Chapter 3: The Message From an Unknown Number
Simone had never seen Andre smile like that.
Not at their wedding.
Not when they bought their first house.
Not even when he got the promotion he had spent years chasing.
This smile was different.
It wasn't happiness.
It was certainty.
Like he had just watched someone walk into a trap.
Elaine stood up slowly.
Her hand remained wrapped around Simone's.
“Tell me something,” Elaine said.
Her voice was calm, but Simone could hear the anger underneath.
“How long have you known about that message?””
Andre leaned against the kitchen doorway.
“Long enough.””
Simone felt her stomach drop.
“What does that mean?””
Andre looked at her.
“You should have told her.””
The words made her freeze.
“Me?””
“Yes.””
“You’re blaming me?””
“I’m saying you created this situation.””
Elaine stepped between them.
“Careful.””
Andre looked at her.
“Excuse me?””
“You heard me.””
The room became silent.
Simone had spent years watching Andre control conversations.
He would change the subject.
Turn questions into accusations.
Make people defend themselves until they forgot what they were originally asking.
But Elaine wasn't moving.
She wasn't confused.
She wasn't intimidated.
“What exactly is this situation?”” Elaine asked.
Andre looked at Simone.
“Ask your daughter.””
Simone felt her throat tighten.
“Ask me what?””
Andre pushed away from the doorway.
“The truth.””
Elaine's eyes narrowed.
“Then tell the truth.””
Simone looked between them.
“What truth?””
Andre gave a small laugh.
“That’s the problem, Simone. You keep acting like you don't know.””
Her hands began shaking.
“I don't.””
“Yes, you do.””
“No, I don’t.””
His expression changed.
Just slightly.
A flash of irritation.
“Last weekend.””
Simone went still.
The words echoed.
Last weekend.
Her mind went back.
Saturday night.
The argument.
The broken glass.
The shouting.
The way she had left the room because she didn't want it to become another fight.
The way Andre followed her.
The way everything went blurry after that.
She remembered waking up on the couch.
She remembered the pain.
She remembered him saying she had fallen.
But there was something else.
Something she had pushed away.
Something she didn't want to remember.
Elaine saw the change in her face.
“Simone?””
Simone looked down.
“I don't know.””
Andre crossed his arms.
“You don't know.””
His tone was almost mocking.
“You don't know what happened in your own house?””
Simone flinched.
“Stop.””
“Stop what?””
“Talking to me like that.””
The words surprised all three of them.
Especially Simone.
Andre stared at her.
“What did you say?””
She swallowed.
But she didn't look away.
“I said stop talking to me like that.””
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Andre smiled again.
But this time, it wasn't confident.
It was colder.
“There she is.””
Elaine immediately noticed.
“What does that mean?””
Andre ignored her.
“That's the Simone I haven't seen in a while.””
Simone's heartbeat quickened.
“What are you talking about?””
“The one who thinks she’s brave when someone else is standing behind her.””
Elaine stepped forward.
“Enough.””
“No,” Andre said.
His eyes stayed on Simone.
“She wants the truth? Fine.””
Simone felt a knot form in her chest.
“Andre.””
“You want to tell your mother why she got that message?””
Elaine looked at Simone.
“Why?””
Simone shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
Andre reached into his pocket.
He pulled out his phone.
“Maybe because your daughter has been hiding something from both of us.””
Simone stared.
“What are you doing?””
He unlocked his phone.
“I’m showing her what happened.””
“Don't.””
The word came out before she could stop it.
Andre looked up.
That one word told him everything.
“You remember.””
Simone froze.
Elaine looked at her.
“Simone?””
“I…”
Andre walked closer.
“You remember.””
Simone felt tears burning her eyes.
“I remember pieces.””
“What pieces?””
“Enough.””
“Enough for what?””
She looked at him.
“Enough to know I didn’t just fall.””
The silence was immediate.
Elaine stopped breathing.
Andre's face changed.
Only for a second.
But Simone saw it.
Fear.
Real fear.
Then it disappeared.
“You're doing this now?””
Simone shook her head.
“No.””
“Yes, you are.””
“No, Andre.””
