And I am so very sorry.” Lauren set her glass down and stared at her hands for a moment. When she looked up, Olivia was struck by the flinty hardness she saw in her friend’s eyes.
“Over the years I’ve been amazed – and impressed – by your devotion to Richard. You are a good wife; have been a good wife. But you see your husband through rose-colored glasses.”
Olivia opened her mouth to argue with Lauren, but she didn’t have words. There was no witty comeback, no scathing truth to be had here. Richard had cheated on her. She had the video to prove it. Had there been others?
“I’m betting this woman isn’t the first.” Lauren said, reading Olivia’s mind in that uncanny way of good friends.
Olivia downed the rest of her champagne. “You’ve seen him with another woman, haven’t you?”
Lauren wouldn’t meet Olivia’s eyes as she fiddled with her cuticles. “Once. At the Fairmont. But that was a long time ago and I wasn’t one hundred percent certain there was anything inappropriate going on. They weren’t kissing or anything though they seemed cozy. I wrote it off to a business function. If it had been anything blatant, I would have told you. You know that. But in retrospect …”
Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose. How much more could she take?
Lauren refilled their glasses. “How about food, followed by more champagne? I think we should get very drunk.”
“I’m supposed to be making dinner for my family tonight. How am I going to face Richard?”
“I could come with you. Stand behind you with a baseball bat, just to let him know you mean business.” Lauren gave Olivia a wistful smile and pushed a box of Kleenex towards her.
“I’ll never forgive him for this, Lauren. God, the idea of being in the same room with him makes me want to puke. I want him gone, out of my house.” Olivia stood, wobbling on her feet for a moment as the champagne went straight to her head. “I’ve been so stupid. He’s betrayed me in the most horrific way.”
The tears came once again, spilling into hot salty rivers down Olivia’s cheeks.
Olivia met her friend’s gaze. “When I’m with Richard, he has this way of making me feel like I’m the only person in the world. It’s like he shines on me. I’ve never thought about what he’s like when he’s not with me. I’ve trusted him.” Olivia replayed the last few years of her marriage back in her mind, surprised at how long it had been since she and Richard had spent time together or taken a vacation together. Like most long-married couples, they had fallen into a comfortable routine. Olivia had been happy in it. After all, wasn’t finding joy in that which becomes familiar the key to a long and lasting love?
“What are you going to do?” Lauren asked.
Olivia thought about this while Lauren got plates and divvied up their sandwiches, adding tabbouleh and grape leaves.
“Do you know how many times a client has sat across from me and said, ‘I think my husband – or wife – is having an affair’? How many times I’ve said, ‘Trust your instincts. Spouses always know these things.’”
Lauren handed her a glass of water. She waved it away and reached for the champagne.
“What a fool I’ve been. What an utter idiot.”
“You have a romantic nature, Liv.”
Olivia dabbed her eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m a divorce lawyer! I stopped believing in romance years ago. True love isn’t about romance. True love, the kind of love that withstands the test of time, is what you have when the romance wears away. True love is knowing your spouse has your back no matter what. It’s about devotion and family. I thought I had that with Richard.”
“You see your husband and your relationship the way you want it to be, not the way it is. The woman in that video could be his mistress. For all you know, they’re shacking up together. All those nights Richard is away on business, that woman could be with him. Sorry, sweetie, but he is really good-looking. And if you don’t mind me saying so, he has a bit of an ego.”
“My husband is a son of a bitch,” Olivia said.
“Agreed,” Lauren said.
“Don’t people fall in love anymore?”
Lauren, who had a rotating string of lovers, smiled. “I fall in love all the time. For a night, anyway.”
Olivia laughed in spite of herself. She held up her champagne glass in a mock toast. “Screw Richard.”
“Screw Richard,” Lauren said. They clinked glasses and drank their champagne.
After they had eaten their lunch and drunk two bottles of champagne, Lauren had cleared the dishes. While she was in the kitchen tidying up and putting things away, Olivia had lain down on Lauren’s comfortable couch and promptly fallen asleep. She would have slept all night if Lauren hadn’t woken her.
“Time to get up, Liv.”
Olivia opened her eyes as the sun started to slip out of the sky, surprised she had slept so long. For a moment she wondered if the video had been part of a horrid anxiety-ridden nightmare. The events of the morning replayed in her mind’s eye. Not a dream. Richard was a bastard. Now she had to face him.
“How about a cup of tea and a brownie to sober you up?”
“Perfect, and a pair of walking shoes, please. I’d best not drive. And aspirin.”
“Are you sure you want to walk? It’s cold outside. We can call a cab.”
“I’ll walk. The cold air will do me good. I need a bit of sobering, especially if I’m going to face down my husband,” Olivia said.
“Coffee and brownie coming right up. Will you go through with the family dinner?”
“No,” Olivia said. “I’ll ask Denny and David for a rain check.”
Twenty minutes later, fortified with strong coffee and the promised brownie, Olivia trudged up the hill. The days were getting shorter, and the crisp October wind pushed the alcohol-induced cobwebs away. By the time she arrived home she was sober, angry, and not at all happy to see Richard’s Mercedes in the driveway. Why was he here so early? She was hoping she’d have time to pack his bags and arrange a locksmith. Sweaty and thirsty, Olivia let herself in the front door, hoping she could slip into her room and change out of her clothes before she confronted Richard. The house was dark, with the exception of the living room lamp. If Olivia weren’t so preoccupied, she would have noticed the subdued lighting and wondered why Richard didn’t turn on every light in the house, like he usually did.
“Richard?” Olivia called out. No answer. She tossed her briefcase down and headed into the living room. When she flipped on the light, it took a moment for her to realize she wasn’t alone. People were clustered in the corners of the room. Slowly their expectant faces registered in Olivia’s brain. Denny’s was the first to come into focus. Then, as if in slow motion, Olivia recognized old friends and business acquaintances. Faces beaming, everyone stepped toward her. In unison, they shouted, “Surprise!”
