Page 17 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

They had been the perfect couple at the firm.

When Phillip had become a partner, they had mentioned Meredith in his yearly review as a positive to his character and a fit for the firm.

At first, Meredith had loved being part of this “family.” She’d hosted events at their house and gotten along great with the other wives. Their families celebrated holidays and vacations together.

Then, the firm’s founder divorced his wife, Marcia. When Phillip had told her the news, he’d explained how she couldn’t be friends with her any longer.

“You’re kidding?” she’d said. “Marcia came to the hospital when the kids were born. Of course I’m going to stay friends with her.”

She could not believe the firm would ask her to cut off communication.

But the other wives had agreed and followed suit.

“They’ll cut you off, too,” Marcia had warned her when they’d met for lunch. “You better watch it.”

Meredith had thought Marcia was being dramatic, but as she’d continued to see Marcia as she always had, the other women had stopped inviting her to things for the wives. That was when Phillip had come to her.

“I don’t want you hanging out together anymore,” he’d said. “It’s going to ruin my career.”

She’d gone to argue, but he’d stopped her.

“I worked really hard for this, Meredith. I wouldn’t ask you to ruin your dream for a casual friend.”

And that had somehow made enough sense for Meredith, and that was that. She’d stopped hanging around Marcia. The wives had started inviting her back to parties, and the firm had made Phillip one of the senior partners.

The irony came when Phillip had divorced Meredith, and she had been excommunicated from the wives immediately. No one fought their husband like she had for Marcia. All the invitations to events and parties she had once planned and sometimes hosted had ended immediately.

The worst part, Phillip’s new wife, Rylie, had slipped into her place perfectly, right where Meredith had left it. Rylie attended the parties with the wives and asked questions to the big partners and clients and got to be part of the “family.”

“You must be Meredith!” An elderly woman stood at the door out of nowhere. The woman looked as though she wanted to go in for a hug, but Meredith stepped back.

“Yes, I am,” Meredith said. “I’m afraid I’m late for a meeting with Mr. Michaud.”

“Heard there was a bit of traffic,” the woman said, opening the door. “He’s on his way, so come on in.”

How old was his secretary? Meredith guessed the woman had to be at least seventy.

“Can I get you something to drink?” the woman asked.

“I’m good, thanks,” Meredith said, walking into the office.

“I’m Virginia, but folks around here call me Ginny,” she said, holding out her hand to an empty chair in a sitting area. “Feel free to make yourself comfortable.”

“Thanks,” Meredith said, placing her purse in the chair next to her. She sat crossed-legged, bobbing her foot up and down, nervous about what was about to come.

“I’m sorry about your loss,” Ginny said from behind the counter.

At first, her mother, flashed in her mind, and she became confused, but then Meredith realized the woman was talking about Jacob.

“Thank you,” she said, hoping that would be the end of it.

“Jacob had his faults, for sure,” the woman continued, “but he was a good man deep down.”

Meredith forced a smile and nodded her head, focusing on her foot bouncing up and down. She didn’t want to talk about Jacob or how good a man he had been. She wanted to get this whole thing done and over with so she could go back to her life.

“That’s what alcohol can do to a man,” the woman said.

Great, her dad was a drunk. What a cliché—Jacob was a drunken sailor.

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