My pulse hammered in my ears as I glanced back toward the patio, where several guests had already begun drifting away. Chloe was still talking with a friend while Spencer stood nearby, watching her far more closely than before.
Nora followed me quickly across the lawn toward the dessert table. I slid my hands beneath the heavy cake board and carefully lifted it from the table runner.
At first, nothing seemed unusual. Then the cardboard base shifted slightly, revealing a folded white envelope taped securely underneath.
Part 2: The Secret Beneath the Cake
My hands trembled as I peeled the envelope away from the underside of the cake board.
For a moment, I simply stared at it.
There was no name on the front. No return address. Just three words written in black ink.
“READ THIS ALONE.”
“Mom, what are you doing?”
Chloe’s voice came from behind me.
I turned so quickly that the envelope nearly slipped from my fingers. She stood a few feet away, her eyes swollen from crying, while Spencer approached from the other side of the patio.
