“You told me Claire left you!”
Eric answered too quietly for me to understand.
Then Tessa shouted again.
“You told me this house belonged to you! You told me Claire had plenty of money! You said the baby didn’t need anything!”
Barbara moved the phone away from her ear.
“I suspect your husband is not enjoying his evening.”
Despite myself, I smiled.
Not because I wanted Tessa hurt.
I didn’t.
I smiled because Eric had created so many different versions of the truth that they were finally crashing into one another.
Part 7 — Consequences Aren’t the Same as Revenge
One evening, Barbara visited while Chloe slept nearby.
She watched her granddaughter for a while without speaking.
Then she said, “Some of this is my fault.”
I looked at her.
“What is?”
“Eric.”
She rubbed her palms together.
“I paid late bills. Covered car payments. Reminded him of deadlines. Let him store half his life at my house. Helped him with rent.”
