The Anniversary Betrayal

Part 2: The Secret Sofia Was Hiding

At six thirty the next morning, I woke up to twenty-seven missed calls.

Twenty-three were from Adrian.

The other four were from unfamiliar numbers.

I didn’t call him back.

Instead, I packed my belongings, checked out of the hotel, and drove to my mother’s house outside Chicago.

I wanted distance. I wanted silence. Most importantly, I wanted to think without hearing my husband’s excuses.

But Adrian wasn’t a man who accepted being ignored.

At eight fifteen, my mother’s doorbell rang.

I looked through the window.

Three black SUVs were parked outside.

Adrian stepped out of the first one.

He wore a dark suit, his hair perfectly styled, but his expression was nothing like the confident man I had married.

He looked exhausted.

My mother opened the door before I could stop her.

“Adrian, this isn’t a good time.”

“I’m here for my wife.”

“Your wife doesn’t want to see you.”

His jaw tightened.

“With all due respect, Mrs. Bennett, this is a private matter between Claire and me.”

I walked into the hallway.

“Then you should have kept your private matters inside our marriage.”

His eyes immediately found mine.

“Claire.”

I folded my arms.

“What do you want?”

“Five minutes.”

“You had three years.”

He glanced at my mother, then lowered his voice.

“Sofia contacted me last night.”

I laughed bitterly.

“How romantic. Is she asking you to buy a crib?”

“She says there’s something I need to know.”

“Then go listen to her.”

He stepped closer.

“Claire, she claims the baby might not be mine.”

For a moment, I said nothing.

Then I shook my head.

“That’s your problem, Adrian. Not mine.”

“She sent me a message saying she has proof.”

I looked directly into his eyes.

“Do you know what hurts the most? You spent six months lying to me, and now you’re worried about whether another woman’s baby belongs to you.”

His expression darkened.

“I never stopped loving you.”

“Love doesn’t look like this.”

I closed the door.

Through the window, I watched him stand on the porch for several seconds before returning to his SUV.

My mother put an arm around my shoulders.

“Are you sure you want a divorce?”

I nodded.

“More than anything.”

That afternoon, I contacted a divorce attorney.

By evening, she had arranged an appointment and advised me not to return to the mansion alone.

I thought that was the end of my involvement in Adrian’s problems.

I was wrong.

At nine that night, an unknown number called.

“Mrs. Moretti?”

“Who’s speaking?”

“My name is Sofia Russo.”

My fingers tightened around the phone.

“What do you want?”

“I think we need to talk.”

“There’s nothing between us to discuss.”

“Actually, there is. And it’s something Adrian doesn’t know.”

I remained silent.

Sofia continued.

“Your husband told you I was pregnant, didn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“Then you should know that I never intended to raise this baby without him.”

I closed my eyes.

“Congratulations. I hope you both have a wonderful life.”

“Claire, wait. The baby isn’t the only secret.”

My stomach tightened.

“What secret?”

She hesitated.

“Six months ago, Adrian didn’t just meet me at that steakhouse. He bought me an apartment. He transferred money into an account under my name. And he promised me something.”

“What?”

“He promised that after your third anniversary, he would file for divorce and marry me.”

For several seconds, I couldn’t breathe.

Then I asked quietly, “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because Adrian has started denying everything. And because there’s something you should know about the money.”

“What money?”

“Your family inheritance.”

I stood up.

“What does my inheritance have to do with you?”

Sofia gave a nervous laugh.

“Ask Adrian why he suddenly became interested in your father’s old company.”

The call ended.

I stood in the middle of my mother’s living room, staring at my phone.

My father had died when I was twenty-four, leaving me a small investment company and several properties.

I had never cared much about money. Adrian had always insisted that everything I needed was provided for.

But suddenly, I remembered something.

Three months earlier, Adrian had asked me to sign several documents.

He said they were routine papers related to our joint estate.

I had signed them without reading every page.

My blood ran cold.

I immediately called my lawyer.

“There’s something I need you to investigate.”

“What is it?”

“Every financial document I signed after marrying Adrian. Especially anything involving my inheritance.”

An hour later, my lawyer called back.

“Claire, I think you need to come to my office tomorrow morning.”

“Why?”

There was a pause.

“Because one of the documents appears to grant your husband authority over several assets that originally belonged to your father.”

I sat down slowly.

And for the first time, I wondered whether Adrian had married me for more than love.