Page 55 of Little Dark Deeds

“I asked if she was single.She said yes, and I asked her on a date.She didn’t commit at first.About a week later, after a bad day at work, she texted me and invited me over.”

“Did she tell you what happened at work that day?”

“She’d taken on a big divorce case and was doing everything in her power to ensure her client, the soon-to-be ex-wife, got everything she deserved in the divorce settlement.The husband’s lawyers were relentless, coming at Tiffany with everything they had.It was a lot of pressure, and she was struggling to deal with it.”

I remembered the case.

The husband was worth billions.

He’d hired not one, not two, but three lawyers, which may have had something to do with the multiple affairs he’d had during the marriage.

“She worked with her colleague, Everett, on that case,” I said.“And they won it, just a few weeks ago.I’d never seen her more relieved to be finished with a case in her life.”

He crossed his arms.“She was relieved, at first, until her client’s husband cornered her as they were both leaving the gym.He threatened to ruin her life because she’d ruined his.”

“Tiffany told me they’d had a run-in, but I didn’t know he threatened her.Did he follow up on the threat in any way?”

“I don’t know.To be honest, I hadn’t heard much from her after we broke up the second time.”

“Then how do you know about her run-in with the husband?”

“She texted me and told me about it.Then she apologized for texting me and said she shouldn’t have because she was in a relationship with someone else.”

I found it curious that she’d texted him.

At the same time, Chad had a softness about him.After their first breakup, Tiffany described him as the one guy you knew you could always lean on, telling your deepest, darkest secrets to, and he would never paint you in a negative light.I figured it was the reason she’d given him another shot.

“Tell me about the second time you dated,” I said.

“After we got together at her house, we saw each other almost every day for a while.I’d almost forgotten how intoxicating she could be—her laugh, her positivity, her love of life.”

“Her laugh was timeless.I can still hear it.”

“Me, too.When I was given a second chance, I spent a lot of time in those first several weeks thinking about why things hadn’t worked out the first time.I was determined to make sure it didn’t happen again.”

“I wish I would have known.”

He let out a short, dry laugh—more scoff than amusement—dripping with sarcasm as he shook his head.“I don’t.”

“No, you don’t understand.My advice would have been different.It’s just, when you dated the first time, I was going through a lot in my life.It’s possible I projected some of my feelings onto her, even though I was unaware I was doing it back then.I see that now.All I would have wanted was her happiness.”

He nodded, and I hoped he believed me.

“Tiffany told me you lost your daughter, and then you quit your job, split from your husband, and left town,” he said.“You went through a lot, and I’m sure she told you, but she was so proud of you.”

I stared down at my hands.

They were clenched into tight fists, pushing down the emotions creeping up inside me.

“I can’t imagine why she was proud of me,” I said.“I was a tornado in heels.”

“You may have seen yourself that way, but she saw a woman who pushed through her past, got her life back together, and started dating a man she’d cared for since college.”

“We just got married.”

“I’m happy for you.”

And I was sad for him.