her the truth.””
Martha looked at her.
“You stay out of this.””
“No.””
Catherine shook her head.
“Not this time.””
I looked between them.
“What truth?””
Nobody answered immediately.
That frightened me.
Nick looked at Catherine.
Then back at me.
“Mom didn’t just cut your hair because of a tradition.””
My stomach tightened.
“Then why?””
Martha stepped forward.
“Nick.””
But he continued.
“Because she wanted to make a statement.””
“What statement?””
Nick swallowed.
“She wanted everyone to know she was still in control.””
The room became completely still.
I looked at Martha.
She didn’t deny it.
That was the worst part.
She just stared at me.
Like I was the problem.
Catherine took a breath.
“She has done this before.””
I turned toward her.
“What?””
Catherine looked ashamed.
“With me.””
Martha’s expression changed.
“Don’t.””
But Catherine continued.
“When I was eighteen, Martha tried to decide my entire future. She wanted me to date Nick. She planned our lives before either of us wanted that.””
I stared.
“You and Nick?””
Catherine shook her head.
“No. Never.””
Nick immediately said, “Emily, I never wanted that.””
“I know,” Catherine said.
“But your mother did.””
Martha’s face turned red.
“You ungrateful girl.””
Catherine laughed sadly.
“That’s exactly what you said when I refused to marry someone you picked.””
The guests exchanged looks.
I suddenly realized something.
Martha didn’t hate me because I wasn’t good enough.
She hated me because I wasn’t controllable.
I was the person who took Nick away from the future she designed.
But there was something I still didn’t understand.
I turned to Nick.
“Why did you leave?””
His expression changed.
Pain crossed his face.
“I didn’t leave because I wanted to.””
“Then why?””
He reached into his jacket pocket.
And pulled out a small envelope.
“I found this in my mother’s purse.””
Martha’s eyes widened.
“Nick.””
He handed it to me.
“Open it.””
My hands shook as I unfolded the paper.
The first line made my blood run cold.
May you like
Because it was written in Martha’s handwriting.
And it began with my name.
