"Son, that's what happened, right? We're calling the police! We'll throw this tramp in jail!"
The moment those words left his mother's mouth, Roberta's bravado crumbled. Her eyes welled with tears, and she shrank into Clay's arms.
"Enough!"
Clay roared, shielding Roberta with his entire body.
He lifted his head and looked at me through the crowd.
His eyes were dark, impenetrable. Not a flicker of panic. Not a trace of guilt.
"Lydia, let's talk."
The Vance parents cleared everyone out of the room.
Only the three of us remained.
I didn't think there was anything left to say.
All I could think about was why, in this life, I hadn't sent Roberta to prison, hadn't let her rot behind bars. And yet he could still face me like this without an ounce of remorse.
I couldn't tell if what I felt was bitterness or hatred.
I pulled off my wedding ring and tossed it into the trash can.
My voice was flat.
"You made a vow. If you lied to me, we divorce."
"Clay, I'll have the divorce papers drawn up as soon as possible."
"Lydia!"
Clay's voice stopped me from behind.
"I'm not divorcing you."
I spun around, and for the first time, I looked at him with pure hatred.
"Then I'll file for divorce in court!"
"Go ahead and try."