Chapter 3 - The Necklace Had Been Engraved for Two PeopleRosalie didn't scream.
That unsettled Adrian.
He had seen her angry before.
When a contractor lied about their renovation.
When Lily's school failed to report a playground injury.
When her mother canceled Christmas two days before everyone arrived.
Rosalie's anger was normally direct.
This was different.
She stood beside the closet holding the empty jewelry box as though it belonged to strangers.
"A and S."
Adrian said nothing.
Sienna's eyes filled.
Rosalie turned the box slowly.
"When did you order this?"
Adrian rubbed his face.
"This is getting blown completely out of proportion."
Rosalie looked at him.
"Then put it back into proportion."
"It's a necklace."
"For your assistant."
"Yes."
"Commissioned with your initials."
He hesitated.
"That's not what that means."
"What does it mean?"
"Anniversary series."
Rosalie almost admired the speed.
Sienna didn't.
Her face changed instantly.
Rosalie saw it.
"Sienna?"
"Please don't."
"Don't what?"
"Make me explain something he should explain."
Adrian stared at her.
Warning.
Sienna looked away.
Rosalie understood.
"The A is Adrian."
Sienna's breathing became shallow.
"And the S is Sienna."
No answer.
Adrian said:
"Rosalie, Lily is downstairs."
"Which is why I'm not throwing that champagne glass at you."
He flinched.
Good.
Rosalie placed the jewelry box on the dresser.
"Get dressed."
Sienna nodded.
Adrian stepped forward.
"She needs to leave."
Rosalie looked at him.
"I agree."
"Then stop questioning her."
"I'm not stopping anything. I'm postponing it."
Sienna retrieved her shoes and bag.
She moved toward the bathroom.
Rosalie said:
"No."
Sienna stopped.
"You can change in here."
Adrian frowned.
"Come on."
Rosalie looked at him.
"I am not leaving my bedroom so your girlfriend can dress privately after hiding in my closet."
"She's not my girlfriend."
Sienna closed her eyes.
Rosalie saw that too.
Another lie that hurt Sienna.
Interesting.
Sienna slipped on her shoes and fixed her blouse without removing anything.
Then she reached for the necklace.
"Leave it."
Rosalie's voice stopped her.
Sienna looked down.
"The necklace."
Adrian said:
"Rosalie."
She ignored him.
"Take it off."
Sienna's hands trembled.
She unclasped the chain.
For one moment, she held it in her palm.
Then placed it beside the jewelry box.
Rosalie looked at it.
The birthday present she had never received.
Adrian had probably intended to buy her something else.
Or perhaps he'd hoped she'd forget what he'd shown her.
Maybe he'd ordered a duplicate after realizing the mistake.
There were too many possibilities.
That was the problem with one discovered lie.
It turned everything surrounding it into a question.
Sienna walked toward the door.
Rosalie said:
"How long?"
Sienna stopped.
Adrian's voice sharpened.
"Go."
Sienna didn't move.
Rosalie repeated:
"How long have you been sleeping with my husband?"
Adrian exploded.
"That's enough."
Lily's footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Everyone froze.
Rosalie closed her eyes.
Of course.
The child had been listening.
Rosalie opened the door before Lily could.
Her daughter stood six feet away holding her tablet.
"Mom?"
Rosalie knelt.
"We're going to Aunt Maren's."
"Why?"
"Because we're having a sleepover."
Lily looked past her.
"Is Miss Sienna coming?"
"No."
"Why was she hiding?"
Rosalie felt Adrian behind her.
She chose every word carefully.
"That's something the adults need to talk about."
Lily looked at her father.
"Are you coming?"
Adrian answered before Rosalie could.
"Not tonight, sweetheart."
Lily's expression fell.
Adrian crouched.
"Daddy has some work to finish."
Rosalie nearly laughed.
Even now.
Work.
Always work.
Lily nodded and went to pack.
Sienna slipped down the stairs and left through the side entrance.
Rosalie watched from the upstairs window.
A black BMW waited near the gate.
Sienna didn't have a BMW.
She normally drove a small Audi.
Adrian had mentioned that once.
Why did Rosalie remember?
Because married people collected useless facts about their spouse's employees.
Or maybe nothing had been useless.
Sienna entered the BMW.
The car drove away.
Rosalie looked at Adrian.
"Whose car?"
He stared.
"What?"
"The BMW."
"Company car."
She nodded.
"Of course."
Adrian approached.
"Don't leave."
"I'm not discussing this tonight."
"It isn't what you think."
"Then what is it?"
He ran both hands through his hair.
"I made mistakes."
Plural.
Rosalie caught it.
"What mistakes?"
He looked away.
There.
The first honest thing he'd done.
He couldn't answer because there were too many.
Rosalie picked up the necklace.
Turned it over.
On the tiny underside of the central setting, something had been engraved.
She had to bring it close to read.
A date.
10.14.24
Rosalie's heartbeat stopped.
October 14, 2024.
Almost two years earlier.
She looked at Adrian.
"What's this?"
His face drained.
She showed him.
He said nothing.
Rosalie remembered that date.
Adrian had been in Boston for a three-day investor conference.
At least, that was what he'd told her.
Lily had had pneumonia.
Rosalie spent two nights sleeping beside their daughter's bed while Adrian apologized from his hotel and said he couldn't get an earlier flight home.
October 14.
The date engraved on Sienna's necklace.
Rosalie's voice dropped.
"Two years?"
May you like
Adrian looked at the floor.
And that silence destroyed the last excuse she had been willing to hear.
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