After I returned home, my phone kept buzzing with notifications. I initially ignored them, but the sheer number of messages made me check my phone.

All of them were from Damon.

I scrolled to the very top.

The first messages he sent were several group photos taken during his trip around the time my father passed away. The photos included men and women, with a few where he wasn't standing next to Carol.

I didn't understand what he was trying to convey until I read his accompanying messages.

"I wasn't alone with Carol; we were with others. It was just a coincidence that we sat together for some photos."

He...