“New.”
Marlene closed her eyes.
Vanessa continued.
“He wanted to know everything.”
“He called all the time.”
“He remembered details.”
“He told me I was wasting myself.”
I felt that one.
“Wasting yourself how?”
She looked ashamed.
“He said I had made myself smaller to fit our marriage.”
I stared.
“Did you believe that?”
“Sometimes.”
“What did I stop you from doing?”
Silence.
“Career?”
“No.”
“Travel?”
“No.”
“Friends?”
“No.”
“Money?”
“No.”
“School?”
“No.”
“What did I make smaller?”
Vanessa began crying again.
“I don’t know.”
That was the first completely honest answer she gave all morning.
Marlene whispered:
“Sometimes another person tells you the story you want because it makes what you want easier.”
Vanessa looked at her mother.
Marlene continued.
“That doesn’t make him innocent.”
“But it doesn’t make you powerless either.”
Vanessa nodded.
Slowly.
I asked:
“Were you planning to leave after Christmas?”
“Yes.”
The answer came without defense.
“Why wait?”
“Holidays.”
“Your mother.”
“Work.”
“Money.”
“And?”
Vanessa stared at me.
“I was afraid I’d change my mind.”
That hurt differently.
“You wanted to keep me available in case the affair disappointed you.”
She winced.
“I never thought of it like that.”
“You didn’t need to.”
The house became quiet.
At 10:12, Vanessa’s phone began ringing upstairs.
She looked toward the ceiling.
Nobody moved.
It stopped.
Then rang again.
Marlene asked:
“Who is it?”
Vanessa already knew.
“Desmond.”
I felt nothing.
That surprised me most.
“Answer.”
She looked at me.
“You want me to?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not going to spend the rest of today wondering.”
Vanessa went upstairs.
Returned with the phone.
Desmond’s name glowed on the screen.
She answered.
Put it on speaker without me asking.
“Hello?”
His voice came quickly.
“Vanessa, where are you?”
Her expression changed.
“At home.”
“Did my father go there?”
“Yes.”
Desmond cursed.
William had not exaggerated.
Desmond continued.
“Listen to me. He has no right to involve himself in this.”
Vanessa stared at the phone.
“You told Allison.”
“She found out.”
“You showed her our messages.”
“I had to explain.”
“What?”
“That I wasn’t the only person who lied?”
Silence.
Desmond said:
“Vanessa, don’t do this right now.”
She looked at me.
Then her mother.
“What did you tell Allison about us?”
“That it was complicated.”