Shattered Vows

Chapter 5: Digging Deeper

The next few days passed in a blur for Sophie, her mind a constant whirlwind of suspicion and anger. With Rachel's words of support still echoing in her ears, Sophie found herself consumed by a new obsession—unraveling the web of lies that Mark and Jessica had built around her.

In the quiet moments, when Mark was at work or asleep beside her, Sophie pieced together memories she had once dismissed as harmless. Every "business trip," every "girls' weekend," every time Jessica had gushed about how "perfect" Sophie and Mark were together. All those moments that had once seemed normal, even sisterly, now took on a sinister edge. She had been too trusting, too blinded by the facade they had presented.

But no more.

Sophie's determination hardened as she began her search for the truth. She had already uncovered the damning text messages between Mark and Jessica, but she knew there had to be more—much more. This wasn't just some fleeting affair. This had been going on for years. And if they had been this careful in keeping it from her, they would have left traces behind.

Sophie sat at her desk, her laptop open in front of her, the glow from the screen casting a harsh light on her face. She took a deep breath, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. Social media had always been something she used casually—photos with friends, updates about work, the occasional vacation post. But now, it was going to be her key to unlocking the truth.

She started with Jessica's Instagram.

Scrolling through Jessica's feed, Sophie's stomach churned as she clicked on photo after photo, looking for clues. Jessica had always been the more glamorous sister—the one who posted about her expensive lunches, her nights out with friends, and, of course, her perfectly curated trips. Sophie remembered many of those trips. Jessica had always invited her along, but more often than not, Sophie had declined, citing work or her relationship with Mark.

As she looked closer, Sophie noticed something odd. In some of the photos Jessica had posted from these supposed "girls' weekends," there were subtle signs that Mark had been with her. A shadow in the background, the corner of a familiar jacket, or an arm that definitely didn't belong to one of her female friends.

Sophie's heart sank. He was there with her. All those weekends they spent together, and I never knew.

Each photo was like a punch to the gut, but Sophie pressed on. She combed through Jessica's feed, looking for patterns, for any signs of Mark's involvement. And there it was—a photo Jessica had posted from a beach in Spain, captioned: Girls' trip vibes. But the reflection in her sunglasses betrayed the truth. Sophie zoomed in, her breath catching as she recognized Mark's figure in the background, standing just out of the frame.

They went on vacations together, Sophie thought, her heart racing. All those times I thought she was with friends... she was with him.

Sophie's next step was Mark's social media. His accounts were much more subdued than Jessica's—photos of him at work events, the occasional shot of him and Sophie at a family gathering, or with friends. But Sophie knew there had to be something hidden here, too.

She went back months, even years, looking for connections between his posts and Jessica's. It didn't take long before she noticed a disturbing pattern: every time Jessica had posted about a trip, Mark had conveniently been on a "business trip" at the same time. The dates lined up too perfectly.

One post, in particular, made Sophie's blood run cold. It was a photo Mark had posted from a work event a year ago, a casual group shot with his colleagues. But in the background, she saw the unmistakable outline of Jessica, barely visible but undeniably present. He had taken her to his work event—right in front of everyone, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

They weren't even hiding it from their friends. They were flaunting it.

The more Sophie uncovered, the deeper the betrayal seemed to run. She started paying closer attention to her conversations with Mark and Jessica, subtly steering the discussions toward their past. She asked about the trips, the events, the dinners. And every time, they lied effortlessly.

"Remember that weekend you went to that wine tasting with the girls?" Sophie asked Jessica casually one evening when they were out with family.

Jessica didn't even blink. "Oh yeah, that was such a fun weekend! We stayed at this adorable little Airbnb. You should have come, Soph!"

Sophie smiled tightly. "I wish I could have."

Her stomach churned as she recalled the truth—the reflection of Mark in Jessica's sunglasses. They hadn't been with the girls at all. They had been together.

Mark was just as deceptive. One night, as they sat together on the couch watching TV, Sophie turned to him and asked about an old work trip.

"That one in Seattle last year," she said, her voice light and curious. "You were gone for a few days, right? Did everything go okay with that project?"

Mark didn't even look up from the screen. "Yeah, it went fine. Long days, but we got it done. Why?"

Sophie's jaw tightened. She knew that wasn't the truth. He hadn't been in Seattle for work. He had been with Jessica, on one of their many secret trips.

As the days went on, Sophie's resolve only grew stronger. She spent hours digging through old texts, emails, and photos, piecing together the timeline of Mark and Jessica's affair. The more she found, the clearer it became: this wasn't just a fling. This was a full-blown relationship, carried out in secret for years.

They had built an entire life behind her back—trips, dates, even moments with friends and family. And the worst part was that everyone had been blind to it. Everyone had thought they were just close siblings-in-law, that Mark and Jessica had a bond because of Sophie. But it had been more than that. So much more.

Sophie started to wonder how long it had been going on. Had they been together before Mark had proposed? Before they had even started dating? The questions haunted her, and she knew there was only one way to get the answers she needed: she would have to confront them both.

But not yet.

Not until I have everything.

By the end of the week, Sophie had gathered enough evidence to confirm what she had feared all along. Mark and Jessica hadn't just betrayed her—they had built their entire relationship on lies, hiding in plain sight. The anger that simmered within her was becoming harder to control, but she knew she couldn't afford to lose her composure.

Sophie stared at the photos on her laptop, the messages she had saved, the social media posts that told the story of their deceit. She had the proof now. There was no denying it. The time for playing the clueless fiancée was coming to an end.

But she had one more piece of the puzzle to solve: Why?

Why had they done this to her? Why had they kept the affair going for so long? Did they ever care about her, or had she always just been a pawn in their twisted game?

She knew she couldn't wait much longer. The moment of truth was fast approaching, and Sophie was determined to be ready. She wasn't just going to confront them—she was going to make sure that when she did, there would be no way out. No lies, no excuses.

They were going to pay for what they had done.