Chapter 2: The Woman Who Thought She Was Winning
The silence that followed Brianna's confession was almost comical.
Marcus stood beside the swimming pool, dripping water onto the expensive stone tiles.
Brianna clutched the ladder with both hands.
And Daniel Carter, the man she had just identified as her husband, stood outside the open gate with an expression that could have frozen the entire backyard.
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
Then Daniel looked at Brianna.
“Get out of the pool.””
His voice was calm.
That made it worse.
Brianna shook her head.
“Daniel, wait. This isn't what you think.””
Daniel looked at Marcus.
Then at me.
Then back at his wife.
“Funny,” he said.
“That's exactly what I was going to say.””
Brianna climbed out of the water.
She grabbed a white towel from the nearby chair and wrapped it around herself.
“Daniel, please. Let me explain.””
He didn't move.
“Explain what?””
She glanced at Marcus.
Marcus immediately raised both hands.
“Listen, man. I didn't know she was married.””
Daniel gave a short, humorless laugh.
“You didn't know?””
“That's right.””
Brianna stared at him.
“Marcus!””
He looked at her.
“What?””
“You told me you and Lauren were separated!””
I closed my eyes for a moment.
There it was again.
Another lie.
Daniel slowly turned toward me.
“Lauren, is that true?””
I shook my head.
“No. We were married this morning. We're married right now, technically.””
Daniel nodded.
Then he looked at Marcus.
“So you lied to both of us.””
Marcus rubbed his forehead.
“This is getting blown completely out of proportion.””
I almost admired the confidence.
Almost.
“Marcus,” I said, “you were kissing another man's wife in my swimming pool. I'm not sure how much more proportion you need.””
The older woman who had arrived with Daniel stepped forward.
Her name was Evelyn Carter.
She was Daniel's mother, a woman in her late sixties who wore elegant pearl earrings and never seemed to raise her voice.
She looked at Brianna.
“Is this why you stopped coming to Sunday dinner?””
Brianna swallowed.
“Mrs. Carter…”
Evelyn's eyes moved toward the towel wrapped around her daughter-in-law.
“You told me you were working late every weekend.””
Brianna looked down.
Evelyn slowly removed her sunglasses.
“Daniel, I think I understand enough.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No, Mom. I want to hear the truth.””
Brianna stepped toward him.
“Daniel, I love you.””
He looked at her for a long moment.
Then he asked the question that seemed to destroy her.
“Did you love me when you told me you were going to your sister's house last Friday?””
Brianna didn't answer.
“Did you love me when you used our joint credit card to book that hotel?””
Still nothing.
“And did you love me when you told me I was imagining things?””
Brianna's eyes filled with tears.
“Daniel, I was confused.””
He nodded.
“That's unfortunate. Because I wasn't.””
Marcus shifted his weight.
“Can we stop making this a public spectacle?””
I turned toward him.
“You mean like the spectacle you created in my backyard?””
He glared.
“You're enjoying this.””
“No, Marcus. I'm finally seeing it.””
He stepped closer.
“Lauren, you need to understand something. Whatever happened between us, we can handle it privately.””
I looked at him.
“Privately?””
“Yes.””
“You mean the same way you handled your relationship with Brianna?””
He clenched his jaw.
“Don't embarrass me in front of these people.””
I stared at him.
“I'm not the one who arrived at a married woman's home wearing nothing but swimming trunks.””
The younger man standing beside Evelyn coughed into his fist.
It sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
Marcus noticed.
“Who are you?”” he demanded.
The young man stepped forward.
“Michael Carter. Daniel's younger brother.””
Marcus nodded impatiently.
“And?””
Michael smiled without humor.
“And I'm the attorney who handled the property documents for Lauren's estate company.””
Marcus frowned.
“Estate company?””
I looked at Michael.
“Not yet.””
He gave me a small nod.
That was when Marcus finally realized something was happening beyond his control.
He looked at me.
“What estate company?””
I didn't answer immediately.
Instead, I picked up my phone and checked the time.
4:47 p.m.
I had been waiting for this afternoon for weeks.
Not because I knew Marcus would bring Brianna to the pool.
I hadn't.
I had expected him to be home when I returned from grocery shopping.
