I had been foolish enough to believe marriage required trust.
Now the trust was gone, and clarity arrived behind it.
I turned to Mr. Meyers. “Can my children wait in the den while we handle this?”
“Of course.”
I knelt in front of Lily and Noah. Lily was fighting tears. Noah’s lower lip trembled.
“Mommy’s not leaving,” I told them. “You are safe. Go watch cartoons in the den. Mrs. Hanley will sit with you for a few minutes.”
Mrs. Hanley, who had stopped pretending to water anything, hurried over. “Of course, honey.”
Daniel reached toward Noah. “He’s my son.”
Noah stepped behind me.
That hurt Daniel more than the deed.
Once the children were inside, I faced him. “Now talk.”
He pulled at his collar. “Emily, listen. I made mistakes.”
Vanessa laughed bitterly. “Mistakes? You said this house was yours. You said the divorce would be clean. You said she would be grateful for whatever you gave her.”
I looked at Daniel. “You told her I’d be grateful?”
He glared at Vanessa, but she was no longer loyal. She had done the math. A man who lied about his wife having nothing could lie about anything.
“I built a life for us,” Daniel said.
“No,” I answered. “I built the floor you stood on.”
His eyes sharpened. “You think money makes you powerful now?”
