Smoking Mirrors

A web of secrets

Michael's anger and confusion simmered just below the surface, his mind reeling with questions. Who was the father of Natalie's child? And why had she kept it a secret? He felt like he was unraveling a thread, pulling on a string that threatened to destroy the very fabric of their relationship. As he looked at Natalie, he saw a stranger, a woman who had kept a part of herself hidden from him. The thought sent a pang of hurt through him, his heart heavy with a mix of emotions. He knew he had to confront her, to demand answers to the questions that plagued him. But as he opened his mouth to speak, he realized that he wasn't sure if he was ready for the truth.

"Natalie, who is the father of your child?" Michael asked, his voice low and even, but with a hint of anger and hurt.

Natalie's eyes fluttered closed, her face pale. "Michael, I..."

"Tell me the truth, Natalie," Michael interrupted, his voice rising. "Who is he? Some guy you met while you were abroad? Someone you loved more than me?"

Natalie's eyes snapped open, her gaze pleading. "Michael, no, it's not like that. I swear."

But Michael was beyond listening. His mind was racing with worst-case scenarios, his heart feeling like it was being ripped apart. He couldn't bear the thought of Natalie in someone else's arms, of her loving someone else more than him.

Michael's anger boiled over, his words spewing out in a torrent of rage. "You lied to me, Natalie! You lied to me about everything! Who is he? What's his name? Tell me!"

Natalie's eyes widened, her face crumpling as she tried to speak. But Michael wouldn't let her, his words drowning her out.

"You cheated on me! You betrayed me! How could you do this to me, Natalie? How could you?"

Michael's fists clenched, his body trembling with fury. He felt like he was going to explode, like his heart was going to burst from his chest.

Natalie's face was wet with tears, her body shaking. "Michael, please...just listen..."

But Michael was beyond reason. He turned away, his eyes blazing with anger, and stormed out of the room, leaving Natalie alone and sobbing.

Justin paced back and forth in his living room, his phone glued to his ear. "Come on, Alex, answer already!" he muttered to himself.

Finally, the line clicked, and Alex's voice came through. "Hey, Justin. What's up?"

"Where's Natalie?" Justin demanded, skipping the small talk.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Uh, I thought she was with you guys."

Justin's gut tightened. "No, we haven't seen her since last night. We've been calling her nonstop, but she's not answering. Is she with you?"

Alex hesitated again, and Justin's anxiety spiked. "Justin, I...I had business out of town last night. It was late, so I decided to spend the night there instead of driving back. I texted Natalie, but she didn't reply."

Justin's mind raced. Why hadn't Natalie answered their calls? And why was Alex being so evasive? "What kind of business?" he pressed.

"Just some work stuff, Justin. Don't worry about it."

Justin's grip on his phone tightened. "Alex, you're not telling me something. What's going on?"

Alex sighed, and Justin could almost hear him rubbing his temples. "Look, Justin, I'll be honest with you. Natalie and I had a fight the night before last. But I thought we had worked things out. And like I said, I texted her last night, but she didn't reply."

Justin's heart sank. A fight? What kind of fight? And why hadn't Natalie come to them for help? "What was the fight about?" he asked, his voice firm but controlled.

Alex hesitated again, and Justin's patience wore thin. "Alex, come on! Tell me what's going on!"

"Okay, okay! It was about...about something she said. Something that didn't make sense. But we argued, and I thought we had resolved it. I had no idea she was still upset."

Justin's mind reeled. What could Natalie have said that would upset Alex so much? And why was he being so secretive? "You need to tell me what's going on, Alex. Right now."

Alex took a deep breath, and Justin could almost hear the resignation in his voice. "Okay, Justin. I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to freak out."

Justin's gut twisted with foreboding. What was Alex hiding? And how bad was it? "I promise," he lied, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

Justin's eyes narrowed. "Just tell me, Alex."

Alex's voice was barely above a whisper. "She was talking about...remembering things. Things she couldn't have known about. And she was saying them with such conviction, like she was certain they were true."

Justin's mind raced. What kind of things was Natalie remembering? And how was she remembering them? "What specific things?" he pressed.

Alex hesitated again, and Justin could sense his unease. "She was talking about...our childhood. Things that happened when we were kids. But they weren't true, Justin. They couldn't be true."

Justin's gut tightened. What was going on with Natalie? Was she suffering from some kind of false memory syndrome? Or was her condition back? "Alex, I need to know everything," he said, his voice firm. "Every detail. No matter how small it seems."

Alex took a deep breath, and Justin could sense his reluctance. But he began to speak, his words spilling out in a rush. "She was talking about...our parents. About things they did. Things they said. But it wasn't true, Justin. Our parents would never have done those things."

Justin's mind reeled. What was Natalie accusing their parents of? And why was Alex so adamant that it wasn't true? He needed to get to the bottom of this, and fast.

Justin's mind was racing as he hung up the phone with Alex. He needed to act fast. He pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Hey, Justin! What's up?" his friend, Officer Ryan, answered.

"Ryan, I need your help. My sister's missing." Justin blurted out.

"What? When did you last see her?" Ryan asked, his tone serious.

"I last saw her when she left our family home after dinner. We had a fight, and she was pretty upset. She went to her own place, where she lives with her husband. We tried calling her to check up on her, but she's not answering. And now Alex is being weird about it..."

"Okay, stay calm. I'll meet you at the station and we'll file a report. We'll find her, Justin."

Justin nodded, even though Ryan couldn't see him. "Thanks, man. I owe you one."

As Justin arrived at the station, Ryan was already waiting for him. They filled out the report, and Ryan promised to do some digging.

Just as they were finishing up, Ryan's radio crackled to life. He listened for a moment, his expression turning grim.

"What is it?" Justin asked, sensing something was wrong.

Ryan's face was somber. "There's been a hit and run. A woman was killed. They're bringing the body to the morgue now..."

Justin's heart began to race. "Do they know who she is?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ryan shook his head " not yet. They're still processing the scene."

Justin's mind was racing. Please don't let it be Natalie. Please don't let it be Natalie.