Page 86 of What the Wife Knew

Kathryn smiled. “There’s no need. Everything is fine.”

Except for the bat hanging loose in Kathryn’s hand and the revenge scheme running through her head. Sure, everything was just fine.

“Your mom was about to leave anyway.” In case Kathryn hadn’t picked up on my hint I drove it home. “You still can walk away. This is the time to turn back.”

Portia didn’t appear to be listening to me as she stared at her mother. “You were so angry when you left the house.”

“I still am.”

This woman. Even under duress and locked in a tsunami of anger she had to have the last word. “Kathryn, this isn’t the right time.”

“I appreciate the concern.” Kathryn smoothed her free hand over Portia’s hair. “I’ll be home soon. I’m not done here.”

Panic shot around the room and wrapped around Portia. “Addison?”

“Stop talking to her. Addison is not your friend. She destroyed our family.” There wasn’t any lightness to Kathryn’s voice now. It boomed, cutting through the relative quiet of the house. “There are things you don’t know about what she did to your dad. Other people are taking the blame, but she caused all of this.”

Guilt weaponized. Words twisted and tainted. I recognized the motherly tricks all too well. “Don’t do this to your daughter.”

“No. You don’t get to speak.” Kathryn shook her head. “You took everything else. You can’t have my children, too.”

Mom’s hand twitched. Maybe it was wishful thinking. Myglance lasted only seconds. Any longer would tip off Kathryn, but Mom’s chest moved. She might not be awake, but she was breathing.

Relief made me light-headed. After all that had happened between us, all the words said and unsaid, I doubted I could still feel anything but there it was—actual concern. My side of the mother-daughter bond still kicked and screamed for air.

Mom needed medical attention and we were miles away from that happening with Kathryn on a rampage. “How are you going to get out of this? If this escalates even more...”

Portia looked at me then to her mom. “I don’t understand.”

Supportivehadn’t worked. Time for an order. “Portia, leave. Now. I’m tired of this.”

Portia’s face crumpled. “Don’t talk to me like that. I’m trying to help.”

That’s right. Turn on me. Be offended enough to leave and find safety.“You heard me.”

“We’ll be fine, honey.” Kathryn guided Portia toward the door to the hall.

Portia didn’t fight her mom’s pull or touch. She walked without looking back. That stuck me alone with Kathryn, a woman whose boundaries and control were disintegrating by the minute.

“Your daughter isn’t going to miraculously forget what she saw here.” There was no easy road out of this for Kathryn. I didn’t intend to help her find one. She’d gone too far. This would end with the police and criminal charges. “You’re in my house. I’m not holding a weapon. We’re defenseless.”

“You’re not innocent.”

Not the word I used and there was a reason for that. “Portia is.She’s already grieving for her dad. You’re putting her in the position of having to lie for you.”

I’d lived it. Burying pain and pretending it didn’t exist wouldn’t destroy it.

“Did your mother make you lie about loving Richmond or were you a willing accomplice in her scam?”

Talk about an unexpected topic change. “I never said I loved Richmond.”

“Do you love her?” Kathryn pointed the bat at Mom. “I wonder what you’ll do to save her.”

“Stop.”

Kathryn touched Mom’s arm with the end of the bat. “Why should I?”

Chapter Fifty-Six

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