Chapter 1: The Dinner I Was Never Meant to Understand<\/p>\n
My husband invited his boss to dinner without asking me \u2014 halfway through the meal, his boss turned to me and said, “So you don’t know yet?”<\/p>\n
My husband, Nathan, messaged me at four in the afternoon.<\/p>\n
“My boss and a few people from work are coming over for dinner tonight.<\/p>\n
Hope that’s okay.”<\/p>\n
It wasn’t really a question.<\/p>\n
By seven, I had dinner prepared and had even put on my best violet dress for the occasion.<\/p>\n
Nathan’s boss, Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett, showed up with three of Nathan’s coworkers.<\/p>\n
One of them was Susan Parker.<\/p>\n
I knew Susan.<\/p>\n
Tall, blonde, beautiful, and always lingering a little too close to my husband at company events.<\/p>\n
Nathan looked unusually nervous.<\/p>\n
He kept glancing at his phone and barely touched his food.<\/p>\n
Halfway through dinner, Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett lifted his glass.<\/p>\n
“Well, we should probably celebrate.”<\/p>\n
“Celebrate what?”<\/p>\n
His smile vanished.<\/p>\n
He glanced at Nathan.<\/p>\n
“So you don’t know yet?”<\/p>\n
Nathan immediately put down his fork.<\/p>\n
“Not tonight.”<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
“Know what?”<\/p>\n
“I assumed you’d already discussed it,” Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett said.<\/p>\n
Nathan sighed.<\/p>\n
“I was going to tell you.”<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett cleared his throat.<\/p>\n
“Nathan’s going to Seattle for a few months.”<\/p>\n
I stared at my husband.<\/p>\n
“You’re what?”<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s temporary.<\/p>\n
Three months.<\/p>\n
Maybe four.”<\/p>\n
“How long have you known?” I asked.<\/p>\n
Nathan didn’t answer.<\/p>\n
“We finalized the assignment almost three weeks ago,” Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett said.<\/p>\n
Three weeks.<\/p>\n
My husband had known for three weeks that he was leaving for months and hadn’t said a word.<\/p>\n
“Anything else I should know?”<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett paused.<\/p>\n
Then Susan spoke.<\/p>\n
“I’m going too.”<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
Nathan immediately shook his head.<\/p>\n
“Don’t make this into something it isn’t.<\/p>\n
Susan was assigned to the project.<\/p>\n
I didn’t choose her.”<\/p>\n
I turned toward Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett.<\/p>\n
“Did Nathan know Susan was going when he accepted?”<\/p>\n
Nathan’s expression changed.<\/p>\n
That was my answer.<\/p>\n
“Yes,” Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett said quietly.<\/p>\n
“I thought you two had already discussed all of this.”<\/p>\n
I wanted to explode.<\/p>\n
Instead, I smiled.<\/p>\n
“Anyone want dessert?”<\/p>\n
For the rest of the evening, I watched Nathan and Susan.<\/p>\n
Nothing happened that I could actually accuse them of.<\/p>\n
But there were subtle things.<\/p>\n
Susan knew what Nathan was drinking before he asked.<\/p>\n
When he barely touched his dessert, she laughed.<\/p>\n
“Don’t worry, Natalie.<\/p>\n
I’ll make sure he actually eats in Seattle.<\/p>\n
Nathan forgets when he’s stressed.”<\/p>\n
“He does?”<\/p>\n
“All the time.”<\/p>\n
Nathan abruptly changed the subject.<\/p>\n
Later, while everyone was preparing to leave, I heard Susan say to him, “At least the apartment situation is finally sorted.”<\/p>\n
“What apartment situation?” I asked.<\/p>\n
Susan looked at Nathan.<\/p>\n
“Company housing,” she said quickly.<\/p>\n
“Oh, right,” Susan added.<\/p>\n
“We’re in the same building.<\/p>\n
It’ll make the early mornings easier.”<\/p>\n
Another thing Susan knew.<\/p>\n
Another thing my husband hadn’t told me.<\/p>\n
I waited until the final guest walked out and closed the door behind them.<\/p>\n
Then I turned to Nathan.<\/p>\n
“Three weeks?”<\/p>\n
“Natalie\u2014”<\/p>\n
“You knew for three weeks that you were leaving.<\/p>\n
You knew Susan was going with you.<\/p>\n
She’s apparently going to live in the same building as you, and somehow she knows your habits better than I do.”<\/p>\n
“Nothing is happening between me and Susan.”<\/p>\n
“Then why does she know more about your life than your wife does?”<\/p>\n
“Because I knew you’d react exactly like this.”<\/p>\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n
“Like what?<\/p>\n
Like a wife who just found out her husband is moving to another city with a beautiful woman from work?”<\/p>\n
“I’m not moving in with Susan.”<\/p>\n
“Oh, good.<\/p>\n
She’s just going to be living down the hall.”<\/p>\n
Nathan opened his mouth to answer.<\/p>\n
His phone lit up on the table.<\/p>\n
Susan Parker.<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
“Perfect timing.”<\/p>\n
“Natalie, don’t\u2014”<\/p>\n
But the message preview was already glowing on the screen.<\/p>\n
I read the first line.<\/p>\n
I looked up at Nathan.<\/p>\n
“What?!<\/p>\n
Why didn’t you tell me this too?!”<\/p>\n
What did Susan\u2019s message reveal\u2014and how will Nathan explain it?<\/p>\n
Comment \u201cNEXT\u201d for Part 2.<\/p>\n
Chapter 2: The Signature That Was Almost Mine<\/p>\n
The message read: \u201cThe landlord needs your signature tonight.<\/p>\n
He won\u2019t hold our apartment much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur apartment?\u201d My voice shook.<\/p>\n
Nathan grabbed for the phone, but I pulled it away.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt isn\u2019t what you think.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me what I should think.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe company changed the housing budget,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan and I were offered a two-bedroom apartment.<\/p>\n
Separate rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou agreed to live with her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going to find another place once I arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why does the landlord need your signature?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan went silent.<\/p>\n
The phone buzzed again.<\/p>\n
Susan had sent a document.<\/p>\n
I opened it before Nathan could stop me.<\/p>\n
Both their names were on the lease, and the move-in date was two days earlier than Nathan had told me he was leaving.<\/p>\n
At the bottom was another attachment marked: SPOUSAL CONSENT.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s face went pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie, please let me explain.\u201d<\/p>\n
I opened the attachment.<\/p>\n
My name was typed beneath a signature that looked almost exactly like mine.<\/p>\n
Almost.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou signed my name?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.<\/p>\n
I swear I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before I could answer, someone knocked hard on our front door.<\/p>\n
Nathan stared toward the hallway.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t open it.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was when I realized he already knew who was standing outside.<\/p>\n
Why was Natalie\u2019s signature on the document\u2014and who had Nathan so frightened?<\/p>\n
Click the link below to read the full story.<\/p>\n
Chapter 3: The Woman at the Door<\/p>\n
The knocking came again, three sharp blows.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan, who is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
