"We've been together for three years. Moved in three years ago. Max said he'd throw me a grand wedding soon, once things settle down."
She paused, pressing a hand to her mouth in mock surprise.
"Oh, you don't... have the wrong idea, do you? Max never told me he had another girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?"
I laughed. Laughed until tears nearly spilled.
"Abigail, did you know that Max and I have been legally married for three years?"
The words landed like a bomb, detonating in the crowd of onlookers.
Every face in the hallway changed.
The woman who'd just been pointing fingers at me stood there with her mouth open, unable to form a single word.
A crack finally appeared in Abigail's composure, but she recovered quickly. She even pushed past me, walked to the shoe cabinet, and picked up a framed photo, holding it up for everyone to see.
In the frame, she and Max stood together. The background was this very living room. They were wrapped in each other's arms, smiling like they didn't have a care in the world.
"Look. This is our home."
"This place was the home he prepared for us. Every detail of the renovation, we picked out together."
I drew a deep breath and forced down the storm raging inside me.