The Fifth Candle
Julian never came home that night.
By the next morning, headlines had spread across all of Cascade City.
[The Wife Loses Again—Carter Heir Parties Across the City with Mystery Beauty on His Birthday.]
In every entertainment reporter's photo, Julian had one arm protectively wrapped around the woman in his embrace. Everyone around them was laughing, looking relaxed and carefree.
Without an expression, I picked up the remote and changed the channel.
Apparently, though, they still had not had enough fun. Not long after, Julian came home with a noisy crowd trailing behind him. The moment they saw me, someone paused in surprise before slipping into his usual slick tone.