Chapter four

Humiliated and ashamed with tears streaming down my face, I ran out of the café as fast as I could.

I forgot about the evidence, forgot about everything except getting somewhere safe.

I drove toward my parents’ house, the place that had always been my refuge.

Despite everything—despite the distance that had grown between us since I’d married Darius—they were still my parents.

They’d take me in, protect me, tell me everything would be okay.

When I pulled into their driveway, all the lights were on. Good, they were home.

I wiped my face, trying to make myself presentable. My mother hated when I cried, said it made me look weak.

Raised my hand to knock and the door swung open.

Cassia stood there. In my parents’ house.

Wearing comfortable clothes, soft sweater and jeans, her hair down and loose around her shoulders.

Like she lived here. We stared at each other.

“Brynn,” she said, her eyes widening in fake surprise. “I didn’t expect to see you.”

“What are you doing here?” The words came out sharper than I intended.

“Oh.” She placed a hand on the doorframe, blocking my way. “They invited me to stay for a while. They’ve been so kind.”

Invited her to stay.

“This is my parents’ house,” I said slowly. “Why would they—”

“They felt terrible about what I’ve been through,” Cassia’s expression shifted to something that might have looked like sympathy if I didn’t know better. “Living in poverty all these years, suffering. They wanted to help.”

“You need to leave.” My hands clenched into fists. “Right now.”

“Brynn—”

“You’re a home wrecker!” The words exploded out of me, all the anger and pain from the past few days. “You destroyed my marriage! You humiliated me on national television! And now you’re in my parents’ house?”

“I understand you’re upset—”

“Upset?” I laughed, but it came out broken, wrong. “You ruined my life, Cassia. You took everything from me, everything. And you’re standing there acting like—like—”

“Like what?” Her voice was soft, gentle, the perfect victim. “I didn’t do anything wrong, Brynn. Darius and I love each other, we always have. I can’t help that he chose me.”

“You faked your death! You made everyone think I killed you!”

“I fell off a cliff,” she said calmly. “You pushed me.”

“I didn’t—”

“And now you’re angry because Darius finally knows the truth, because he finally sees you for what you really are.”

“Get out of this house.” My voice shook with rage. “Get out before I—”

“Before you what?” A sharp voice cut through the air. “Before you attack her again?”

My mother appeared behind Cassia.

She looked older than I remembered, harder, her eyes cold as she stared at me.

My father came up beside her with the same cold expression, the same hard eyes.

They stood there on either side of Cassia, like they were protecting her. From me.

“Mom,” I breathed. “Dad, please. I need to talk to you, I need—”

“We have nothing to say to you,” my mother said.

The sharp words hit like a slap.

“What? But I’m your—”

“Don’t.” My father’s voice was low, dangerous. “Don’t say it.”

I stared at them, confused, hurt. “Don’t say what?”

“That word,” my mother spat. “Don’t call yourself our daughter.”

The ground shifted beneath my feet.

“I don’t understand.”

“I think you do,” my father said.

“No, I—” I looked between them, these people who’d raised me, who were supposed to love me. “I don’t understand. Why are you saying this? Why is Cassia here? Why—”

My mother’s hand shot out and the slap echoed in the quiet evening. My cheek exploded with pain and my eyes filled with tears.

She’d never hit me before. Ever.

“Mom—”

“Apologize to Cassia,” she demanded.

I touched my burning cheek, my mind reeling. “What?”