I was surprised that she apologized again.
She had been deceived too.
"I don't blame you. Ryan was at fault, not either of us."
After a pause, I continued. "I don't know whether you'll choose to stay with him. Before you decide, there's a recording I want you to hear."
I opened the recording on my phone and turned the screen toward Ruby.
Ryan's mother's voice came first. "Elise isn't coming back to you. A divorce might be for the best. Ruby has a better temper, no relatives to burden her, and all that settlement money. Her parents left her several million dollars and two houses. Once you marry her, won't all of it belong to you?"
Then came his father's voice. "Elise earns a mediocre salary, and she's too stubborn. If you stay with Ruby, it's a guaranteed win."
Finally, Ryan said, "I
