“It wasn’t what Natalie is making it sound like.”
Natalie laughed once.
“Then tell her what it was.”
Beth had been Ryan’s girlfriend years earlier.
They had once planned to get married.
Ryan ended the relationship before meeting Emily.
As far as Emily knew, that chapter of his life had been over for years.
Then, eight months earlier, Beth contacted him.
She was engaged to another man and preparing to move.
While packing, she discovered a box of old belongings.
Inside was the engagement ring Ryan had once given her.
Ryan told Emily he needed to travel to Chicago for a work conference.
There was no conference.
He went to meet Beth.
Emily’s voice trembled.
“For an entire weekend?”
Ryan shook his head.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Then what was it like?”
“She was having doubts about getting married.”
Emily stared at him.
“And she called my husband?”
Ryan looked miserable.
“I should’ve told you.”
“Yes.”
“I know.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
Ryan glanced toward Natalie.
That was when we learned Natalie had known part of the truth.
Ryan had asked her to cover for him.
He told Emily that while he was supposedly in Chicago, he might meet Natalie for dinner.
That way, if Emily contacted her, their stories would match.
Natalie refused.
But she didn’t immediately tell Emily.
“I thought he was only meeting Beth once,” Natalie admitted. “He told me he needed closure.”
Emily gave a humorless laugh.
“Closure.”
Ryan stepped closer.
“That’s all it was.”
Natalie shook her head.
“Stop lying.”
“Emily, nothing happened,” Ryan insisted.
“Then why does Natalie have the ring?”
That finally cornered him.
Beth had brought the old engagement ring with her when they met.
Her intention had been to return it and finally close that chapter.
Instead, Ryan began talking as though his marriage might not survive.
Later, Beth discovered something he had failed to tell her.
Emily was pregnant.
The moment Beth found out, she ended contact with Ryan.
Then she contacted Natalie.
Beth wanted someone in Ryan’s family to know what had happened.
She gave Natalie the ring along with photographs and copies of messages.
Ryan had told Beth that he and Emily were “having problems.”
He described their marriage as more like two roommates than husband and wife.
Emily looked devastated.
“We were trying to have this baby.”
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