Part 3My Marriage Had A Price Tag

After that night, Helena became a ghost of the woman she used to be.

Suddenly, she was always home. She left late and returned early. Every morning, she made me walk her to the foyer, and before she stepped out, she would turn back to kiss my forehead.

Every evening, she brought me flowers. Sometimes it was pansies, sometimes irises... never the same thing twice.

She would kiss the corner of my mouth and whisper, "I missed you today."

But the woman who "missed me" spent her afternoons photographed at the mall with Parker Vance or spotted at a luxury spa in Napa with him.

She was playing a part, and so was I. We were both experts at pretending.

Then came her mother’s birthday gala.

Helena told me she wanted me there by her side. I agreed.

When she pulled up to the house to get me that evening, the passenger seat was already taken.

Parker smiled at me through the window, his expression devoid of any real apology. "Sorry, Mrs. Montgomery... I just have such a weak stomach."

Was this another test?

I smiled back, nodding politely. "It’s no problem. Motion sickness is miserable. I get it."

I reached for the back door handle, but before I could open it, Helena stepped out of the car. She walked around to the passenger side and looked at Parker.

"Get out," she said.

Parker’s smile faltered. "Helena, I thought—"

"Don't make me drag you out," she said, her voice like ice.

The tension was thick enough to choke on. I started to say something to diffuse the situation, but Helena didn't give me the chance. She practically hauled Parker out of the seat.

"Either sit in the back or call a cab," she snapped.

She didn't even look at his face. She held the door open for me, ushering me into the front seat.

It was awkward, but I knew better than to defy her in this mood. I sat down and buckled my seatbelt. Parker didn't call a cab; he sulked in the back.

As we drove, Helena handed me a velvet box. "A gift for my mother. Give it to her when we get there."

I murmured a thank you. Before I could say more, Parker leaned forward from the backseat. "It’s an emerald necklace. I helped Helena pick it out. It’s stunning, isn't it?"

I traced the edge of the box and smiled softly. "Yes. It really is."

See? The woman who said she missed me spent her time with him. Her body was always somewhere else.

How could I ever believe a word she said?