Chapter 3

3.

A little past three in the morning, my phone blew up with notifications.

I picked it up. Over a dozen messages from Serena. All photos, short videos of her with Elliott, and a voice recording.

I hesitated. Then I tapped the recording.

The clink of glasses came first. Then Serena's voice, tipsy and probing.

"Eli, just admit it. You married her because your grandmother told you to. Right?"

Long silence. Just when I thought no answer was coming, Elliott's voice came through. Low. Rough. Not an answer. A warning.

"Serena. Enough."

He didn't deny it.

She laughed. Smug. Knowing.

My stomach seized. There it was. Thirteen times. It was over.

I didn't cry. I didn't even feel sad. Just tired. Too tired to even be angry.

I closed the recording. Shut out the sounds that were getting harder to stomach.

I wasn't going back to sleep anyway. I got up and started packing.

There wasn't much in this house that was truly mine. Seven years. Two suitcases was all it took.

By the time I finished, the sky was starting to lighten.

Elliott came home just as I'd drifted off on the sofa. I used to leave a light on for him, no matter how late he came back. Or if he came back at all. I'd hear his car pull into the driveway and walk out to the porch to meet him.

Maybe time does that. Or maybe I just got used to it. This time I didn't wait. And it turned out he'd forgotten his keys.

I opened the door. His complaint hit me first.

"Why did it take you so long?"

"I fell asleep. Actually, you could have―" used the fingerprint lock. He cut me off.

"Never mind. What are you doing? What's with all the boxes?"

He stared at the cardboard boxes in the corner. Gifts he'd given me over the years. His face flickered.

"Oh. I'm going to East Hampton today to see Grandmother. Some things don't fit here. I'll store them at her place."

I shifted a box out of his way without a second glance.

"Yeah. Give Grandmother my regards. And you know she's older now. No need to go into details about everything."

His voice softened.

I nodded. He exhaled, relief on his face, and headed for the study.

I ignored him. Went back to sorting the gifts I'd once treasured.

A few minutes later, Elliott came back out carrying two velvet jewelry cases. I recognized them instantly. The heirloom sets Grandmother had given me. One was an Edwardian diamond tiara. The other, an Art Deco emerald necklace. She'd said they were meant for the woman who would carry the Carrington name.

Elliott had asked for them back a while ago. I understood now. They were always meant for Serena.

He saw me glance at the cases. He hesitated.

"Serena has a charity gala next week. She wanted to borrow these to go with her dress. She'll return them after."

I nodded. "Whatever you want."

They belonged to that role anyway. Not to me.

"You..."

He stopped. Stared at me. Something flickered in his eyes. Unease.

The old me would have screamed at him, fought him, forbid him from having anything to do with Serena. Would have dragged Grandmother into it.

But these past two times, my reaction had been calm. Cold. Elliott felt something slipping out of his control. He just couldn't name it.

"After Sunday's done, we could take a trip. Where do you want to go?"

He said it at the door, glancing at the pile of his gifts against the wall. The words came out stiff. Forced. Then he shut the door and left.