Chapter 15
There it was.
Not innocence.
Not villainy.
Something painfully human.
“I was sick, scared, and selfish enough to want someone familiar beside me.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“But I never asked him to divorce you.”
I believed her.
That was the worst part.
I believed her because six years later she had nothing to gain from lying to me.
“What happened after?”
“Adrian left the hospital just before dawn.”
She swallowed.
“He came back later that afternoon.”
My heart tightened.
“After giving me the papers.”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“That his marriage was over.”
I stared toward the stained-glass window.
“Were you together after that?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.”
My head snapped toward her.
“No?”
“He tried.”
The word cut.
“For how long?”
“A few weeks.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Of course.”
“He was miserable.”
“Do you expect that to comfort me?”
“No.”
She looked directly at me.
“I’m telling you because you deserve facts, not comfort.”
I forced myself to listen.
“He would sit across from me and barely speak.”
Vanessa’s mouth trembled.
“Every time his phone rang, he looked at it like he hoped it was you.”
My chest hurt.
“He was the one who divorced me.”
“I know.”
“He told me I was a mistake.”
“I know.”
“He could have called.”
“Yes.”
Her agreement destroyed every defense I was preparing.
“He could have gone after you.”
“Yes.”
“He didn’t.”
“No.”
Vanessa looked at me steadily.
“He chose pride over love, Evelyn.”
I shut my eyes.
“I spent six years hating you.”
“I know.”
“It was easier.”
“I know that too.”
A tear slipped down her cheek.
“I spent six years hating myself.”
Neither of us spoke for a while.
Finally, I asked, “Tell me about the twins.”
She nodded.
“I followed you from the research building because I wanted to know whether I had really seen what I thought I saw.”
“You photographed us.”
“One photograph.”
“Why?”
“Because I knew Adrian would never believe me if I only told him.”
“How did you know they were his?”
“I didn’t know for certain.”
She breathed shakily.
“But Noah looks exactly like Adrian did when we were children.”
That detail caught me.
“You knew Adrian when he was six?”
“Our families lived on the same street.”
I had known they were childhood friends.
I had never considered what that meant.
“I watched you three for less than an hour.”