The new accounts.
The sudden changes in Aaron’s passwords.
The way he had started keeping his phone face-down.
The way Jasmine somehow became involved in decisions that used to come through me.
I had noticed everything.
I simply hadn’t wanted to believe it.
Because love makes intelligent people stupid.
And I had been very, very stupid.
My phone rang.
It was my mother.
I answered.
“Alyssa.”
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
“Mom?”
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
A pause.
Then she said something that made my stomach tighten.
“Your father wants you to come home.”
I stared out the window.
“Why?”
“He says it’s time.”
“Time for what?”
Another pause.
Then:
“To stop protecting Aaron.”
My eyes closed.
So they knew.
Of course they knew.
My family had known for years.
They had watched me pour billions into a man who increasingly acted as though my existence was an inconvenience.