He reached for the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me that first.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stepped back.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnswer me.\u201d<\/p>\n
A woman\u2019s voice came through the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan, I know you\u2019re in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan.<\/p>\n
I opened the door before he could stop me.<\/p>\n
She stood on the porch holding a leather folder, but the confident smile from dinner was gone.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou left quickly,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Susan looked past me.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan, we need to finish this tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou forged my signature.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes returned to mine.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an administrative form.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has my name on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe landlord requires spousal consent.<\/p>\n
You would have signed eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why didn\u2019t you ask me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan moved between us.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan, go home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d She opened the folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this isn\u2019t submitted by midnight, the relocation payment gets flagged.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat payment?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Neither of them answered.<\/p>\n
I held up Nathan\u2019s phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan pressed her lips together.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much, Nathan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cForty-eight thousand dollars,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
I gripped the doorframe.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a four-month assignment?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt includes housing, travel, furnishings and incidentals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why share an apartment?\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan closed the folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the payment is fixed.<\/p>\n
Whatever we don\u2019t spend, we keep.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie, stop twisting every word.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m reading the words you sent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan rubbed both hands over his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told her I wasn\u2019t comfortable with the consent form.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan laughed once.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter you approved the arrangement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI approved the apartment, not her signature.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour email says otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat email?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Susan pulled out a printed page.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one where he told me to handle whatever paperwork was needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan snatched it from her.<\/p>\n
His eyes moved across the page.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t write this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt came from your account.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never sent it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s voice softened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink carefully before you accuse me.<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett will see this first thing tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took the page from Nathan.<\/p>\n
The message ended with his usual work signature, but one sentence sounded wrong: Natalie doesn\u2019t need the details.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan never calls me Natalie in emails,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe calls me Nat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s gaze flickered toward the phone in my hand.<\/p>\n
I noticed it.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you expect me to be too jealous to read carefully?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re upset.<\/p>\n
I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, you expected Nathan to keep lying until the paperwork cleared.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan stepped toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI protected the project and both our careers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou copied her signature.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI solved a problem you created.\u201d<\/p>\n
I lifted the printed email.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave the rest of the documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re company records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey concern my signature.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan clutched the folder against her chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll get nothing from me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I reached toward the small screen beside the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur porch camera recorded everything you just said.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes moved to the camera.<\/p>\n
Then she smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.<\/p>\n
It also recorded Nathan admitting he approved the apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
She turned to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I go down, Nathan, you go first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s shoulders dropped.<\/p>\n
Susan stepped off the porch, then looked back at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk your husband why the relocation money was deposited six days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shut the door and faced him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is the money?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan stared at the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt isn\u2019t in my account.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen whose account is it in?\u201d<\/p>\n
His phone buzzed in my hand.<\/p>\n
A banking alert filled the screen.<\/p>\n
FORTY-EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS had just been transferred\u2014and the destination carried my name.<\/p>\n
Chapter 4: The Account I Never Opened<\/p>\n
I pushed the phone toward Nathan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat account is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never seen those last four digits.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt says Natalie Cole.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know what it says.\u201d<\/p>\n
I called the bank and put the phone on speaker.<\/p>\n
