Chương 7
He did not throw it out.
He placed it beside the bedroom door and went to sleep on the couch.
He slept for forty-three minutes.
The next morning a video of the chapel confrontation had reached the internet.
Not all of it.
Twelve seconds.
Lily’s accusation was missing. So was the ring hitting the floor. The clip began with Rebecca entering the chapel.
“Darling, everyone is waiting.”
Then Daniel holding up the photograph.
“Good. They can watch you explain why your first husband is alive.”
Then Rebecca dropping the bouquet.
Someone had added text describing it as a “SECRET HUSBAND WEDDING DISASTER.”
Daniel watched once.
He did not watch again.
By eight thirty it had been sent to him by five people.
By nine, one of his business partners called.
Marcus Greene had known Daniel for twelve years and had the irritating habit of clearing his throat before saying anything unpleasant.
He cleared his throat.
“You’ve seen the video.”
“Yes.”
“Anything we need to worry about professionally?”
“No.”
“Is Rebecca going to claim you threatened her?”
Daniel sat at his kitchen table.
“What?”
“I’m asking.”
“I held up a photograph.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t touch her.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you asking?”
“Because the internet turns twelve seconds into whatever it needs by lunch.”
Daniel hated that Marcus was right.
“What do you need from me?”
“Nothing today. Just don’t post.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“Don’t reply either.”
“I know how the internet works.”
“You’re furious.”
“I’m drinking coffee.”
Marcus waited.
Daniel sighed.
“Fine. I won’t post.”
“Good.”
“How’s the Millbrook bid?”
“You are not working today.”
“I asked about the bid.”
“Go take a walk.”
Daniel hung up.
Five minutes later he opened Aaron’s documents.
The marriage certificate was real.
Aaron Hayes and Rebecca Vale.
Eight years earlier.
A civil ceremony.
Two witnesses Daniel did not recognize.
The old divorce petition had been filed nine months later and dismissed after nearly a year without completion.
There was no final decree attached.
Then came email threads from January.
Aaron had written:
I checked because Lily needed family dates for school. The divorce case was dismissed. We need to fix this.
Rebecca had replied four days later:
Do not contact me through work again.
Aaron:
Fine. Tell me where to send the paperwork.
Rebecca:
I’ll have counsel handle it.
In February, an attorney had contacted Aaron.
In April, a new divorce petition had been prepared.
In May, there were arguments over service, addresses, and financial disclosures.
Nothing looked theatrical.
That made it more convincing.
Daniel printed several pages because he trusted paper when he was angry.
He knew this about himself and usually mocked it.
Today he fed page after page into the printer.
At ten forty, Carol arrived without permission carrying eggs, bread, bacon, and a container of cut fruit.
“I told you not to come.”
“You also told me you would eat.”
“I ate.”
“What?”
“Food.”
She looked at the cold noodle container in the trash.
“Disgusting.”
Daniel took the grocery bag.
Carol sat at the kitchen table.
“Lily is with Aaron.”
“I know.”
“He’s taking her home this afternoon.”
“I know.”
“Are you going to see him first?”
“No.”
“Daniel.”
“I spoke to him last night.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
He opened a cabinet harder than necessary.
Carol watched him.
“You do that thing your father did.”
Daniel stopped.
“What thing?”
“Move dishes when you don’t want to talk.”
He shut the cabinet.
“There. No dishes.”
She smiled despite herself.
For several minutes they made breakfast.
It was almost peaceful.
Carol burned one piece of bacon because she was reading a message from her sister. Daniel complained. She told him to eat around it.
Then she said, “Rebecca called me.”
He looked up.
“When?”
“This morning.”
“What did she want?”
“To apologize.”
“To you?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
Carol put down her fork.
“For letting me welcome her into the family while knowing she had already been in it.”
Daniel stared at his plate.
“What did you say?”
“I said I wasn’t the person she needed to talk to.”
“That was kind.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
He looked at her.
“I also called her a coward.”
There it was.
Carol sipped coffee.
“She agreed.”
Daniel looked out the window.
His anger did not weaken.
But it changed shape again.
At noon he called Erin Patel.
Erin had been a friend since graduate school before switching from municipal planning to law, a career decision Daniel had mocked until the first time he needed a contract reviewed.
She listened without interrupting.
When he finished, she said, “I am going to say something you won’t like.”
“Get in line.”
“You don’t know enough yet.”
“I have a marriage certificate.”
“That tells you there was a marriage.”
“I have a dismissed divorce case.”
“That suggests there may not have been a completed divorce from that proceeding.”
“I have emails.”
“Good. Preserve them.”
“Erin.”
“I’m not being evasive. I’m telling you not to become a family-law expert because your wedding exploded yesterday.”
He rubbed his forehead.
“So what do I do?”
“Nothing legally, unless you signed something I don’t know about.”
“We didn’t get married.”
“Good.”
“That sounded cruel.”
“It sounded practical.”
“Same thing with you.”
“Yes.”
She paused.
“If Rebecca asks you to sign any statement about what you knew before the ceremony, call someone who practices family law in the jurisdiction involved.”
“I’m not suing her.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
“I don’t want money.”
“I didn’t say you did.”
Daniel leaned back.
“Why does everyone think I’m about to do something?”
“Because you’re very calm.”
He frowned.
“What’s wrong with calm?”
“Nothing. Unless you use it to skip having a feeling.”
Daniel looked at the printer tray full of documents.
“Anything else, counselor?”
“Yes. Check on your niece.”
“I did.”
“Check again.”
He almost told her Lily was not his responsibility.
He did not.
At one thirty he texted Aaron.
May you like
Can I talk to Lily?
Aaron called immediately and handed her the phone.
