My world stopped the moment I heard the taxi driver speak. It was Torin’s voice—the same gentle tone that had comforted me countless times before our wedding. I stared into the rearview mirror, unable to breathe, convinced grief had finally broken my mind. Yet the eyes looking back at me were real, filled with fear instead of joy. He carefully pulled the taxi onto a quiet side street, turned off the engine, and gripped the steering wheel as if gathering the courage to reveal an impossible truth.

When he slowly turned to face me, tears filled both our eyes. I wanted to embrace him, scream at him, and demand answers all at once. Before I could say another word, he whispered, “Everything you’ve been told is a lie… and if anyone sees us together, neither of us will survive.” My heart pounded as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a worn envelope.