After three security questions, the representative\u2019s voice became careful.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs.<\/p>\n
Cole, the account was opened jointly with Nathan Cole eleven days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did not open it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan leaned toward the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeither did I.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe application was completed electronically using verified identification.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat identification?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t disclose the full record by phone.<\/p>\n
I can freeze the account while our review team investigates.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo it.\u201d<\/p>\n
A chair scraped behind me.<\/p>\n
Nathan sat down and covered his mouth.<\/p>\n
The representative continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was an attempted transfer tonight.<\/p>\n
It did not complete.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA business named Parker Relocation Services.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cParker?\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan Parker.<\/p>\n
The next morning, Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett arrived with Grace Miller, the company\u2019s compliance director.<\/p>\n
Susan came five minutes later and placed her folder on our table as though she owned it.<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett remained standing.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan, you told me Natalie approved the shared housing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sitting right here,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t speak for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan slid the consent form toward Grace.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer verified signature is on the document.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not my signature.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan gave me the form.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan struck the table with his palm.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlank.<\/p>\n
I gave it to you blank.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan turned to Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow he\u2019s changing his story because his wife is angry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace raised one hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho owns Parker Relocation Services?\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan didn\u2019t blink.<\/p>\n
\u201cA local housing coordinator.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you won\u2019t mind giving us the owner\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t manage vendors.\u201d<\/p>\n
I placed the banking alert beside the consent form.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe transfer was going to that business last night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett read it twice.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt must be the landlord\u2019s payment processor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace opened her laptop.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe company\u2019s approved housing provider is Westlake Corporate Suites.<\/p>\n
We have never used Parker Relocation Services.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s fingers tightened around her pen.<\/p>\n
Nathan looked at Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said the company changed the housing budget.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said you each had a separate housing allowance.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went still.<\/p>\n
I faced Nathan.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeparate apartments?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was the original offer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOriginal?\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan cut in.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan suggested combining the allowances.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked whether it was permitted.<\/p>\n
You said it was.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you were happy to keep the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s mouth opened, but no answer came.<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett removed his glasses.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan, did you agree to share an apartment with Susan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you tell your wife?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you authorize anyone to sign Natalie\u2019s name?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely not.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan pushed back her chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m finished being blamed for a marital argument.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace turned the laptop toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cSit down.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the screen was the electronic application for the joint bank account.<\/p>\n
A copy of my driver\u2019s license had been uploaded with it.<\/p>\n
I leaned closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat photograph came from our mortgage file.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s head snapped toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe folder in my study?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t opened it in two years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has nothing to do with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why,\u201d Grace asked, \u201cwas the application submitted from the company network?\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s face lost its color for half a second.<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett saw it too.<\/p>\n
Grace tapped the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe login belongs to Nathan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan exhaled through her nose.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere.<\/p>\n
You have your answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan stared at the record.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t in the office that day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were logged in,\u201d Grace said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI worked from home.<\/p>\n
Susan knew that.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked from Nathan to Susan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho had access to his password?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
Susan picked up her folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan?\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
His chair creaked as he leaned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThree months ago,\u201d he said, \u201cI gave Susan my password.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan smiled.<\/p>\n
And I understood that whatever she had done, my husband had handed her the key.<\/p>\n
Chapter 5: What He Gave Her<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett dismissed Susan, but Grace kept the copied documents.<\/p>\n
