It was a message from Sarah, Mark’s cousin. Sarah. Hey, just wanted to say, I heard what happened.
And honestly? Good for you. I frowned, re-reading the message. Sarah and I had always gotten along fine, but she wasn’t exactly my confidante.
Me, wait, what do you mean? Her response made my stomach drop. Sarah, they did the same thing to Mark’s ex-wife. I sat up straight.
Mark’s ex-wife? He had always told me his first marriage ended because they grew apart. Nothing dramatic, just differences that couldn’t be fixed. I had never questioned it.
But now? Me, what do you mean? Sarah, she went on a family trip with them. They treated her like garbage the entire time. Made her sit at a separate table, ignored her, acted like she wasn’t there.
She left halfway through. Filed for divorce a month later. My heart pounded.
Sarah, I didn’t say anything before because I figured you knew. But seeing what they did to you. I realized he never told you, did he? No.
No, he hadn’t. Because if he had, I never would’ve gone on this trip. If he had, I would’ve known this wasn’t just their way, this was a pattern.
And Mark? He had known exactly what was happening. And he had let it happen anyway. That night, Mark called again.
This time, I answered. I need you to fix this, he said immediately, his voice low, tight with frustration. No, you don’t understand.
My parents, I understand perfectly, I cut him off. This wasn’t about traditions. This was about control.
You knew they were going to do this to me. And you let it happen. Silence.
Then, who told you that? Bingo. I laughed. So it’s true.
I wasn’t the first. More silence. Then, Mark sighed.
Look, my parents can be a little, difficult. But they mean well. Mark, they don’t even see me as part of the family.
He hesitated, and I knew. Right then and there. He wasn’t going to fight for me.
He never had. Come back, he said instead. Let’s fix this.
I stared out at the ocean, at the waves crashing gently against the shore. No, I said again, voice steady. I think I’ve already fixed it.
And I hung up. After I hung up on Mark, I stared at my phone, my mind racing. Mark had known.
He had seen this all before. And he still let me walk straight into it. I wasn’t just furious anymore, I was done.
I poured myself another drink, leaned back in my lounge chair, and tried to enjoy the rest of my evening. But something was nagging at me. If he had lied about his ex-wife, what else had he lied about? I decided to do some digging.
I opened Facebook and searched for her name, Rachel, Mark’s ex-wife. I had never thought to look her up before, but now? I needed answers. Her profile was private, but I scrolled through her mutual friends, searching for anyone who might be willing to talk.
Then I saw her sister’s profile. Lauren. And she had public posts.
I clicked on one from two years ago, just after Rachel and Mark had split. Never let a man’s family destroy you. Never let them convince you that you’re less than you are.
My sister deserved better. We all tried to warn her. Never again.
My stomach twisted. I scrolled further and found an old comment from Sarah, Mark’s cousin, the same one who had messaged me. I wish she had listened to us.
At least she’s free now. Listened to them? I sat there, my heart pounding. I didn’t know what to do.
I could message Lauren. I could ask her what really happened. But was I ready to hear it? I stared at the screen for a long time.
Then, finally, I took a deep breath and typed. Me, hey, this is going to sound really random, but I think we need to talk. She responded within minutes.
Lauren didn’t waste time. Lauren, I was wondering when you’d reach out. That single message hit me like a punch to the stomach.
Me, so you know who I am? Lauren, yeah. We’ve been waiting for this to happen. I stared at the screen, my fingers frozen over the keyboard.
We? Me, what do you mean? Lauren, Rachel wasn’t the first, you know? And she sure wasn’t the last. My breath caught. Me, what are you saying? Lauren, I’m saying Mark has done this before.
More than once. His parents have done this before. More than once.
Lauren, and if you’re talking to me right now, I’m guessing you just went through it too. I felt sick. This wasn’t just some one-off pattern.
This was a game to them. A twisted little tradition they played on every woman Mark brought into his life. They never saw his partners as real family.
Just obstacles. And Mark? He let it happen every time. Me, why didn’t anyone tell me? Lauren, we tried.
But Mark always makes sure his girlfriends stay isolated. He tells them his family just has quirks or traditions. He makes sure they don’t ask too many questions.
Did he ever tell you Rachel was the problem? I closed my eyes. He had. He had painted Rachel as difficult, as someone who never understood his family, who always made drama over small things.
But now? I knew the truth. Rachel hadn’t been dramatic. She had been trapped.
And now, so was I. Or at least, I had been. Until now. I didn’t sleep that night.
The realization that I had wasted years of my life on this man burned in my chest. But there was something else, too. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
Why had Mark called me so many times today? Why was he this desperate? Then, at 6 a.m., I got my answer. A text popped up from an unknown number. Ma’am, this is Officer Daniels with the Hilton Head Police Department.
We need to speak with you regarding a missing persons report filed by your husband. I sat up so fast I nearly knocked my phone off the nightstand. Missing persons report? I scrambled to call back, my mind racing.
The second the officer picked up, I blurted, I’m fine. I’m not missing. A pause.
Then, ma’am, are you saying you left voluntarily? Yes. Obviously, I left voluntarily. My husband knows exactly where I am.
He’s been calling me non-stop. The officer sighed. Your husband reported that you left without explanation and haven’t been answering his calls.