Ben stared at the table.
“She snapped,” he said. “She yelled, ‘Fine, I said it, okay?'”
I closed my eyes. “Why did she say she did it?”
“She said Greg ruined her life,” Ben replied. “Said he complained that she’d lost contracts, her company went under. She said she went to the funeral to hurt you. That she wanted you to feel crazy the way she felt.”
“She said the kids are actually his?” I whispered.
“No. She said they’re her husband’s. She only used Greg’s name to get revenge. Those were her words. ‘It was just words. I wanted her to hurt.'”
My eyes stung.
Ben added quietly, “Her daughter was crying. Her husband looked like someone had kicked him in the chest.”
Silence settled between us.
So there it was. No secret family. No double life. Just a bitter woman who decided my grief wasn’t enough punishment. I pressed my palms to my eyes and started to sob.
When I finally calmed, Ben said, “My dad always said Ray was the most loyal guy he knew. For what it’s worth.”
“It’s worth a lot,” I said.
After he left, I went back upstairs and picked up Greg’s journal again.