Chapter 1: The Question He Couldn't Answer
My sister asked me not to bring my husband to her birthday — when I asked why, she said, "Ask him where he was last Friday."
Three days before my sister's birthday, she called me and, completely out of nowhere, asked me not to bring my husband.
I laughed at first because I honestly thought she was joking.
"Wait...
why?
What did Tyler do?"
She went quiet.
Then she said:
"Ask him where he was last Friday."
She wouldn't explain anything else.
So that evening, I waited until Tyler got home.
"Where were you last Friday?"
He barely glanced up.
"At work."
I watched him for a second.
Friday was the night Tyler had texted me saying he'd be stuck at the office late.
"You were there all evening?"
He finally looked at me.
"Yeah.
Why are you asking?"
I didn't answer.
I called my sister.
"He says he was at work."
Another pause.
Then she quietly said:
"He's lying."
"How do you know?"
"Because...
He was with me."
I swear, for a second, my brain just stopped working.
"What do you mean, he was WITH you?"
"Not like that.
God, no."
"Then what were you doing with my husband?"
She wouldn't tell me.
All she'd say was:
"You need to talk to Tyler."
By the time I stepped back into the living room, I was shaking.
"Want to try that answer again?"
Tyler frowned.
"What?"
"My sister just told me you were with her on Friday."
The color drained from his face.
And honestly, that frightened me more than anything he could've said.
Eventually, Tyler admitted they'd met for coffee.
"So my sister secretly asked you to meet her, you lied to me about where you were...
and I'm supposed to believe there's nothing else going on?"
"There isn't."
"Then what did you talk about?"
He hesitated.
"You."
I actually laughed.
"So you lied to me so you could secretly meet my sister and discuss ME?"
"It wasn't like that."
Apparently, my sister had called him and asked to meet.
Tyler kept insisting it was a private conversation and that it wasn't his place to tell me what she'd said.
Fine.
So I went straight to her apartment.
The second she saw my face, she knew why I was there.
"He didn't tell you, did he?"
"Tell me what?"
She just stared at me for a moment.
"He promised me he'd do it himself."
At that point, I was done being patient.
"Then somebody better start talking."
Instead of answering, she picked up her phone.
She scrolled for a few seconds and handed it to me.
There was a message from Tyler.
Sent Friday afternoon.
*Please don't tell her yet.
I'm going to explain everything after your birthday.*
I read it twice.
"What is he talking about?"
My sister took a breath.
"A few months ago, Tyler—"
I stopped her.
"No.
I want to hear it from him."
I drove straight home.
Tyler was in the kitchen when I walked in.
"What were you going to tell me after her birthday?"
I stared at him.
"Tyler...
what were you hiding from me?"
---
May you like
What is Tyler hiding — and why did he need her sister's help to keep it secret?
Comment **"NEXT"** if you want Part 2 in the comments.
