“Yes.”
The room suddenly felt freezing cold.
She broke down sobbing.
“I told him Liam had copies. I told him when Liam left work that night. I thought Ryan would scare him into giving everything back. I never thought he’d—”
“Liam is dead.”
“I know—”
“No,” I snapped. “You don’t get to say it like it’s some distant tragedy. You helped send him there.”
She covered her mouth, crying harder.
Then I asked the question that had haunted me since opening Liam’s envelope.
“After he died, how could you stand beside me pretending to love me?”
Grace looked at me with absolute devastation.
“Because I do love you,” she whispered. “And because I hated myself every second afterward.”
And the worst part?
I believed her.
That made everything hurt even more.
I pointed toward the door.
“Leave.”
Her face crumpled.
“Please let me say goodbye to the kids.”
“No.”
“Emily, please—”
“If you’re still here when they come back, I’ll call the police.”
She left without another word.
