Chapter 12 - Hailey Takes Off the Ring
Hailey asked to meet at a coffee shop.
Neutral territory.
She placed the platinum wedding band on the table.
"I hate this thing."
"Then don't wear it."
She pushed it away.
"I don't expect you to forgive me."
"Good."
She nodded.
"I knew he was married to you."
There it was.
No excuses.
"I wanted what you had."
"Trevor?"
"Everything."
That surprised me.
"The house. Career. Respect. The way people listened when you walked into a room."
I stared at my little sister.
"You thought sleeping with my husband would give you my life?"
"When you say it like that, it sounds insane."
"It was insane before I said it."
A tiny, broken laugh escaped her.
Then she cried.
She admitted something I'd never understood.
Growing up as the golden child hadn't made her confident.
It had made her dependent on being chosen.
Our parents rescued her so often that she never learned how to survive being ordinary.
Trevor understood that.
He told her she deserved more.
He told her I had everything because I was selfish.
And Hailey wanted to believe him.
None of that excused her.
But it explained the door Trevor had walked through.
"I'm going back to school," she said.
"Good."
"I got a job."
"Also good."
"Mom hates it."
I almost smiled.
"What job?"
"Receptionist at a dental office."
"Why would Mom hate that?"
"Because she thinks it's embarrassing."
I laughed.
Actually laughed.
"Then definitely keep it."
Hailey smiled weakly.
She left the ring on the table.
May you like
I didn't take it.
Neither did she.