At the door, Susan turned toward Nathan.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou wanted the promotion as much as I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet out.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll tell you only what he has to.\u201d<\/p>\n
The door closed behind her.<\/p>\n
I remained beside the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did she have your password?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were preparing a presentation.<\/p>\n
I was driving, and she needed a file.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPasswords can be changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI forgot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor three months?\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace lowered the laptop lid.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan, stop giving partial answers.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pulled at his collar.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan used my account more than once.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many times?\u201d Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know she created Parker Relocation Services?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know the company was paying separate allowances?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The word landed harder than shouting.<\/p>\n
I gripped the back of a chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you knew the shared apartment wasn\u2019t necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt saved money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us.<\/p>\n
I thought I could bring my unused allowance home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Susan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said she would do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett\u2019s voice sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe allowance is reimbursement for actual costs.<\/p>\n
It is not a cash bonus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s face went gray.<\/p>\n
Grace packed the papers into a clear evidence sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth of you are suspended while we review the accounts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth?\u201d Nathan rose.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe forged my wife\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the records currently point to your login.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett paused beside me.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie, the company will pay for an independent attorney to help secure your identity.<\/p>\n
You should not face this alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would you help me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I brought this mess to your table without checking it first.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd because Susan told me you refused to attend a meeting where you were never invited.\u201d<\/p>\n
After they left, Nathan followed me into the kitchen.<\/p>\n
\u201cNat, please look at me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I set my wedding ring on the counter.<\/p>\n
His breath caught.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou lied about Seattle.<\/p>\n
You lied about the apartment.<\/p>\n
You knew the housing was separate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was afraid you\u2019d say no.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t want an answer.<\/p>\n
You wanted permission after everything was finished.\u201d<\/p>\n
He reached for my hand.<\/p>\n
I moved it away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas there an affair?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you kiss her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence spread between us.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the promotion dinner.<\/p>\n
She kissed me, and for a few seconds I didn\u2019t stop her.\u201d<\/p>\n
My knees struck the cabinet.<\/p>\n
He caught my arm, but I pulled free.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stood in this house and told me nothing was happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt never happened again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut something happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
He wiped his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI liked how she made me feel.<\/p>\n
Important.<\/p>\n
Capable.<\/p>\n
I liked being admired, and I let that matter more than being honest with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
My hand closed around the ring on the counter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could have survived an ugly truth,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou made me live inside a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n
A knock sounded at the back door.<\/p>\n
A young woman stood outside holding a cardboard file box.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m Laura Chen,\u201d she said when I opened it.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan\u2019s assistant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan stiffened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n
Laura\u2019s hands trembled around the box.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan told me to destroy these.\u201d<\/p>\n
She placed it on the table.<\/p>\n
Inside were printed emails, copied identification documents and receipts from Parker Relocation Services.<\/p>\n
\u201cI helped her organize them,\u201d Laura said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me they were approved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy bring them to me?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause your driver\u2019s license was on top.\u201d<\/p>\n
She reached beneath the receipts and pulled out a flash drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd because this contains the recording Susan made of Nathan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan stopped breathing.<\/p>\n
Laura looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was never planning to go to Seattle with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pointed to a receipt carrying Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was planning to make it look as if all three of you stole the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chapter 6: The Lie That Looked Like Proof<\/p>\n
Grace returned within an hour and copied the flash drive onto her laptop.<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett stood behind her while Laura sat beside me.<\/p>\n
Nathan remained across the room.<\/p>\n
Grace opened the first recording.<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s voice came through the speakers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the housing money goes into the new account, Natalie won\u2019t see it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan answered, \u201cShe checks everything.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t use our regular account.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat conversation was about a surprise anniversary trip,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe cut out the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace played the next file.<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s voice again: \u201cUse my login.<\/p>\n
