PART 2
The sun rose over Oakhaven Springs, but the house felt like a graveyard.
In the guest room, Katherine sat on the edge of the bed, wrapped in one of Grace’s old shawls. She hadn’t slept a wink. Her eyes were swollen, staring blankly at the floor.
Grace brought her a cup of tea and sat beside her, gently taking her cold hands.
“Tell me, Katherine,” Grace said, her voice soft but firm. “What did he mean about Beatrice?”
Katherine took a trembling breath. The dam finally broke.
“He cornered me as soon as the door closed,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “He locked the door, threw a journal onto the bed, and told me he knew everything. He said he never loved me. That the last two years, the wedding, the vows… it was all a lie to make me feel safe before he broke me.”
Grace felt a sickening twist in her stomach. Beatrice had been Caleb’s college girlfriend. Their breakup had been sudden and brutal, leaving Caleb devastated for months.
“He blames me for ruining Beatrice’s life,” Katherine continued, tears spilling over her cheeks. “He found an old diary of mine, mixed with messages sent from my phone to Beatrice’s employer and family three years ago. Vicious, horrible messages that got her fired and destroyed her reputation.”
“Did you send them?” Grace asked gently.
Katherine shook her head violently. “No! It was Vanessa.”
Vanessa was a mutual acquaintance from college, a woman who always lingered on the edges of their friend group.
“Vanessa stole my phone at a party,” Katherine sobbed. “She sent those messages to frame me. When I found out and confronted her, she laughed. She told me that if I ever breathed a word of the truth to Caleb or anyone else, she would ruin my mother. Vanessa’s father owned the clinic where my mom, Rose, worked as a nurse. We had nothing, Grace. If my mom lost that job, we would have been on the street.”
Katherine looked up, her eyes filled with agonizing betrayal.
“I kept quiet to protect my mother. I took the blame in silence. And Caleb… Caleb married me just to punish me for it.”
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