Emily
My life soon returned to normal.
Or at least, it looked normal from the outside.
Work.
Sneaking out to meet Adrian.
Dinners with the Carters.
Charity events.
Gallery openings.
Business luncheons where I had to sit straight, smile politely, and speak only when spoken to.
I resumed the role I had mastered over the years — the perfect lady.
Composed.
Refined.
Unproblematic.
Untouchable.
If anyone had looked closely, they might have noticed the faint exhaustion behind my eyes. The way I sometimes hesitated before answering questions about the future. The way my smile tightened whenever wedding plans were mentioned.
But no one looked that closely.
They saw what they wanted to see.
At the Carters’ estate one Sunday afternoon, Nathan’s mother studied me over her teacup.
“Y
