Lydia was the woman who sat by my side when my mother passed away and the person who helped me choose the lace for my wedding dress. She was the one who called me her sister every single time we shared a bottle of wine on a Friday evening. Then I heard the voice of Mark, which sounded low and confident in the same way he spoke when he was trying to impress a high level client.
“My father in law is almost ready to sign the final papers because Thomas trusts me more than he trusts his own team of expensive lawyers,” Mark boasted to her. “Once the investment is finalized, those ten million dollars will be under my direct control for ninety days, and that is all the time we need to disappear,” he continued. I felt my chest tighten until it was difficult to draw a single breath while I stood frozen in the middle of my kitchen.
Lydia let out a small and nervous giggle that sounded like a serrated blade against my skin. “What about Audrey?” she asked with a tone that suggested she did not really care about the answer. Mark answered her without a single moment of hesitation or a hint of guilt in his voice.
“Audrey will not understand anything because I will simply tell her that our relationship has cooled off and that I need some personal space,” he replied coldly. “She is a nice woman, but she is incredibly naive and she truly has no idea how to fight for herself,” he added. I stood there holding a can of green beans while my knuckles turned white from the pressure of my grip.
