When she struggled financially.
When her marriage failed.
When she needed help.
I paid her bills.
Watched Sawyer when she worked late.
Helped her rebuild her life.
I never imagined she was hiding something from me.
“Rowan.”
My voice was different.
Even I heard it.
She noticed too.
“What?”
“Where did you get that bag?”
For half a second…
just half a second…
her face changed.
Then she recovered.
“What bag?”
“The one behind the table.”
She laughed.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Cormac stepped forward.
“Interesting.”
Rowan looked at him.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re saying you don’t know about the bag?”
“No.”
“Then why did you look at the exact place it was hidden?”
Silence.
Her confidence disappeared.
Only for a moment.
But we saw it.
She knew.
Mom suddenly walked over.
“What’s going on?”
Nobody spoke.
Then her eyes landed on Cormac.
And immediately…
she became nervous.
Not confused.
Not concerned.
Nervous.
That was when I knew.
My mother knew something too.
“Mom?”
She forced a smile.
“What?”
“Did you know about the bag?”
Her expression hardened.
“Madison, don’t start drama at your own party.”
That sentence.
The same sentence she had used my entire life.
Whenever I asked questions.
Whenever I noticed something wrong.
Whenever I refused to pretend.
“You always ruin everything.”
But this time, I didn’t apologize.
“No.”
My voice stayed calm.
“Someone else ruined my party.”
I pointed toward the destroyed cake.
“Someone else brought a hidden case file into my backyard.”
“And someone else has been lying to me.”
The guests around us had started noticing.
The atmosphere shifted.
Rowan grabbed her purse.
“I’m leaving.”
Cormac immediately stepped in front of the driveway.
