it.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
My dearest Claire,
If you’re reading this, Susan has finally found the courage to tell you something she has carried alone for far too long.
Before you decide what her silence means, I want you to know one thing.
She did not betray you because she stopped loving you.
She stayed silent because she was ashamed, and shame can make people hide even from those who love them most.
I know you’re wondering why I didn’t tell you.
The answer is simple, though it
isn’t an excuse.
It wasn’t my story to reveal. But I should have encouraged her more firmly to trust you.
Please hear her out.
And whatever you decide afterward, know that I loved you without reservation, every single day.
Robert.
I pressed the paper against my chest.
Then I cried.
Not because the letter answered everything.
Because it didn’t.
The
