Chapter 4 - RYAN HAD BEEN INSIDE THE HOUSE BEFORE HE WAS HIREDEthan drove straight home.
Amelia was in the kitchen.
She looked at him once and knew.
"You met Ryan."
It wasn't a question.
Ethan closed the door.
"How?"
"He texted me."
Ryan had warned Ethan not to tell her.
Ryan had apparently warned Amelia anyway.
Cowardice came in many forms.
"What did he say?"
"That you ambushed him."
Ethan laughed.
"He slept with my wife for eight months."
Amelia went still.
There was no reason to deny it anymore.
"Where's Owen?"
"School."
"Good."
Ethan placed the old photograph on the counter.
Amelia stared.
"You knew Ryan before he worked here."
She looked away.
"Yes."
"You were sleeping with him while we were engaged."
"It was complicated."
"No."
Ethan shook his head.
"It was secret. Not complicated."
Her eyes flashed.
"You weren't exactly present back then either."
There it was.
The first justification.
Ethan had expected it.
It still hurt.
"You said yes when I proposed."
"You worked eighty-hour weeks."
"So your solution was Ryan."
"I was twenty-seven."
"So?"
"I made a mistake."
"For three months?"
She folded her arms.
"Why are we discussing seven years ago?"
Ethan stared at her.
"Because you brought him back."
Amelia's face changed.
"He needed work."
"You secretly found your former lover and put him inside our house."
"He had cleaning experience."
Ethan laughed.
"Stop insulting me."
Her jaw tightened.
"He needed money."
"And you needed access."
"That's disgusting."
"Is it incorrect?"
She looked away.
Ethan took out the messages Ryan sent.
He read aloud.
"'After May, Ethan can't keep Owen from me.'"
Amelia froze.
"What is that?"
"Your message."
"He shouldn't have shown you."
Ethan almost couldn't believe it.
"That's your defense?"
"It was private."
"You were discussing taking my son with the man you were sleeping with."
"I never said taking him."
"Then explain May."
"No."
Ethan stared.
"No?"
"I'm not discussing custody because you're angry."
"I wasn't discussing custody at all until I read your message."
Amelia walked toward the living room.
Ethan followed.
"Why May?"
"Talk to my attorney."
That stopped him.
"You have an attorney."
She realized the mistake.
Too late.
"How long?"
"Ethan."
"How long have you had a divorce attorney?"
Silence.
"How long?"
"Four months."
Ethan felt something inside him drop.
Four months.
While they attended Owen's Christmas play.
While Amelia gave Ethan a watch for his birthday.
While they discussed remodeling the kitchen.
Four months with a divorce lawyer.
"Why didn't you file?"
"I wasn't ready."
"For what?"
"To destroy Owen's life."
Ethan laughed softly.
"That's what you call this?"
She turned.
"Our marriage has been dead for years."
"Was it dead when you asked if we should try for another baby last summer?"
Amelia said nothing.
"Was it dead when we renewed our vows in Hawaii?"
"That was for Owen."
"He was asleep during half of it."
"Ethan—"
"Stop rewriting my life because you got caught."
That struck her.
Her face hardened.
"Fine."
She crossed her arms.
"Yes. I was unhappy."
"Okay."
"You were never home."
"Not true."
"You traveled constantly."
"Six nights a month."
"Sometimes more."
"You knew my work before we married."
"People change."
"Apparently."
She looked away.
Ethan lowered his voice.
"Why was Ryan here before you hired him?"
Amelia froze.
Ryan hadn't told her how much he'd revealed.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"He entered this house two months before his official start date."
Silence.
"With my alarm code."
Amelia's face gave him the answer.
"What were you doing?"
"Nothing."
"Then tell me."
"He came over."
"For what?"
"To talk."
"About?"
"Us."
Ethan almost smiled.
"There was an us."
"From years ago."
"You restarted contact before he worked here."
She looked down.
Ethan's mind moved backward.
Fourteen months.
When had their previous housekeeper left?
Fifteen months ago.
She had quit suddenly.
Ethan remembered Amelia complaining she was unreliable.
Then Amelia said she'd found a replacement through an agency.
Ryan.
"Did Lauren quit?"
Amelia looked up.
"What?"
"Our old housekeeper."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"She found another job."
Ethan stared.
"Did she?"
Amelia's face tightened.
He took out his phone.
Lauren Brooks had worked for them for almost three years.
Ethan hadn't spoken to her since she left.
He still had her number.
He called.
Amelia stepped closer.
"What are you doing?"
"Finding out."
Lauren answered on the fourth ring.
"Mr. Carter?"
"Lauren. Sorry to call unexpectedly."
"Is everything okay?"
"I need to ask why you stopped working for us."
Silence.
Then:
"Mrs. Carter told me you wanted someone younger."
Ethan stared at Amelia.
"What?"
Lauren continued nervously.
"She said you complained about my speed and wanted to replace me. I didn't want to create tension, so I resigned."
Ethan looked at his wife.
"I never said that."
Lauren went quiet.
"I'm sorry?"
"I never asked Amelia to replace you."
Amelia turned away.
Lauren's voice became uncertain.
"Then I don't understand."
Ethan did.
Amelia needed a position open.
A reason to bring Ryan into their house.
"Did Amelia ask you to leave?"
"She said it would be easier if I resigned."
Ethan closed his eyes.
"Thank you, Lauren."
He ended the call.
Amelia spoke quickly.
"She was terrible at her job."
"You fired a woman who trusted us so you could hire your lover."
"He wasn't my lover then."
"Not officially?"
Amelia looked away.
Ethan felt disgust replace shock.
He remembered Ryan's last statement.
The house entry before employment.
He opened the old security account.
Access history stretched eighteen months.
Guest codes.
Family codes.
Temporary codes.
He searched dates.
Two months before Ryan started:
GUEST CODE 4421 — 10:14 A.M.
Again four days later.
Again a week after.
Seven visits.
Before Ryan ever wore their uniform.
Before Ethan knew his name.
The affair hadn't started eight months ago.
Only Ryan's definition of the affair had.
Something between them had been happening almost from the moment Amelia brought him back.
Then Ethan noticed one date.
A Sunday.
4:38 p.m.
He remembered that Sunday clearly.
He had taken Owen to his father's birthday lunch.
Amelia claimed she had a migraine and stayed home.
Ryan entered thirty minutes after Ethan left.
And left eleven minutes before he returned.
Ethan looked up.
May you like
Amelia saw the date.
She stopped pretending.
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