Chapter 6 - THE LETTER RYAN NEVER RECEIVED.
The letter should have changed everything years earlier.
It stated that the court had dismissed Ryan and Natalie’s dissolution case and that additional action was required.
Ryan had never seen it.
Natalie had not either.
The former law firm authenticated the document through its archived file system and mailing log.
There was no proof it had ever been mailed.
Steven Maddox, now living in Arizona, agreed to speak through the firm’s malpractice counsel.
He admitted his practice had been collapsing financially at the time.
Staff left.
Deadlines were missed.
Several family-law cases were mishandled.
Ryan and Natalie were not the only clients affected.
Emily listened to the recorded conference with her attorney beside her.
Maddox did not remember their file specifically.
That disappointed everyone.
But the records were enough to establish that Ryan and Natalie had acted in good faith when they believed the marriage ended.
Emily finally stopped wondering whether Ryan had hidden a wife from her for years.
That question was answered.
A harder one remained.
Why had he hidden the truth for two weeks now?
Natalie visited Emily at a quiet café.
It was their first conversation without Ryan present.
Emily felt embarrassed remembering the mall.
“I hit you.”
Natalie touched her cheek instinctively.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
Natalie studied her.
“Thank you.”
No instant friendship followed.
Emily asked why Natalie had said “Ryan already knew” instead of simply explaining.
“Because I was furious with him.”
“For hiding it?”
“Yes.”
Natalie looked down.
“I told him the first day that you had a right to know.”
Emily froze.
“He told me you agreed to wait.”
“I agreed to give him until that evening.”
“He waited two weeks.”
Natalie nodded.
That was new.
Ryan had not merely used forty-eight hours badly.
He had repeatedly postponed the truth after Natalie pushed him to tell Emily.
Emily’s phone rang.
Ryan.
She declined the call.
Natalie then placed another item on the table.
A screenshot of a message Ryan had sent twelve days earlier:
I know I have to tell her. I just can’t be the reason she loses the baby.
Emily stared until the words blurred.
Ryan had not been protecting her health.
May you like
He had been ruled by fear.
And he had used her pregnancy to justify it.
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