Three Tracker Alerts Led Me To Uncover My Whole Family’s Secret Betrayal Chapter 01

Three Tracker Alerts Led Me To Uncover My Whole Family’s Secret Betrayal Chapter 01

After discovering Chase Sterling’s infidelity, I fell into a dark emotional spiral.

To put my mind at ease, he had two custom-made tracking bracelets ordered.

The first time, when the bracelet pinged at the county clerk’s office, I rushed over—only to find my best friend and my brother waving at me from the steps.

“Mara, that idiot Chase left his bracelet in Trent’s car yesterday. We were about to drop it off after we picked up our marriage license.”

The second time, the bracelet’s location showed up at the hospital. I panicked, thinking something had happened to him, and raced over—only to find it on my father’s wrist.

“Sweetheart, perfect timing. Chase stopped by to see your mother and me yesterday and forgot it here. You need to give him an earful—without this thing, it’s not just you; we don’t trust him either.”

The third time, the bracelet pinged from a wedding venue. This time, I told no one. I took a cab straight to the hotel.

There, on the stage, I watched Chase, in his tux, lower his head and press a kiss to Piper Vance’s forehead.

My parents’ voices drifted from a corner of the room.

“Hopefully Mara takes a little longer to figure it out this time. Last time at the OB-GYN, Chase and Piper almost got caught by her.”

My best friend and brother chimed in.

“Same with the marriage license. Good thing we all went together that day.”

Someone sighed.

“Bottom line—Mara can’t find out. With her condition, who knows what she’d do.”

And at that exact moment, a voice inside my head spoke up:

[They’ve all betrayed you. How much more can you take?]

—

That voice echoed in my skull over and over.

It was so sharp it hurt.

Until the sudden audio and video that blared from the big screen briefly pulled me out of it.

Nearby, my brother pointed excitedly at the two figures on the screen.

“Look—I filmed this for Chase and Piper.”

I blinked slowly.

In the video, Chase and Piper stood with their backs to the camera—their silhouettes identical to the ones I’d just seen on stage, him in a tux, her in a wedding gown.

They looked perfect together.

“They really do look perfect together.” My best friend Sasha’s voice echoed from the video as well.

I clenched my hands, remembering that time.

Chase had told me he was going on a business trip. My brother and Sasha, worried about him, bought tickets to go along.

Before they left, they swore up and down to me.

“Don’t worry, sis. We’ll keep an eye on him for you!”

So that was when it started. They’d been helping Chase lie to me all along.

The glow from the screen washed out my face.

My breath caught in my chest.

And what about my parents?

The image on the screen shifted and jittered.

“Go on, Chase. Piper’s already waiting upstairs.”

I remembered—this was even earlier.

After I’d found out about Chase’s affair, my condition kept getting worse.

My parents said they’d go to the church to light candles and pray for me. Chase offered to go with them.

They weren’t comfortable with him being that far from me, but eventually they agreed.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Your father and I will keep him in line.”

That line surfaced in my head just as the video showed Chase and Piper kissing under the same cross my parents had lit candles beneath for me.

I turned the beaded bracelet on my wrist.

That was the one they’d brought back from that trip.

Chase said it would cover the scars on my wrist and bring me good luck.

Turns out it was just the one Piper didn’t want.

The old wound inside me felt raw all over again.

The shock left me barely able to stand.

Someone next to me reached out and steadied my arm, then started chatting like we were old friends.

“Isn’t it romantic? Actually, the bride has it pretty rough. I heard the groom had this ex-girlfriend with serious emotional issues—she couldn’t let go after the breakup and kept saying things that scared everyone.”

“The bride’s been so gracious about it, never held it against anyone. Honestly, someone like that needs serious help.”

The air seemed to vanish from around me.

I couldn’t stop shaking.

I was the one who’d been with Chase Sterling for ten years.

Piper Vance was the one who’d stepped in.

“Where did you hear all that?” I heard myself ask, my voice hoarse.

The person pointed toward my parents.

“Thank God the ex’s family and friends have some decency. They felt so bad for the groom and the bride, they’ve been helping out with the whole wedding.”

His mouth kept moving, but I couldn’t hear a word anymore.

No wonder.

No wonder my parents, my brother, and Sasha had all been gone these past few days.

They’d even forgotten my birthday.

They’d been busy putting together Chase and Piper’s wedding.

The man leaned in closer.

“And I heard the ex’s parents even gave the new couple a house as a gift. It’s out in Westbrook, but that area’s about to be rezoned—it’ll be worth a fortune in a few years.”

My head exploded. I spun around and ran outside.

My hands were shaking so badly I misdialed three times before the call finally went through.

“Hi—can you tell me who currently owns 42 Birch Lane in Westbrook?”

There was a pause on the other end.

“That property is registered to Piper Vance.”