Chapter 4
I met Ben at dinner.
He was seated beside Ashley, smiling at her as though the weekend still belonged to them.
“You must be Grace,” he said. “Paul told me you were an old family friend.”
Across the table, Paul went still.
“I’m Paul’s wife.”
Ben looked from Paul to Ashley. Ashley’s lips parted, but she looked at Paul before speaking. He gave the smallest shake of his head.
Ben’s smile disappeared.
I took the empty seat at the far end.
A place card marked ASHLEY’S FAMILY had been placed beside my plate after another guest’s name was crossed out.
The menu was the one I had chosen for my birthday: rosemary chicken, honey-glazed carrots, and lemon cake.
Paul expected me to protect him from the questions my presence created.
If I remained silent, his version of the weekend would become the only one anyone heard.
Before anyone raised a glass, I stood.
My knees felt unsteady. The event invoice trembled between my fingers, and I pressed it flat against the table.
Olivia saw my hand shaking. For one hopeful second, I thought she might stand beside me.
She lowered her eyes.
“There is something every guest should know.”
Paul pushed back his chair. “Grace, sit down.”
I placed the lake-house confirmation and invoice beside my plate.
“I rented this house for my fortieth birthday. I also booked the hall, photographer, flowers, dinner, boat, and every rental being used this weekend.”
Ben looked at Ashley. “You said Paul arranged it.”
“That’s what he told me.”
Paul’s voice hardened. “This isn’t the time.”
“It became the time when you turned my birthday into her engagement party.”
A woman across the table quietly said, “Happy birthday for tomorrow, Grace.”
She was the first person to acknowledge it.
Ashley rose. Her face was pale, but she rested both hands over her stomach as though she had rehearsed the movement.
“I didn’t want to announce it like this, but we have another reason to celebrate. I’m pregnant.”
Ben stood and embraced her. Several guests applauded uncertainly.
Paul reached for his wineglass, missed the stem, then gripped it too tightly. He had already been drinking faster than anyone else at the table.
Ashley said the baby was due in March.
I counted backward. Paul had spent that week “helping his sick brother.”
Ben asked, “Was hearing the heartbeat at the first appointment as incredible as everyone says?”
Paul answered before Ashley could.
“The second. You can barely hear it at the first appointment. The second one is much clearer.”
He stopped.
Red wine tipped from his glass and spread across the white tablecloth.
Ben slowly released Ashley.
“How do you know there was a second appointment?”