Chapter 10: The Truth Behind the Courthouse

I didn't sleep that night.

The photograph lay on Becca's kitchen table between us.

Every time I looked at it, another question appeared.

Why had Cole and Elise gone to the courthouse?

Why had my emergency contact been changed?

And why had Elise already rented an apartment in Lakeside?

At seven the next morning, I received another message from the unknown number.

"If you want the truth, don't ask Cole. Ask the courthouse clerk for the filing from March 18."

I saved the message.

Then I searched the date.

March 18.

That was the day Cole had told me he was working late.

I remembered because I had waited until nearly midnight before going to bed.

He had come home after one in the morning and kissed my forehead as if nothing had happened.

I had believed him.

Now I wondered what else had happened that night.

I went to the courthouse alone.

The clerk checked the date and searched the records.

"There was a filing under Cole Bennett and Elise Carter," she said.

My heart sank.

"What kind of filing?"

"A domestic partnership agreement."

I stared at her.

"Was it completed?"

"No. It was withdrawn three days later."

Three days later.

That was the exact day Cole had suddenly become distant with me and claimed he was overwhelmed with work.

I asked for a copy.

The clerk hesitated.

"Are you a party to the filing?"

"No."

She shook her head.

"Then I can't release the document without authorization."

I thanked her and walked outside.

I had expected to find proof of an affair.

Instead, I had found something stranger.

A legal agreement that had been prepared and then abandoned.

My phone rang.

It was Cole.

I answered this time.

"What do you want?"

"I know you went to the courthouse."

My expression hardened.

"You were watching me?"

"No. I found out through someone else."

"Then tell me the truth."

He was silent.

"Mara, Elise asked me to sign something because she was afraid Cody would come after her again."

"A domestic partnership agreement?"

"It wasn't a real partnership. It was supposed to be temporary."

I laughed bitterly.

"Temporary, like our breakup?"

"No. This was different."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

He didn't answer.

I closed my eyes.

"Because you knew I would leave."

"That's not why."

"Then why?"

His voice dropped.

"Because the agreement wasn't really about Elise."

My heart stopped.

"What does that mean?"

"I can't explain this over the phone."

"Then explain it in person."

There was a long silence.

"Meet me tonight."

"Where?"

"The old restaurant on Madison. Eight o'clock."

I almost refused.

Then I remembered the unknown messages.

Someone wanted me to discover the truth.

And Cole clearly knew what that truth was.

"Fine."

I ended the call.

When I returned to Becca's apartment, she was waiting by the window.

"You're meeting him."

"Yes."

"Are you sure that's safe?"

"No."

I looked down at the photograph again.

"But I'm done being afraid of answers."

At eight that evening, I arrived at the restaurant.

Cole was already sitting in the back corner.

He looked exhausted.

I sat across from him.

"Start talking."

He placed a folder on the table.

"Everything started three months before the fake breakup."

I opened the folder.

Inside was a photograph of Elise with a man I had never seen before.

Cole pointed at him.

"That's not Cody."

"Then who is he?"

Cole looked directly into my eyes.

"He's the reason Elise wanted me to pretend we were together."

I turned the photograph over.

A name was written on the back.

Nathan Reed.

Cole continued quietly.

"And Nathan has been following Elise for almost a year."

I stared at the photograph.

For the first time, I realized the story I had been told might have been only the smallest piece of a much larger lie.