Another laugh between them. Then Oliver said the sentence that quietly divided my entire life into a before and an after.
“Once we’re married, she’ll do what I need her to do.”
I stopped breathing. Sarah said something I couldn’t quite make out. Oliver continued, easy and unhurried. “She’s obsessed with security because of those kids. That’s the advantage. She wants stability so badly she’ll eventually agree to anything.”
My fingers tightened around the towel in my hands.
“After the wedding,” he added, almost casually, like an afterthought, “I’ll work on getting control of the house and the savings.”
For one confused second, I genuinely believed I had misunderstood him. Surely there was context. Surely there was some explanation waiting just behind those words.
Then Sarah laughed. And Oliver laughed with her.
“Once everything’s handled,” he said, “I’ll be done. I’m exhausted from pretending this whole happy-family thing is what I want.”
My chest turned cold. Sarah lowered her voice slightly. “And the children?”
Oliver gave an irritated little sigh, like the question was tiresome. “The freak kids? I’m tired of pretending I love them too.”