I trust you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan replied, \u201cThen I\u2019ll take care of all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s edited,\u201d Nathan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cCheck the original files.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are the only copies Laura brought,\u201d Grace replied.<\/p>\n
Laura shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan kept the originals on her office computer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan stepped toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said you had proof.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said I had what she told me to destroy.\u201d<\/p>\n
My phone rang.<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s name appeared on the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnswer it,\u201d Grace said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPut it on speaker.\u201d<\/p>\n
I did.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie, we need to talk privately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSay what you have to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re surrounded by people who will protect the company, not you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou used my identity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan used you first.\u201d<\/p>\n
His hands curled at his sides.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell her the recordings are edited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would I edit your own words?\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace leaned close to the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan, return to the office.<\/p>\n
Do not access your computer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGrace?<\/p>\n
How convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReturn immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m already with my attorney.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s voice changed as she addressed me again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can keep your name out of this, Natalie.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTell Grace that you signed the consent form and opened the account.<\/p>\n
Say you forgot because Nathan handled the details.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what do I receive for that lie?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour mortgage gets paid off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan moved toward the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re trying to bribe my wife?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m offering her the only chance to save her home.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would my home need saving?\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan was silent for one beat too long.<\/p>\n
Grace began typing.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie, check your mortgage account.\u201d<\/p>\n
I opened the banking app.<\/p>\n
A new line sat beneath our usual balance: SECOND LIEN\u2014PENDING REVIEW.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe application used your login,\u201d Susan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett leaned over the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just admitted knowing how it was submitted.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew the account details before Natalie opened them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s breathing sharpened.<\/p>\n
Then the call ended.<\/p>\n
Grace dialed the company\u2019s technology director.<\/p>\n
\u201cDisable Susan\u2019s access now.\u201d<\/p>\n
A man answered after two rings.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying.<\/p>\n
Someone is deleting the Seattle files.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPreserve the server.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s using Nathan\u2019s credentials.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett stared at Nathan.<\/p>\n
Nathan sat down slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s making it look like me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace\u2019s phone chimed.<\/p>\n
She read the incoming message and turned the screen toward us.<\/p>\n
It was an email from Susan to the company\u2019s executive board.<\/p>\n
Attached were the forged consent, the joint account application and Nathan\u2019s recordings.<\/p>\n
The subject line read: URGENT\u2014RELOCATION MISCONDUCT BY NATHAN AND NATALIE COLE.<\/p>\n
My name was now inside the lie.<\/p>\n
Nathan reached across the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cNat, I\u2019ll fix this.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pulled my hand away.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou already had three weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett\u2019s phone rang next.<\/p>\n
He listened, said nothing, then placed it down.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe board has terminated Nathan\u2019s access and frozen the investigation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey believe Susan is the whistleblower.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laura\u2019s face crumpled.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.<\/p>\n
She planned this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you prove it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Laura stared into the open box.<\/p>\n
Then she reached beneath the folded cardboard base and pulled out a second phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Susan forgot I was still recording when she told me whose signature to copy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chapter 7: The Voice She Never Expected<\/p>\n
Grace connected the phone to her laptop.<\/p>\n
The recording began with rustling papers and Susan speaking to Laura.<\/p>\n
\u201cUse Natalie\u2019s signature from the mortgage scan.<\/p>\n
Nathan has already given me access.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laura\u2019s recorded voice sounded uncertain.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Natalie know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knows what her husband tells her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett\u2019s receipt?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCopy his approval from last year.<\/p>\n
By the time anyone checks, Nathan\u2019s login will be all over the files.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan gripped the edge of the table.<\/p>\n
Susan continued on the recording.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan thinks he\u2019s going to Seattle.<\/p>\n
He isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Once the money clears, the board will see he mishandled the account, and I\u2019ll take his place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laura covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
