“Once you recover, I’ll take you and Jess on a trip. We’ll be happy again, just like we used to be.”
The words slipped from Henry’s lips effortlessly–but the moment they did, they felt like a knife twisting in his throat.
Could we really go back to the way things were?
In his memory, I had spent years pulling Margaret into my silent war against Bethany, whispering venomous words about her,
turning her into an enemy.
Henry had called me jealous, and Margaret, feeling sorry for me, had stood by my side and defended me.
But in the end, all it did was make Henry hate her, too. He thought we were petty and that we should have been bigger than all of
this.
I still remember the first time I saw Bethany. Henry stood beside her with a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
He said they had known each other since childhood, and now she was raising a child alone while struggling to make ends meet.
He also said that she had stepped away from the art world for a while, and now that she was back, he was going to help her get
back on her feet.
Even though I was displeased, I forced myself to swallow the bitterness.
Until–Bethany’s painstakingly curated art exhibition was destroyed the moment I left.
And yet, when she looked at me, she refused to say a word to Henry. And in that moment, he knew. Or at least, he thought he did.
Margaret told Henry I hadn’t touched the paintings, but he didn’t believe her. Instead, he said I had corrupted her, and she had
learned to lie for my sake.
“Jessica, I’m not stupid. Who would destroy their own work for no reason?
“You know what, Jessica? Even after you ruined Bethany’s paintings, she still tried to cover for you. Do
