Winter Secret

The weather outside was freezing.

Snow came down in thick sheets, piling up against the road until the world beyond the window was nothing more than a white blur. She could barely see ten yards ahead. She pressed her fingertips against the cold glass. Beyond the white curtain, the quiet street lay still, buried under a blanket of untouched snow. No cars passing, no voices, no movement. Only the soft hiss of falling flakes filled the world. Nights like this once comforted her; tonight they felt like a wall closing in.

She stood there, watching the snowfall gather on the glass, the sky heavy and swollen with clouds that refused to rest. Her hands wrapped around a warm cup of tea. Steam rose and brushed her face as she brought it closer. Old memories stirred—ones she had tried for years to forget. She remembered a night long ago: the shouting, the slap across her face, the way she ran from that house. She had promised herself, back then, that she would never let anyone control her life again. Leaving him had felt like waking from a nightmare. And when she met Matt—steady, gentle, patient—she believed the past had finally loosened its grip. But now, standing there with her phone shaking in her hand, she felt that old fear crawling back under her skin.

Her forehead grew damp with sweat. She set the cup down and reached for her phone.

A message glowed on the screen:

Now I know where you are. Send the money, or I will tear apart your newly built life. You know me, right?

Her chest tightened. She massaged her forehead slowly, her fingers cold and shaking. A part of her wished she could run back into the past and undo the single mistake that chained her to this man.

Then she heard footsteps behind her.

“Mom, are you sick?”

She turned. “No, darling… it’s okay.”

Her child came closer. “But I see that you’re sweating.”

“Mom, who are you talking to?”

“No one. Just an old friend.”

“Which auntie is it?”

“Don’t you want to watch TV for a bit? Maybe read your book?”

Her phone rang.

“Oh, it’s Daddy!” the kid screamed. “I want to talk to him, please!”

She put it on speaker. “Matt, Jenny wants to talk to you.”

“Jenny, my dear,” Matt’s voice came warm through the speaker, “I’ll be arriving soon.”

She frowned. “You should have arrived by now, I thought?”

“Sorry, baby. I’ll be a bit late. We’re stuck in traffic—heavy snowfall, and there was an accident on the road.”

She ended the call. While her child played with the phone, it rang again. This time, no name appeared.

“Mom, is it Daddy again?”

“No, darling. Give it to me.”

“Okay. Here.”

Her hands trembled as she stepped back toward the window and answered.

A hoarse voice filled her ear. “Did you send it?”

“For God’s sake, get out of my life.”

“Do you not understand I have nothing to lose?”

“I need time…”

He cut her off. “If the money isn’t in my account by tomorrow morning, I’ll ruin your life. Understand?”

“You’re evil.” A tear slid down her cheek.

“A good kind of evil, right? Giving you one last chance to save your precious life?”

She hung up and whispered, “Damn you…”

For a moment she stood still, unable to tell whether she was trembling from the cold or from the truth she had hidden for so long.

She moved to the wardrobe on the other side of the room, took out her coat and shawl, and approached the door.

“Where are you going, Mom?”

“I’ll be here, darling. Just taking some fresh air, okay?”

As she opened the door, a blast of cold swept in, carrying the smell of frozen earth and chimney smoke from distant houses. For a moment she hesitated, looking back at her child—small, trusting, unaware of the world she once escaped. The ache in her chest tightened. She wondered how many more lies she could build before everything collapsed.

She stepped outside. The cold slapped her skin instantly. She pulled a cigarette from her pocket, placed it between her lips, and inhaled deeply. The smoke warmed her chest for a second before dissolving into the freezing air. Every drag carried a memory—her old home, her old life, the man she had escaped, the fear she thought she had defeated.

Her phone rang again.

“Baby, everything seems clear now. I’ll be there soon,” Matt said.

“See you,” she whispered.

She dropped the cigarette, crushed the butt under her shoe, and let out a long breath.

She hesitated, knowing that once she spoke those words, there would be no turning back—not for him, not for her.

She dialed him again.

“I love you so much, Matt. I’ve always loved you. You know that, right?”

“Of course. What are you talking about?” he asked, confusion tightening his tone.

“No matter what happens… I’ve always loved you.”

She ended the call abruptly.

Her voice lingered in the air like smoke, and for a second she wondered whether she had just ruined the very thing she wanted to protect.

She hurried back inside.

“Mommy, when will Dad arrive?”

“He’ll arrive soon. I have to go somewhere, darling. When your dad arrives, give this to him, okay?” She handed her child a small sealed note.

“Okay.”

She typed a final message:

Be at the train station. I’ll bring you the cash in half an hour. Okay?

A reply appeared almost instantly:

Sounds good.

—

When Matt arrived home, Jenny ran toward him.

“Dad, this is what Mom gave me.”

“Where is she, Jenny?”

“She left the house a bit earlier.”

Matt rushed outside, saw only falling snow, then stepped back in. He sat down, tore open the sealed note, and began to read.

—

My dearest Matt,

Twelve years ago, I fell in love with you. Today, I love you and our daughter, Jenny, with every beat of my heart.

Fifteen years ago, because of family pressures, I was forced into an engagement with someone who struggled with addiction. I always wanted to tell you, but I feared it would ruin what we built. You once told me, “No matter what your past is, I love who you are now.” I held on to those words.

But my past didn’t stay where it belonged. He found me again. I never cheated on you. Please believe that.

Whatever happens next, remember: I have always loved you.

With all my love,