My mouth went dry.
“Like Kayla?”
His eyes flickered.
“Yes.”
“Did she steal from you?”
“She opened credit accounts.
She forged my signature on a loan.
When I confronted her, she promised to repay everything.
I believed her because I wanted our marriage to survive.”
I sat down across from him.
“And the woman in the photograph?”
“Claire.
We went to court after I filed for divorce.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I thought I’d left that part of my life behind.
I was terrified you’d think I had a pattern of choosing people who needed rescuing.”
I felt the tears rise.
“You didn’t just leave it behind.
You hid it.”
“I know.”
“Did you ever tell anyone about this?”
“My parents.
My lawyer.
A few people at work.”
“Did Claire contact you after the divorce?”
“Once, years later.
She apologized.
I told her I hoped she was doing better, and we never spoke again.”
