reath, pushing

ust pre-wedding j

d a sma

se, but I needed to

little wh

ax, his charming

a big step. But we're

t him, my lips unresponsive, my m

tasting for the rehearsal din

ly checking his phone, a slig

the chef' s descriptions o

strange detachmen

, this man I was

ng that might have hurt me, n

cked out of our wedding, pr

what I had planned e

o "take an important call,"

the table, mome

ed, but my han

igated to his

any' s text had mentioned

f of

rough the rec

here

vely labeled "Cli

mach c

ped i

filled the scree

and T

iling, not

from her Instagram, tangled in bedsheet

issing, her hands on his che

wearing Mark's shirt, nothing else, grinnin

Tiffany ha

d over me, ho

a brazen, ongoing betrayal, documen

d to me; he' d rev

risy was

talked about loya

o another man, yet clearly

tled people, destroying liv

ied into a cold

rved to b

humiliation and hurt they had inflicte

ldn't be a cele

their publ

Mark, someone who might have a r

id

ced from my co

he same business pr

and always a little wary

eone whose quiet competence threatened his

competing inves

rk contrast to Mark' s increasingly reckless st

n shady practices, Dav

s been... kind to m

ontact information thro

moment, then typ

Mark Olsen's professional conduct that might be of inte

ad anoth

nificant amount, were tied up

is firm's money, he was l

assets, and perhaps use the inf

l, but I was past ca

ied within

ar from you. Yes, I can

s neutral,

eet for coffee t

ething, not hope, but perhaps

of my plan was f

ge anymore. It was about jus

da, called late

a tone she usually reserved

beautiful bride-to-be is doing! Are you exci

eth. "Everythin

y will take care of you. Financial security is so im

like sandpaper

bout was the mo

y happening, and frankly, I ha

would only be

go, Mom.

let anything spoil your big d

eling a wave

in, her narcissistic demands

onal, tied to my achievements or, later, th

crave stability and genuine affectio

ong I'

ion of her, all surface ch

d at a quiet coffee shop far

us, observant, with an understated intelligence tha

, polite smile on his fac

anks for m

and then I got st

some highly unethical, possibly illegal, financial activities at his

didn't change, but

d of info

in my own portfolio statements, the rumors I' d heard about risky ventures Mark was pushi

ently, asking a fe

finally, "this is serious. It could have

want to protect my assets

hen, a longer, mo

e this, Sarah? Just da

ion hung