Page 106 of The Husband Contract

I nod slowly. “I know. Not trying to avoid anything. I guess I just don’t even know where we’re going to go from here.”

“Well, we’re going to buy ourownbed and breakfast one day,” she says. “That hasn’t changed. You’re still interested in that, right?”

“I feel like I can’t even see that potential goal in sight.” I shake my head. “We barely have any money in our joint account, and interest rates are going higher and higher. I’velost my second job. It’s like I’m going backwards rather than forward.”

“I know, girl, but we gotta have faith. We can do it.”

“Thanks for all your support and the pep talk.” I take a deep breath and look around the lobby. It’s just as it was before I left. Even the flowers I’d put out the day before Vegas are still in the same pot. They’ve dried out, but they have still kept their beauty. There is still beauty in decay, I think ironically.

“What’s really weird is there are things I miss,” I say as she comes to stand behind me, grabbing a pen and notepad. “You know what I miss? My view of Manhattan. It was like a tower in that room, and I felt like a prisoner, but it was really cool being up so high. I felt like I was flying in the clouds sometimes. Sometimes I would watch people walking down the street like little ants on a mission. Even though they were so far away, and I couldn’t see their faces, I could see their movements. Sometimes I’d guess how long it would take them to get to a certain place.”

“You sound like you were really bored.”

“Well, you do know I had a lot on my mind and not really anywhere to go.”

“I know. So... have you heard from Charlotte recently?”

“No.” I shake my head. “I guess she’s still in France doing whatever she’s doing.”

Whatisshe doing?

“And have you heard from Sebastian?”

My heart sinks at her words. “No, I haven’t. But I’m not sad about it. What would he say to me? To apologize again? It’s too little, too late.”

“You understand why he thought what he thought, though?”

I shrug. “If he knew me, if he really and truly knew who I was as a person, then he’d have never doubted me for amoment. And even worse was the fact he wouldn’t even listen to my side. Anytime I tried to tell him anything, he dismissed me.”

Pain claws its way up inside me.

“Yeah, I guess that’s true. And what about that bitch Louisa? Can you imagine that she was the one sleeping with Sergio all along? I mean, it doesn’t surprise me, but the fact that?—”

“Wait a second.” I blink rapidly and jerk my eyes to Katherine as a thought hits me so hard it’s like a speeding truck on the highway has slammed into me.

“What is it?”

“Louisa and Sergio are in France.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Who else is in France?”

“The French president? French people?”

“No. Think about it. Who else is in France?”

A light dawns in Katherine’s eyes and her jaw drops. “Fuck. You don’t think she’s involved?”

I nod slowly. “Charlotte is in France. Louisa is in France. Sergio is in France. Sergio thought he was dating a ‘Willow.’ Louisa gave information to Sebastian that saidIwas the Willow. Wouldn’t it make sense that Charlotte is involved? Because how on earth would my name even come into it? Sebastian saw my photo when he was presented with evidence.” I gape at her, my jaw practically unhinged with anger. “Charlotte set me up.”

“Oh shit. What do we do?” Katherine looks as pissed as I feel. I’m not even shocked, just disappointed.

“I don’t know.”

“Oh my gosh, Willow. I just had a thought.”

“Yeah?”