Her voice trembled.
“But I’m done pretending.””
Elaine looked at her daughter.
“Pretending about what?””
Simone closed her eyes.
The truth felt heavy.
Like something she had been carrying for too long.
“Last weekend we argued.””
Elaine nodded slowly.
“About what?””
Simone hesitated.
Andre answered for her.
“Money.””
Simone looked at him.
“No.””
His eyes narrowed.
“Yes.””
“No.””
Her voice grew stronger.
“It wasn't about money.””
Elaine turned toward Andre.
“Then what was it about?””
Nobody answered.
The clock on the kitchen wall ticked loudly.
Finally, Simone whispered:
“His phone.””
Andre's expression changed.
Elaine looked confused.
“What about his phone?””
Simone looked at Andre.
“I saw something.””
Andre laughed quietly.
“Here we go.””
“I saw a message.””
Elaine looked at him.
“From who?””
Simone swallowed.
“A woman.””
The room went still.
Andre shook his head.
“You're unbelievable.””
Elaine looked at Simone.
“Was there someone else?””
“I don't know.””
“You don't know?””
“I saw the message. I didn't see everything.””
Andre stepped forward.
“Because there was nothing to see.””
“Then why did you get so angry?””
“Because you accused me.””
“Because I asked you a question.””
“And you went through my phone.””
Simone's face tightened.
“I saw it when your phone lit up.””
“That doesn't matter.””
“It matters.””
“No, it doesn't.””
Elaine looked between them.
“Who was she?””
Andre ignored her.
“Simone.””
“No.””
He stopped.
She pointed toward him.
“Answer her.””
A long silence followed.
Then Andre said:
“Her name is Karen.””
Elaine frowned.
“Who is Karen?””
Simone looked at him.
“You know exactly who she is.””
Andre sighed.
“She’s a coworker.””
“Then why did she text you at midnight?””
“She needed help.””
“Help?””
“Yes.””
Simone laughed bitterly.
“That's what you told me.””
Andre's eyes hardened.
“And you didn't believe me.””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because she called you ‘love.’”
Elaine's face changed.
Andre immediately responded.
“It was a joke.””
“A joke?””
“Yes.””
“Who jokes like that?””
“People who know each other.””
The answer made Simone's stomach twist.
Elaine noticed.
“What happened after you saw the message?””
Simone looked down.
“He got angry.””
“How angry?””
Simone didn't answer.
Elaine reached for her.
“Simone.””
“He grabbed my arm.””
Andre immediately interrupted.
“I grabbed your arm because you were leaving.””
“You pushed me.””
“I did not.””
“You did.””
“I stopped you from walking out while you were screaming.””
Elaine looked at him.
“And her eye?””
Andre went quiet.
That silence answered more than words could.
Simone watched his face.
Waiting.
Hoping.
For once.
For him to admit it.
But he didn't.
Instead, he looked at Elaine.
“You don't know the whole story.””
Elaine's voice was quiet.
“Then tell me.””
Andre stared at her.
“I can't.””
“Why?””
Another silence.
Then his phone rang.
Everyone looked down.
The name on the screen appeared.
Karen.
Simone felt the air leave her lungs.
Andre quickly turned the phone over.
But it was too late.
Elaine had seen.
“So that's her.””
Andre didn't answer.
Elaine looked at Simone.
“Does he know that she messaged me?””
Simone frowned.
“What?””
Elaine picked up her phone.
“The message I received.””
She showed the screen again.
“Whoever sent this knew something about last weekend.””
Andre looked at the phone.
And for the first time all night, the confidence disappeared.
Because he recognized something.
A detail Simone noticed immediately.
The message wasn't from a stranger.
Andre knew the number.
“You know who sent it,” Simone whispered.
Andre looked up.
No answer.
“Who?””
His jaw tightened.
Then his phone buzzed again.
A new message.
Everyone watched as the screen lit up.
This time, Simone saw the preview.
And the name at the top made her blood run cold.
*Karen: You need to tell Simone the truth before I do.*
Simone looked at Andre.
May you like
Elaine looked at Andre.
And Andre looked like a man who had just realized his secret was no longer his to control.
