Three Big Secrets - S01 E04

Story 2 months ago

Three Big Secrets - S01 E04

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 4

Episode 4: Three Big Secrets

The loud sound of the crash was still ringing in Mark’s ears as he ran out of the back door. For a few seconds, he forgot about the paper on the kitchen table. He forgot about the lies Linda had told him. He forgot about the doctor and the hospital. In that moment, he was not a man who had just found out a terrible secret. He was just a protector. He was a man who heard a sound of danger and ran to help. His legs moved fast across the grass. His heart was pounding against his ribs, but this time it was because he was scared for his children.

When he reached the middle of the backyard, he saw what had happened. Their big glass table was in many tiny pieces on the ground. The sun hit the broken glass and made it sparkle, but it was a very dangerous kind of beauty. Standing right in the middle of the mess was Leo. The boy was shaking from head to toe. He was looking down at his right hand. A long piece of glass had cut his palm, and bright red blood was starting to drip onto the white patio stones. Leo’s eyes were wide and full of tears. He looked very small and very helpless.

Mark reached out his arms instinctively. He wanted to pick the boy up and tell him that everything was going to be okay. He wanted to carry him inside and wash the wound. But just as his hands were about to touch Leo’s shoulders, Mark froze. It was like his body had turned into a block of ice.

He looked closely at Leo’s face. He had looked at this face for nine years, but today, it looked different. For the first time, Mark was not looking at the boy with the eyes of a loving father. He was looking at the boy like a scientist looking at a puzzle. He looked at the shape of Leo’s nose. It was straight and narrow, not wide like Mark’s. He looked at the curve of the boy’s chin. It was sharp and strong. Mark’s chin was soft and round.

Mark realized that he did not see himself in this boy at all. He looked at Leo and he did not see the Harrison family features. Instead, he saw a stranger. He saw the shadow of the man Linda had chosen. He saw the face of the person who had actually given life to this child. The realization felt like a heavy fist hitting him right in the middle of his chest. It took his breath away. It hurt more than any physical injury could ever hurt.

Mark took a deep breath and forced himself to move. Even if he felt like a stranger, he could not leave a bleeding child standing in broken glass. He reached down and gently picked Leo up. He carried him into the house, walking past Linda who was still crying in the kitchen. He did not look at her. He went straight to the bathroom and sat Leo on the edge of the tub.

Mark’s hands were trembling as he opened the first aid kit. He took out some soap and a white bandage. He worked very quietly. He cleaned the cut and wrapped the bandage around Leo’s hand. Usually, when this happened, Mark would tell a funny story to make Leo laugh. He would kiss the top of the boy’s head and tell him he was a brave soldier. But today, the warmth was gone. There were no jokes. There were no kisses. There was only a cold, heavy feeling of duty.

"Thank you, Daddy," Leo whispered. He sniffed and wiped a tear from his cheek with his good hand.

When Leo said the word "Daddy," Mark felt a sharp pain. It felt like a thin, sharp needle was being pushed into his skin. Every time the children called him that name, it reminded him of the lie. It reminded him that he was playing a part in a story that was not true. He realized that he was not the father. He was just a man who had been invited to stay in a house and pay the bills.

The rest of the evening was very quiet. Nobody wanted to eat dinner. The children stayed in their rooms, sensing that the air in the house was full of sadness. Mark did not go to the bedroom he shared with Linda. He could not stand to be near her. He could not look at the bed where they had slept for ten years. Every piece of furniture in that room felt like it was covered in lies.

Instead, Mark went to the small guest room at the end of the hallway. He closed the door and turned off the light. He did not even take off his shoes. He just laid down on top of the bed and stared up at the dark ceiling. The house was very still, but Mark’s mind was very loud.

He started to think about all the memories he had collected over the last ten years. He thought about the day Leo was born. He remembered the smell of the hospital and the way the tiny baby had gripped his thumb. He thought about Sarah’s first steps in the park. He remembered how proud he felt when she walked toward him with a big smile. He thought about the school plays where he sat in the front row, cheering as loud as he could. He thought about the birthday cakes he had helped decorate and the bedtime stories he had read every single night.

In the dark guest room, Mark realized something very painful. Every memory he cherished was like a scene from a movie. It was a beautiful movie with happy music and bright colors. But in this movie, Mark was the only person who did not know the truth. He was like an extra who thought he was the main character. He thought he was the hero of the story, but he was actually just someone standing in the background while the real story happened somewhere else.

He felt like his whole life had been a trick played on him by the person he trusted most. He felt foolish. He felt like everyone in the world was laughing at him behind his back. Did the other man know? Did the real father watch Mark raise his children from a distance? The thought made Mark’s blood run cold.

Mark did not sleep. He stayed awake all night, watching the shadows move across the ceiling. He waited and waited as the hours ticked by. He felt like he was waiting for the world to end, but the world didn't end. Instead, the night slowly began to fade. A little bit of grey light started to peek through the curtains. The sun was coming up, and a new day was beginning. But for Mark, it was the beginning of a hunt.

He knew he could not live like this. He could not stay in a house full of questions. He had to know the truth. He had to find out who the real father was. He needed to know the name of the man who had taken his place without him even knowing it. He needed to see the face of the stranger he had seen in Leo’s chin and nose.

Mark stood up from the guest bed. His body felt old and tired, but his mind was very sharp. He opened the door of the guest room very quietly. The hallway was dark and silent. He could hear the soft sound of Linda’s breathing coming from their bedroom. He felt like a spy in his own home. He crept down the hallway, making sure he did not step on any floorboards that might squeak.

He reached the door of the master bedroom and pushed it open just a little bit. The room was dim, but he could see Linda asleep in the large bed. She looked very peaceful, which made Mark feel a fresh wave of anger. How could she sleep so well after what she had done?

Mark’s eyes moved to the nightstand next to the bed. There, sitting right on the edge of the wood, was Linda’s phone.

It was plugged into the charger. Suddenly, the screen of the phone lit up. It gave off a soft, blue glow in the dark room. There was a new notification. Someone had sent a message.

Mark walked into the room on his tiptoes. He reached out his hand and picked up the phone. His heart was beating so hard he thought it might wake Linda up. He looked at the screen. The message was from a contact that did not have a name, only a number.

He read the words on the screen, and suddenly, he felt like his heart had stopped beating entirely. The message was short, but it was the most terrifying thing Mark had ever read. It changed everything he thought he knew about the secret.

Mark stood there in the dark, holding the glowing phone, and realized that the nightmare was far from over. The truth was much bigger and much scarier than he had ever imagined.

What do you think was in the message?

Who do you think sent a message to Linda so early in the morning?

Why does Mark feel like an "extra" in his own life? Do you think he is right to feel that way?

If you were Mark, would you have looked at the phone, or would you have walked away?

Do you think the children know that Mark is looking at them differently now?

Is it possible that the real father is someone Mark knows very well?

The mystery is getting deeper and deeper! Mark has seen something on that phone that has changed everything. What could be so scary that it made his heart stop? You have to find out! Make sure you are following our page so you can see Episode 5 as soon as it drops. The secrets are starting to come out, and nobody is safe!