The color drained from Lily’s face. She opened her mouth to argue, then clamped it shut. She clutched he reddening cheek, looking around at the stunned audience with wide, tear-filled eyes, before turning her pitiful gaze back to me.
“Claire, what’s wrong with you?” she whimpered, grabbing my arm. “We were fine just yesterday. Did I d something to upset you? I can fix it, I promise. I really think of you as a sister. I don’t want to lose you…
Her voice trembled with theatrical tears. “A girl’s reputation is everything. How could you say something like
that about me? What am I supposed to do now?”
Her performance was convincing. She looked so fragile and wronged that several of Thomas’s single collea gues, their protective instincts kicking in, rushed to her defense.
‘Have you lost your mind?” one of them yelled at me. “Thomas always told us how wonderful you were- beautiful, kind, so understanding. What happened to you?”
“First one woman, now another,” another chimed in. “Is this your new hobby, accusing everyone? Who’s next are you going to say Thomas’s having an affair with his own mother?”
I shot him a look that could freeze fire. “This is none of your damn business. Stay out of my family’s affairs.”
The man bristled, ready to lunge at me, but Thomas held him back.
“Claire, I hate to say it, but you’re out of line,” Thomas said, his voice heavy with disappointment. “Lily has always been a good friend to you…”
Before he could finish, I cut him off with a chilling laugh.
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Chapter 2
“Oh, yes. You would know better than anyone just how good a friend she’s been to me, wouldn’t you?”
I looked around the room. “But I don’t think anyone else here does. Why don’t you enlighten them?”
Thomas froze, his eyes darting nervously toward Lily.
She was wringing her hands, the picture of wounded innocence. “Claire, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I wouldn’t even know Thomas if you hadn’t introduced us. How could you possibly think that he and I..
“I’ve done nothing but work since I graduated. I’ve never even had a boyfriend. How am I supposed to live
with this kind of accusation?”
I nodded slowly, a thoughtful expression on my face. “So you do understand that some things are shamefu
and should be kept hidden.”
‘I was starting to think you were deliberately trying to disgust me.
That set her off. She stormed toward me, her face a mask of disbelief. “Claire! I call you my big sister! Hov can you do this to me? I was just worried about you, and this is what I get? My name dragged through the
nud?”
That’s it. I’m done. This friendship is over. I’m going home.”
Her face was a blotchy mess. She started for the door, but her eyes kept flicking back to Thomas. “It’s tru what they say,” she muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. “No good deed goes unpunished.”
As she turned, the light caught the ornament in her hair again. That flash of metal.
This time, I saw it clearly.
t was a decorative clasp from a tie. A tie clip.
A week ago, while packing for a trip for Thomas, I’d noticed the custom clips were missing from several o
is favorite ties. I assumed he’d just been careless and misplaced them.
But now, seeing it pinned in Lily’s hair, it all clicked into place.
My parents looked utterly confused. Just as they were about to ask what was going on, Lily threw herself a Thomas, grabbing his sleeve.
Thomas, look at her! She’s bullying me! You’re her husband, you have to do something!”
‘Remember when Claire was sick? I was the one who took care of her day and night. And this is the thanks
get? Slandered and humiliated.”
One accusation was suspicious. Two made me look deranged. The tide in the room turned decisively again-
st me.
Even my father-in-law’s patience had run out. For the first time ever, he raised his voice at me. “Claire, you
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are behaving abominably. Your husband has bent over backward for you, and you continue this madness.”
“Apologize. To everyone. Now.”
I let out a short, sharp laugh, my eyes sweeping over their self-righteous faces.
“No. They should be apologizing to me.”
