“Trevor’s will,” I continued. “You told me she was family.”
“I don’t remember exactly what I said.”
“You told me she was his cousin.”
“Well, perhaps I was mistaken.”
“You weren’t mistaken. You wanted me to stop asking.”
Another silence.
Then she sighed.
“There was someone Trevor knew years ago. A man named Martin.”
The name sounded familiar.
Trevor had mentioned him a handful of times during our marriage. According to Trevor, they had once owned a small business together until Martin stole money and ruined everything.
“What does Martin have to do with Sadie?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why are you telling me about him?”
“Lorna, I really don’t want to discuss this over the phone.”
That was the moment I knew she had been hiding something too.
I spent the rest of the afternoon searching old business records and archived newspaper articles.
Eventually, I found Trevor and Martin listed as business partners.
The company had closed after what one short article called a financial dispute.
Then I found Martin’s obituary.
Trevor had always told me Martin died before Trevor and I met.
But the date on the obituary said otherwise.
Martin died eight months after Trevor and I started dating.
I sat staring at the screen.
Why would Trevor lie about something so simple?
Then I found Martin’s full name.
A few searches later, I found his wife.
Colleen.
The woman whose daughter now had Bryce’s heart.
Suddenly, my theory became even uglier.
Had Trevor been having an affair with his business partner’s wife?
Had Sadie been the result?
I found an old address connected to Colleen and drove there the next morning.
When she opened the door and saw me, all the color left her face.
“How did you find me?”
“Martin.”
Her expression changed immediately.
“Who told you about him?”
“Trevor’s mother.”
Colleen closed her eyes for a moment before stepping aside.
“You should come in.”
I followed her into the living room and placed the bank statements on the coffee table.
“Eighteen years,” I said. “Trevor sent you money for almost eighteen years. Sadie was in his will, and my son believed she was his half sister. I want you to tell me the truth.”
