I felt a chill run down my spine. “What did you find out?” I was almost afraid to hear the answer, to have the thin veneer of Emily’s perfect day shattered so irreparably.

He looked away, as if ashamed. “David… he has another family. A wife and a child in another city.” The words hit me like a physical blow. My mind reeled, struggling to process the enormity of what he was saying. It felt unreal, like a bad dream I couldn’t wake up from.

“No,” I breathed, shaking my head vehemently. “That can’t be true. How do you even know?”

“I have a contact—a private investigator,” he confessed. “I had my doubts about David for a while now… little things that didn’t add up. So, I hired someone to look into his background. I wanted to be sure before bringing it up, but when I got the confirmation today… I couldn’t let the day go on without telling you. I needed you to know before anyone else.”

Every part of me wanted to reject this information. David had always seemed so genuine, so in love with Emily. But the seriousness in Dad’s eyes, the weight in his voice, told me he believed every word he was saying. And my father was not a man to make accusations lightly.

“What are we going to do?” I asked, my voice cracking. My thoughts were a jumble of fear, anger, and sadness for my sister, who, in that moment, was blissfully unaware of the storm brewing on the horizon of her new life.

Dad ran a hand through his hair, looking older than I’d ever seen him. “For now, we wait. We can’t ruin her day. But we have to approach this carefully, think about what’s best for Emily.”

A silent tear slipped down my cheek. The day had started with so much promise, so much joy, and now it was overshadowed by a revelation that threatened to unravel everything. I thought of Emily, dancing under the twinkling lights, her laughter ringing in the night. She deserved happiness, truth, and love—real love.

“I’ll be there for her,” I vowed quietly, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. Dad nodded, reaching over to squeeze my hand, a silent pledge of solidarity.

Together, we’d face whatever came next, united in our love for Emily. The path ahead was uncertain, fraught with emotional landmines, but we would navigate it—step by step, truth by truth. For now, though, we had to maintain the facade, if only for a little while longer.