He hadn't just failed to correct a misunderstanding.
He had actively allowed it.
I searched his company's staff directory.
No Melissa in his department.
Then I searched his Instagram followers.
Daniel barely used Instagram. But there was a Melissa.
Private account.
Profile picture: the woman from the party.
I felt physically sick.
I checked who followed her.
Daniel.
She followed him too.
I sent Rachel one more question.
"Has Daniel ever mentioned being married before?"
She replied almost immediately.
"All the time. He talks about 'my wife' constantly. I assumed he meant you."
That confused me.
Then another message came.
"But now that I think about it, he never used his wife's name around us before the party. At least not that I remember."
My head started pounding.
I waited until Ben came home.
I made him a snack. Asked about school and helped him find a permission slip.