Grace stopped the recording.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did you participate?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI needed the job,\u201d Laura said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother\u2019s medical bills were behind, and Susan reminded me every week that she could replace me.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at me, tears running down her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI should have spoken sooner.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
I moved my chair beside hers.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou came when she told you to destroy the truth.<\/p>\n
That matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can forgive her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe brought me evidence.<\/p>\n
You brought Susan my private documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
He lowered his eyes.<\/p>\n
Grace called the board and demanded an emergency meeting.<\/p>\n
Two hours later, we sat in the company conference room while Susan entered with an attorney.<\/p>\n
She stopped when she saw Laura.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stole company property,\u201d Susan said.<\/p>\n
Laura set the second phone on the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.<\/p>\n
I saved it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan turned to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re trusting an assistant who copied confidential files?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trusting your own voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace played the recording.<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s attorney leaned toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s manipulated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe server logs are manipulated too?\u201d Grace asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey show you accessed Nathan\u2019s account from your workstation while he was logged into a video meeting from home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan folded her arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe asked me to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he ask you to create Parker Relocation Services?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t own that business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace slid a registration form across the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour brother owns it.<\/p>\n
You filed the paperwork as its authorized agent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s attorney stopped taking notes.<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett placed another document beside it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Seattle client also confirmed they requested one project manager.<\/p>\n
Not two.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan stared at Susan.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were never assigned.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was building the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou let me destroy my marriage for a trip you knew you weren\u2019t taking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did that yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words struck him silent.<\/p>\n
I faced her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy use me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause no one checks a wife\u2019s signature when her husband submits the paperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou thought I would be too embarrassed to speak.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought you would protect him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI protected the truth instead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan pushed back her chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen enjoy the truth.<\/p>\n
Nathan chose me every time he hid something from you.\u201d<\/p>\n
My throat tightened, but I kept my eyes on hers.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe chose cowardice,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat does not make you loved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her attorney whispered, \u201cWe need to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour access is disabled.<\/p>\n
Your employment is suspended pending termination, and the company is referring the forged documents and diverted funds to the authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan grabbed the registration form.<\/p>\n
Grace held the other end.<\/p>\n
\u201cRelease it,\u201d Grace said.<\/p>\n
Susan tore it down the middle.<\/p>\n
Nobody moved.<\/p>\n
Grace opened her folder and removed three identical copies.<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s hand fell to her side.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think this is over?\u201d she said to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Nathan loses everything, he\u2019ll blame you for refusing my deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor once, I\u2019ll blame the person who lied.<\/p>\n
That includes me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan looked around the table.<\/p>\n
Her attorney would not meet her eyes.<\/p>\n
As she reached the door, she gave me one final smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still have no idea what your husband promised me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
And I knew she had saved her cruelest truth for last.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Chapter 8: What Honesty Cost<\/p>\n
The door remained open behind Susan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you promise her?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Nathan looked toward Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett and Grace.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I speak to Natalie alone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrivacy is where all of this grew.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sat down again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told Susan that if Seattle went well, I would ask for a separation.\u201d<\/p>\n
My fingers closed around the arms of my chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cWere you planning to leave me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was angry when I said it.<\/p>\n
You and I had argued about my work, and Susan told me you were holding me back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
He swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor one night, I imagined leaving.<\/p>\n
The next morning, I told her I didn\u2019t mean it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you stop sharing secrets with her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice broke on the second word.<\/p>\n
I removed my wedding ring from my pocket and placed it before him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI nearly lost my name, my home and my savings because you were afraid of an honest conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n
He touched the ring but did not pick it up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happens to us?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou move out today.<\/p>\n
You tell the investigators everything.<\/p>\n
You repay every dollar you improperly accepted, even if Susan took it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd after that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
