“The truth.”
“What truth?”
“That depends.
Which account are you asking about?”
Sloane turned toward him.
“What accounts?”
Graham did not look at her.
I watched her understand, in real time, that she had been invited to celebrate a future Graham had described very differently to each of us.
He had told me there was not enough liquidity to maintain two households at our previous standard of living.
He had apparently told Sloane there was enough to furnish hers.
He had told Evelyn I was prolonging the divorce because I was bitter.
He had told our children the financial arguments were routine.
And he had told the court, through his preliminary disclosures, a version of our finances that omitted enough details to make my attorney curious.
Evelyn recovered first.
“This is between husband and wife.”
Audrey gave a short laugh.
Everyone looked at her.
“Five minutes ago you were hugging his girlfriend because she took our last name.”
“Audrey,” Graham warned.
“No.
You said it was adult business.
Fine.
I’m listening to the adults.”
Ben stared at his father.
“Did you really move money?”
Graham’s irritation flashed toward him.
“You don’t understand any of this.”
“That seems to be what you tell everybody,” Audrey said.
I squeezed her hand.
Not because she was wrong.
Because I did not want my children carrying my battle for me.
“This isn’t yours to fix,” I told them.
Then I looked at Graham.
“It’s ours.”
Sloane stood abruptly.
The sapphire moved against her throat.
“I’m taking this off.”
Evelyn reached toward her.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes,” Sloane said.
“I think I do.”
She struggled with the clasp.
Graham stood too.
“Sloane, sit down.”
She looked at him.
“Did you buy this necklace?”
His silence was enough.
Her eyes shifted to me.
I answered the question he would not.
“No.
Evelyn gave it to me the morning Graham and I married.
It came back into our home after I stopped wearing it regularly.
A few weeks later, it disappeared.”
Evelyn’s face changed.
She looked at Graham.
“You told me she returned it.”