I had expected to discuss the anniversary dinner.
I had expected to give him one final chance to tell me the truth.
But the universe had apparently decided that I deserved a more dramatic introduction to the truth.
“Lauren,” Marcus said, his voice dropping.
“What is going on?””
I glanced toward the Cadillac.
A second man had stepped out of the passenger seat.
He carried a black leather folder.
“That's Mr. Harris,” I said.
“My attorney.””
Marcus stared at the folder.
“Why is your attorney here?””
“Because I asked him to be.””
“For what?””
I looked directly into his eyes.
“To deliver something.””
His face tightened.
“Deliver what?””
Mr. Harris walked through the gate.
“Good afternoon, everyone.””
He nodded toward Daniel, Evelyn, and Michael before approaching me.
“Lauren, I brought the documents you requested.””
“Thank you.””
Marcus stepped between us.
“Hold on. What documents?””
Mr. Harris looked at him.
“Mr. Reed, I believe you should step aside.””
Marcus laughed.
“This is my property.””
Mr. Harris opened the folder.
“Actually, according to the county records, the property is owned by Lauren Reed's separate holding company. You have no recorded ownership interest.””
Marcus stared at him.
“That's ridiculous.””
“It's a matter of public record.””
I took the folder.
Inside were copies of the deed, our prenuptial agreement, and several financial statements.
Marcus's eyes moved over the pages.
Then he stopped at one document.
His face changed.
“What is this?””
I looked down.
“Your notice.””
He flipped through the pages.
“Notice of what?””
“Termination of your residential permission.””
His mouth opened.
“You can't be serious.””
“I am.””
He turned toward Mr. Harris.
“You're telling me I have to leave?””
Mr. Harris adjusted his glasses.
“Your attorney can review the document. You have a reasonable period to collect your personal belongings, subject to the terms outlined here.””
Marcus threw the papers onto the table.
“This is insane!””
I picked them up carefully.
“No, Marcus. Insane was thinking I would keep financing your lifestyle while you entertained someone else.””
He stepped closer.
“You're doing all this because of one mistake?””
“One mistake?””
I took a breath.
“Do you remember the first time you told me you were working late at the office?””
He said nothing.
“Do you remember the business trip to Atlanta that lasted four days longer than scheduled?””
His eyes narrowed.
“Lauren, don't.””
“And the hotel charges you said belonged to a client?””
“Stop.””
I looked at him.
“I stopped asking questions because I wanted to believe you.””
Brianna looked up.
“What hotel charges?””
Marcus spun toward her.
“Stay out of this.””
She stared at him.
“You told me you were paying cash for everything.””
He ignored her.
I looked at Daniel.
“I think you should know something.””
Daniel nodded.
“What?””
I took another document from the folder.
It was a printed bank statement.
“Brianna wasn't the only person receiving money from Marcus.””
Marcus went completely still.
Daniel looked at his wife.
“What does that mean?””
I placed the statement on the table.
“Your wife's hotel bookings, shopping expenses, and several restaurant bills were paid through a company card belonging to Marcus's business.””
Daniel studied the paper.
Brianna's face lost its color.
“That's not true.””
I turned the statement toward her.
“Would you like to explain the charges?””
She looked at Marcus.
He looked away.
And that was when Daniel asked the question nobody had expected.
“Marcus, how much money did you spend on my wife?””
Marcus shook his head.
“This is between me and Lauren.””
Daniel took one step forward.
“No. You made it between all of us when you decided to use my family as your playground.””
Mr. Harris quietly closed his folder.
I looked at Brianna.
For the first time since I had walked into the backyard, she looked genuinely frightened.
Not because her affair had been discovered.
Because she was beginning to understand that Marcus might have been lying to her about far more than his marriage.
And when she finally spoke, her voice was barely audible.
“Marcus…”
He didn't look at her.
She swallowed.
“Where did the money come from?””
Marcus's silence answered her.
But it was the next sentence that made Daniel turn toward me.
“Lauren,” he said slowly, “how long have you known about the financial transfers?””
I looked at Mr. Harris.
May you like
Then back at Daniel.
“Long enough to discover that your wife and my husband weren't the only people involved.””
