Chapter 7 - EVA'S PERFECT LITTLE STORY|
By Wednesday afternoon, the gossip had begun.
A mutual friend sent me a message asking whether I was all right. Another called to say she had seen Marcus and Eva at a private dinner in Manhattan.
Then a photograph appeared on a social media account devoted to New York society events.
Marcus stood beside Eva outside a restaurant, his hand resting against the small of her back.
The caption described them as an exciting new power couple.
There was no mention of me.
No mention of the marriage that still existed on paper.
No mention of the fact that Marcus had not yet filed for divorce.
I closed the page.
I was not interested in fighting for a place in a story that someone else had already decided to rewrite.
That evening, Eva called.
I almost ignored the number, but curiosity won.
“Laura,” she said brightly. “I hope I'm not disturbing you.”
“You are.”
She laughed softly.
“I wanted to clear the air after Sunday. I feel terrible that things became so uncomfortable.”
“Then you should apologize to Hugh.”
“I already did.”
“Good.”
A pause followed.
“I also think we should discuss the foundation.”
My grip tightened around the phone.
“What about it?”
“Marcus told me there have been some administrative issues. I work with investment structures all the time. If there's anything I can do to help, I'd be happy to.”
“I don't think that's necessary.”
“Are you sure? It would be a shame if a personal dispute interfered with the company's future.”
There it was.
The threat hidden beneath the smile.
I kept my voice calm.
“What personal dispute?”
“Your separation. Marcus is under a lot of pressure, and the family needs stability.”
“The family needs accurate financial records.”
Eva went quiet.
Then she said, “You always were very good at making yourself sound important.”
I looked out at the street below my apartment.
“I never needed to sound important.”
“Perhaps that's why Marcus stopped listening to you.”
The words were intended to wound.
They did not land the way she expected.
“Eva, if you have something to say about the foundation, put it in writing. Otherwise, I have work to do.”
I ended the call.
Ten minutes later, Marcus appeared at my door.
He looked exhausted.
“Did Eva call you?”
“Yes.”
He stepped inside when I moved aside.
“What did she say?”
“That she was concerned about the foundation.”
His expression changed.
“Did she ask you to sign anything?”
“No.”
He ran a hand through his hair.
“Laura, I need you to listen carefully. Eva has been asking questions about the trust for weeks. I thought she was just curious about how the family operated.”
“Why didn't you tell Hugh?”
“Because I didn't think she was doing anything wrong.”
“Or because you didn't want to admit that the woman you were seeing might not be who you thought she was?”
He flinched.
I had not meant to be cruel.
But I was tired of protecting him from the consequences of his own choices.
Marcus sat down.
“I think she's hiding something.”
For the first time since our separation, he looked directly at me.
“And I think she may have been using me.”
I should have felt vindicated.
May you like
Instead, I felt a familiar sadness.
Even now, Marcus seemed more devastated by the possibility that Eva had deceived him than by the fact that he had deceived me.