That is the first honest answer you\u2019re getting from me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Three weeks later, I sat beside Laura at the company\u2019s disciplinary hearing.<\/p>\n
Susan entered without the confidence she had carried into my home.<\/p>\n
The board chair opened a file.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan Parker, your employment is terminated for falsifying records, diverting company funds and retaliating against employees who questioned you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s lips tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan approved the arrangement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan has received separate consequences,\u201d the chair replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis hearing concerns you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace placed the repayment order on the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe company is seeking the full forty-eight thousand dollars, legal costs and the funds routed through Parker Relocation Services.\u201d<\/p>\n
A woman in a dark suit stepped forward after the hearing.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan Parker?\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m an investigator with the financial offenses unit.<\/p>\n
I need you to come with me regarding the forged identity documents and attempted lien.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan looked directly at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could have taken my deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou offered me silence.<\/p>\n
I chose my name.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her mouth twisted.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it cost you your husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.<\/p>\n
His choices cost me my husband.<\/p>\n
Your choices cost you everything standing in this room.\u201d<\/p>\n
The investigator opened the door.<\/p>\n
Susan paused beside Laura.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll never work in this industry again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett stepped between them.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaura starts Monday as a compliance analyst.<\/p>\n
You no longer decide where she works.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laura\u2019s hand found mine beneath the table.<\/p>\n
Susan\u2019s final expression was not anger.<\/p>\n
It was disbelief.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis company would have fallen apart without me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Mr.<\/p>\n
Bennett held the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re about to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
The door closed behind her.<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s hearing began that afternoon.<\/p>\n
He admitted sharing his password, concealing the housing arrangement and failing to report Susan\u2019s access.<\/p>\n
The board chair removed the Seattle contract from the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour promotion is withdrawn.<\/p>\n
You will repay the allowance, complete a formal ethics program and remain on probation if you choose to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan looked at me before answering.<\/p>\n
\u201cI accept.\u201d<\/p>\n
Outside the building, he handed me a signed separation agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI rented a small apartment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo roommates.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost smiled, but tears came instead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t want our marriage to end like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
He wiped his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeither did I.<\/p>\n
But I kept choosing the lie that was easiest that day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI needed you to choose me when I wasn\u2019t in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
He did not reach for me.<\/p>\n
That small restraint hurt more than a hundred apologies.<\/p>\n
Six months later, Nathan came to the house carrying the final mortgage release.<\/p>\n
The false lien had been removed, the joint account had been closed, and my credit record carried a formal correction.<\/p>\n
He placed the paper in my hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour home is clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur divorce is final tomorrow,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you still in counseling?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery Thursday.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded toward the wedding ring resting in a small box on the hall table.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He closed the box but left it where it was.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.<\/p>\n
It belonged to the man I promised to be.<\/p>\n
I hope one day I become him, even if you never see it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I cried then\u2014not quietly, and not alone.<\/p>\n
Nathan stood a few feet away with tears on his own face, but he did not ask me to comfort him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did love you,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sorry I treated that love as something guaranteed.\u201d<\/p>\n
He picked up his coat.<\/p>\n
At the door, he turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoodbye, Nat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGoodbye, Nathan.\u201d<\/p>\n
After he left, Laura arrived with two cups of coffee and a folder from her new office.<\/p>\n
She looked at the closed door, then at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want me to stay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She put the coffee on the table and wrapped both arms around me.<\/p>\n
I let the tears come until there were none left.<\/p>\n
Then we sat by the window, opened the folder confirming my name had been cleared, and watched the morning light spread across a home that was finally mine.<\/p>\n
Trust can survive a painful truth, but it cannot live where honesty is always postponed.<\/p>\n
Have you ever had to choose your dignity after someone you loved broke your trust?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chapter 1: The Dinner I Was Never Meant to Understand My husband invited his boss to dinner without asking me…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipesecrets.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipesecrets.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipesecrets.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipesecrets.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipesecrets.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2959"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/recipesecrets.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2961,"href":"https:\/\/recipesecrets.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2959\/revisions\/2961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipesecrets.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipesecrets.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipesecrets.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipesecrets.delicedcook.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}