Chương 5
Robert parked where he could see the entrance.
He had promised not to come inside unless Emily called.
Lauren arrived wearing sunglasses and carrying no purse.
She looked as though she had not slept.
Emily’s bruise required no explanation.
Lauren stared at it.
“Oh my God.”
“Sit down.”
Lauren did.
For a while she folded and unfolded the paper sleeve around her coffee cup.
Finally Emily said, “What happened?”
Lauren looked toward the window.
“Ethan had a temper when we were kids.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
“I know.”
“Did he hit somebody?”
Lauren’s fingers stopped.
“Our mother.”
Emily said nothing.
“Once,” Lauren said quickly. “At least, once that I saw.”
“How old was he?”
“Twenty.”
“And you?”
“Seventeen.”
“What happened?”
“They were arguing about money. He wanted her to cosign a car loan. She said no.”
Emily felt the room narrow.
“What did he do?”
“He shoved her.”
“That’s not what you were going to say.”
Lauren’s mouth tightened.
“He slapped her.”
Emily looked at her coffee.
“Did your father know?”
“Our father was already gone.”
Dead at forty-nine from a heart attack.
Ethan had told Emily that losing him had made Ethan the man of the family.
Lauren rubbed her forehead.
“Mom made me promise not to tell anyone.”
“Why?”
“Because she was embarrassed.”
Emily understood that immediately.
It made her angry.
Understanding it made her angrier.
“Did he ever hurt you?”
Lauren shook her head.
Then stopped.
“Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
“He scared me.”
“How?”
“He broke things. He punched walls. Once he drove ninety miles an hour because we were arguing.”
Emily looked out the window.
Robert was visible through the windshield of his SUV, pretending to read something on his phone.
“How long did you know he could be like this?”
Lauren’s eyes filled.
“Emily.”
“How long?”
“I convinced myself he grew out of it.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“Years.”
Emily stood.
Lauren grabbed her wrist.
Emily jerked away.
Lauren immediately released her.
“I’m sorry.”
Emily remained standing.
“You watched me marry him.”
“You didn’t marry him.”
“You watched me almost marry him.”
“I know.”
“You let me.”
Lauren began crying.
A woman at the next table glanced over and then quickly looked away.
Emily hated that she cared.
She sat again.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because he was happy with you.”
Emily stared at her.
Lauren winced.
“I know how that sounds.”
“No, I don’t think you do.”
“I thought maybe you were different.”
“Different enough that he wouldn’t hit me?”
“I thought he was different with you.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
Lauren covered her face.
“I know.”
For several seconds, neither woman spoke.
The espresso machine hissed behind the counter.
A toddler dropped a plastic dinosaur and began crying as though something terrible had happened. His father picked it up, wiped it on his shirt, and handed it back.
Emily watched them.
“I need you to tell the truth if somebody asks.”
Lauren lowered her hands.
“Who?”
“The police. A lawyer. Whoever.”
Lauren looked frightened.
“Are you reporting him?”
“I haven’t decided.”
“If you do, he’ll know I told you.”
“Yes.”
Lauren looked toward the window.
Emily waited.
“No,” Lauren whispered.
Emily felt something inside her sink.
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re protecting him.”
“I’m protecting my daughter.”
Emily almost argued.
Then she stopped.
Lauren’s daughter was eleven.
“What does Sophie have to do with this?”
“Ethan invested money for us.”
“What money?”
“Most of our savings.”
Emily stared at her.
“My husband’s business slowed down last year. Ethan offered to put our savings into one of his projects. If he gets angry—”
“He can’t just take your money.”
“I don’t know what he can do.”
“Do you have paperwork?”
“Yes.”
“Then get a lawyer.”
“With what money?”
Emily had no answer.
Lauren wiped her face.
“This is what he does.”
“What?”
“He makes helping him expensive.”
That sentence followed Emily home.
By afternoon, Ethan had sent eleven messages.
The first three were apologies.
I lost control.
I hate myself for what happened.
Please let me explain.
Then:
Your father humiliated me.
We both know last night wasn’t one-sided.
You shoved me too.
Then:
If you’re going to involve lawyers, I need to know now.
Finally:
We have financial matters that affect both of us.
Emily showed them to an attorney.
Her name was Rachel Kim, and Robert knew her through work.
Emily nearly refused to meet her for that reason alone.
“I don’t want Dad arranging my life.”
Rachel looked at Robert.
“You can wait outside.”
Robert sighed.
By the third day after the canceled wedding, he had spent a remarkable amount of time in parking lots.
Rachel reviewed the messages.
“You were not married, correct?”
“No.”
“No courthouse ceremony? No license already filed?”
“No.”
“Do you jointly own property?”
“No.”
“Joint bank accounts?”
“No.”
“Shared credit cards?”
“One card. He’s an authorized user on mine.”
“Remove him today.”
Emily did.
It took four minutes.
She stared at the confirmation screen afterward.
Eighteen months of shared dinners, flights, furniture purchases, groceries, hotel rooms, flowers, engagement parties, and ordinary Tuesdays reduced to a notification:
Authorized user removed.
Rachel asked about the apartment.
Emily rented it before meeting Ethan. His name was not on the lease.
“Change the locks.”
“He has things there.”
“Arrange a supervised retrieval.”
Rachel did not dramatize anything.
Emily liked her for that.
They discussed the assault, documentation, police reporting, and the possibility of seeking a protective order depending on Ethan’s conduct. Rachel was careful not to promise outcomes.
“Evidence matters,” she said. “Context matters. His admission in front of witnesses may matter. Your medical documentation may matter. But nobody responsible should tell you one fact guarantees a particular result.”
Emily nodded.
“What about his finances?”
“Why?”
Emily explained the attempted agreement.
Rachel’s expression changed.
“Do you have it?”
“I tore it up.”
“Where?”
“The villa.”
“Did you throw it away?”
“I think so.”
Rachel tapped her pen.
“Did anyone else see it?”
“Ethan.”
May you like
“That’s not ideal.”
“I wasn’t planning an evidence chain while being threatened on my rehearsal night.”
