Chapter 9 - Judith Told the Secret She Had Hidden for Two Years
There was one more thing Judith had not said.
She waited until Garrett and Evelyn were asked to leave the sitting room by Maren’s cousin, who had stayed behind to make sure Judith was safe.
When the door shut, Judith looked more exhausted than injured.
“There’s something else,” she said.
Maren sank slowly into a chair.
“Tell me everything.”
Two years earlier, before Maren’s wedding, Judith had hired a quiet background review on Garrett—not because she found proof of wrongdoing, but because something about him unsettled her.
The report had found aggressive debt usage, two quietly settled workplace complaints from a former company, and one sealed civil dispute involving coercive behavior toward an ex-girlfriend.
Nothing criminal.
Nothing flashy.
Just enough to worry a mother.
Judith had shown the summary to Maren’s father while he was still alive.
He had advised caution.
Then he fell ill.
The wedding planning accelerated.
Judith hesitated.
By the time she considered telling Maren everything, she feared her daughter would see it as sabotage or grief-driven paranoia.
So she held it back.
“That was my mistake,” Judith said, voice breaking. “I thought if I stayed close, I could protect you without destroying your happiness.”
Maren felt the ache of betrayal and love at once.
“You were trying to keep me safe.”
“I should have told you.”
“Yes,” Maren whispered. “You should have.”
Neither of them denied it.
But neither woman was interested in wasting the rest of the night on blame.
May you like
Not when the danger was now undeniable.
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