PART 4
PART 4
Three weeks after Grant was transferred to federal prison, I thought the nightmare was finally over.
Then my phone rang.
The caller ID displayed an unfamiliar number.
Against my better judgment, I answered.
There was only silence.
Then Grant's voice.
"They're not telling you everything."
My stomach tightened.
"You should've taken the plea with me," he continued, his voice strangely calm.
"You still don't understand why your father was really deployed that week."
Before I could respond, the call disconnected.
The prison confirmed Grant had made the call legally.
But one sentence refused to leave my mind.
They're not telling you everything.
That evening, Dad arrived carrying groceries like always.
He smiled when he saw Hope sleeping peacefully.
But the moment I mentioned Grant's phone call...
The smile disappeared.
For the first time in my life, my father hesitated before answering a question.
"Is there something you're not telling me?"
He looked out the window for a long moment.
Then quietly admitted,
"Grant didn't choose you by accident."
My heart stopped.
"What do you mean?"
"He knew exactly who you were before he ever asked you out."
Dad placed an old military file on the kitchen table.
Inside were photographs taken years before I met Grant.
Photos of me.
Photos of my college graduation.
Photos of my apartment.
Photos of my daily routine.
Grant had been watching me long before we fell in love.
"He married you..."
Dad said quietly,
"...because someone wanted access to our family."
The room fell silent.
Everything I believed about our marriage changed once again.
Maybe Grant had never loved me.
May you like
Maybe I had always been the mission.
End of Part 4
