“I needed to get you away from there,” Dad continued, his eyes pleading for understanding. “I didn’t want to disrupt the wedding without concrete evidence. But I had to tell you, to keep you in the loop. Emily deserves to know, but not today. Not when she’s supposed to be the happiest she’s ever been.”

My heart ached with a complex mix of emotions—fear for Emily, anger at the situation, and a profound sense of betrayal. How could David keep such monumental secrets? And how would Emily react when she found out?

“I’m so sorry to burden you with this,” Dad said, his voice softening. “But I couldn’t let this lie between us. We need to find a way to handle this, to protect Emily.”