Page 31 of Little Twisted Things

“How did Nadine find out?”

“She found a receipt in his suit coat pocket one day from a local jeweler. He had purchased a three-thousand-dollar diamond bracelet. A bracelet that wasn’t for Nadine. She confronted him, and he came clean. She filed for divorce the following day.”

“I don’t understand. How can he claim she’s an unfit mother?”

“After Nadine found out, she became severely depressed. She couldn’t get out of bed for two weeks. Then she started forgetting things. She forgot to pick Aaron up from school a couple of times. And she started mixing pills and alcohol. Aaron found her one day on the bathroom floor and called 911. She’s in therapy, and she’s much better. Now, I’m afraid what she told us tonight will set her back. She’s an excellent mother, and Aaron loves her very much.”

“I guess you never really truly know someone,” I said.

“No. I guess not.”

“Did Bart move out?” I asked.

“No,” Nadine sighed.

“No?” My brows furrowed.

“He refuses. Nadine asked him to leave the day she found out about the affair, but he told her it’s his house and she’s the one who needs to leave.”

“That’s awful.” I shook my head.

“What’s even worse is he’s sleeping in the guest room, acting like he did nothing wrong. He still expects dinner on the table for him when he gets home from work. Tess told me that the hardest part of him being there is watching Bart pretend he’s the victim.”

“He’s a total narcissist,” I said. “How can he believe he’s the victim when he’s the one who’s having an affair?”

“According to him, Nadine overreacted. The affair ‘didn’t mean anything.’” She rolled her eyes. “As if that somehow makes it better. She told me that she doesn’t even recognize her own husband anymore.”

“It’s amazing,” I said.

“What is?”

“How quickly someone can become a stranger.”

I left Tess’s house and went home. Just as I walked through the door, my phone rang, and Alex was calling.

“Hey, stranger.”

“Hey, yourself, beautiful. What are you doing?”

“I just got home from having dinner with Tess and her friends.”

“How was it?” he asked.

“Very nice. I had a great time.”

“Good. And I’m happy you’re home. Did you lock the doors?”

“Yes, Alex. All doors and windows are locked.”

“Okay.”

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I just finished dinner. I’m exhausted, so I just ordered room service. I’m going to watch a little TV and then head to bed. I miss you.”

“I miss you, too.”

“I love you, Dahlia.”