Chương 4 - Người Đàn Ông Đến Từ Singapore

I understood each one.

Together, they made sense.

“ do you mean it isn’t real?”

didn’t answer.

I stepped toward .

“ do you mean?”

“—”

“Say it.”

“The paperwork never filed.”

I stared .

“But I have a certified copy.”

told me before mouth .

“.”

I backed up.

Principal Harris my name, but I barely heard .

“The seal.”

“.”

“The certificate number.”

looked the floor.

My fingers went numb.

“You forged it.”

“, I—”

“ you forge my marriage certificate?”

Tessa made a sound behind me.

muttered, “Oh my God.”

Daniel finally , “My handled the .”

I laughed.

anything funny.

My body had run out better reactions.

“You had a fake wedding me.”

“It wasn’t fake me.”

“Stop.”

“We had the ceremony. We vows.”

“Stop talking.”

“I loved you.”

“Stop.”

Tessa crying again.

“You told me your ex.”

Daniel turned.

“Tessa, I can explain.”

“When you end things ?”

nothing.

Tessa’s changed.

“You didn’t.”

“Tessa—”

“You never ended it.”

“I trying —”

“You were sleeping both us.”

stepped between them.

“You married my daughter.”

“Yes.”

“ you kept that woman?”

That woman.

I barely reacted.

Daniel reached Tessa.

slapped hand away.

Then looked me.

“How long?”

“Fourteen .”

stared.

“?”

“I’ve been since high school.”

emptied.

I continued I needed somebody besides me hear it.

“We had a wedding five ago. arranged the officiant. gave me the certificate afterward.”

Daniel , “, please.”

“I pregnant.”

Tessa froze.

eyes moved Daniel.

I , “Our daughter died five ago.”

I gave the date.

Noah’s birthday.

Tessa covered mouth.

Daniel stepped toward me.

“, don’t do this here.”

“Why? now the dates make you look bad?”

“I know how it looks.”

“How it looks?”

My voice cracked the first time.

“I in a hospital losing our daughter while you were .”

Tessa whispered, “Daniel.”

didn’t look .

Something inside me snapped.

I hit .

One slap.

Hard enough that head turned.

Everyone gasped.

I didn’t care.

Tessa immediately moved between us.

“Don’t touch .”

I stared .

cupped Daniel’s .

“Are you okay?”

Blood had appeared the edge lip.

nodded.

“I’m fine.”

there it .

Even now, someone protecting .

When I lost Lily, one came.

When Tessa saw a split lip, moved like the world ending.

Tessa turned on me.

“I’m calling the police.”

“Good.”

I pulled out my phone.

“,” Daniel quickly.

I looked .

“. I’m calling them first.”

expression changed.

“ ?”

I dialed.

“ giving me a forged government using it keep me in a fake marriage five .”

reached toward the phone.

“, wait.”

I stepped back.

“Don’t touch me.”

The call connected.

Daniel finally looked afraid.

The police came there had already been a physical altercation the school.

Tessa’s admitted slapping me.

I admitted slapping Daniel.

Security footage showed both.

But the forged marriage became a separate issue almost immediately.

The responding officer didn’t stand there solve it.

took information.

Photographed the on my phone.

Told me preserve the original.

Advised me destroy messages or financial records.

Principal Harris sent everyone home.

I left school my still burning drove straight the locked box under my bed.

I took out the I had protected five .

Heavy paper.

Embossed-looking seal.

Official formatting.

I ran my fingers over my own name.

Morgan.

Daniel Price.

I had built my life around a piece paper somebody had printed me.

The next morning, I went the county office myself.

There marriage record.

None.

delayed.

misfiled.

under another variation my name.

Nothing.

Daniel Price had legally married Tessa Walker five earlier.

Seven days after I lost Lily.

I sat in my car outside the county building almost an hour.

Then I called an attorney.

Rachel Kim listened without interrupting.

When I finished, , “I want you separate you know from you suspect.”

So we .

I Daniel had given me a represented as proof marriage.

I the county had record.

I Daniel admitted the wasn’t real.

I arranged it.

I had legally married Tessa.

I I had lived Daniel as my husband I believed we were married.

I know who physically created the .

I know Daniel’s had told that person.

I know Daniel had paid .

Yet.

Rachel told me confront anyone.