Chapter 5 - THE CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART'S PERFECT LIE
Sophia Reynolds had been part of Alexander's life since childhood.
Their families had vacationed together.
Attended the same churches.
Celebrated holidays in the same enormous houses.
Everyone expected them to marry.
Then Sophia left Chicago.
Alexander married me three years later.
For a while, I believed the past was finished.
Then Sophia returned.
And slowly, the past began occupying every room in my marriage.
She appeared at dinners.
Business events.
Family celebrations.
She called Alexander late at night.
Asked him for favors.
Borrowed his driver.
Used his influence.
And whenever I objected, Alexander accused me of jealousy.
What I didn't know was that Sophia had been telling Eleanor Moretti a different story.
That Alexander regretted marrying me.
That our marriage was unhappy.
That I had become emotionally distant.
And that Sophia was simply waiting for him to realize where he belonged.
One afternoon, Rebecca received an anonymous envelope.
Inside were copies of messages.
Sophia to Eleanor.
Eleanor to Sophia.
Plans for dinners.
Seating arrangements.
Private meetings.
And one message that made my blood turn cold.
Once Claire has the baby, Alexander will be too distracted to notice if we begin changing the household arrangements.
I stared.
Then looked at Rebecca.
“What does that mean?”
She studied the page.
“I don't know yet.”
I swallowed.
But I knew one thing.
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Sophia wasn't simply waiting for my marriage to fail.
She was helping push it toward the edge.
