Chapter 1: The Car That Should Not Have Been There
My fiancé passed away before our wedding — two months later, I went to return a package to his mother and accidentally discovered what really happened.
A month before our wedding, my fiancé, Nick, was in a car accident.
His mother, Susan, was the one who called me.
Susan had never wanted me to marry her son, but even I wasn't prepared for what she said next.
"Nick is de@d."
I don't remember what I said after that.
I just remember dropping to the floor.
Nick and I had argued the night before.
I'd gone to stay with my sister because I needed a few days to clear my head.
And Susan made sure I never forgot it.
"He got in that car because of you."
"Susan, please.
When is the funeral?"
"You're not coming."
"Please.
I need to say goodbye."
"You said goodbye when you walked out on him."
I tried reaching his family after that, but Susan blocked me everywhere.
Eventually, I stopped trying.
For two months, I grieved the man I was supposed to marry.
Then one afternoon, a package was delivered to my house by mistake.
It had Susan's name on it.
She only lived a few blocks away.
Part of me wanted to leave it on her porch and disappear.
But another part of me was tired of being hated.
Maybe returning the package could at least be a first step toward making peace.
So I walked over.
Then I saw the car parked outside her house.
I stopped.
It was Nick's.
For one insane second, my heart started racing.
Then I forced myself to breathe.
His brother must've taken it.
Someone had to deal with Nick's things after he passed.
I walked toward the front door.
That's when I heard voices coming from the backyard.
I wasn't trying to listen.
Until I heard my name.
"Hannah would've found out eventually," a man's voice said.
Then Susan answered.
"No, she wouldn't have."
"Nick never wanted to marry her anyway."
The man said something I couldn't make out.
Susan lowered her voice.
"It doesn't matter what he thinks now.
She can never know the truth."
My hand tightened around the package.
Nick was gone.
I stepped around the side of the house, trying to hear who she was talking to.
"Hannah?"
I spun around.
Nick's father, Richard, was standing behind me.
His face changed the second he saw me.
"What are you doing here?"
I held up the package.
"This was delivered to my house."
Richard glanced toward the backyard.
"You need to leave," he whispered.
"What?"
"Right now."
I stared at him.
"I just heard Susan say Nick didn't want to marry me."
"Hannah, please."
"Was she telling the truth?"
Instead of answering, Richard took my arm and started leading me back toward the gate.
"You shouldn't be here."
"Why?!"
Then a man's voice came from behind us.
"Dad?"
Richard stopped.
My entire body went cold.
I knew that voice.
I pulled my arm from Richard's grip and rushed toward the backyard.
"Hannah, wait!"
I didn't.
I rounded the corner of the house and stepped onto the patio.
Susan was standing by the back door.
The second she saw me, all the color drained from her face.
Then the man stepped out behind her.
"Hannah?"
I couldn't breathe.
He stared at me like he'd seen a ghost.
Then his expression hardened.
"What are you doing here?
I thought you left."
I stared at him.
"Left?!"
My voice barely came out.
"Your mother told me you were de@d."
Nick slowly turned toward Susan.
"Mom...
what is she talking about?"
"Nick, go back inside."
Too late.
"What did you tell her?"
"I said go back inside!"
Richard came up behind me.
"Enough, Susan!"
She turned to him.
"Stay out of this."
Richard shook his head.
"No.
Tell them what really happened."
Susan stared at him.
"No!"
"They deserve to know!"
---
What did Susan tell Nick?
May you like
And what is the truth she's been hiding for two months?
Comment **"TRUTH"** if you want Part 2 — it's in the comments below.
