Maya: I gave him five years of my life, Thomas.
Thomas: Take a breath, Maya. Sit down on the porch.
Maya: I washed his clothes. I cooked his meals. I managed his schedule.
Thomas: Drink some water. You're shaking.
Thomas handed her a cold glass, his eyes full of concern as he sat on the wooden bench beside her. The evening sun cast long shadows across the front yard of her small suburban home.
Maya: When the paramedics brought his leather jacket from the crash site, I went through the pockets.
Thomas: Looking for his ID and insurance cards?
Maya: Yes. But I found a small black velvet box instead.
Thomas: A velvet box?
Maya: Inside was a diamond tennis bracelet. The receipt was tucked under the velvet lining.
Thomas: Maybe it was an anniversary gift for you?
Maya: Our anniversary was four months ago, Thomas. The receipt had another woman's name written at the top.
Maya pulled her knees up to her chest, her knuckles turning white as she squeezed her glass. Thomas stared at her in disbelief, leaning closer.
Thomas: Who was the name on the receipt?
Maya: Chloe Miller. And the credit card used to buy it was Evelyn's private shopping account.
Thomas: Evelyn bought a bracelet for David's mistress?
Maya: Evelyn didn't just buy it. She wrote a note inside the card. 'Welcome to the family, Chloe.'
Thomas: My God, Maya. That is vile.
Maya: Evelyn helped him hide the affair. She let Chloe stay at her lake house on weekends while I was at home taking care of David's sick father.
Thomas: Did David know you found out?
Maya: He was driving to Chloe's apartment when his car hit the icy patch on the highway. He never even made it to her building.
Thomas shook his head, running a hand over his face. He looked out at the street, where a black car was slowing down in front of the house.
Thomas: Speaking of Evelyn... that looks like her car pulling up right now.
Maya: She has no right to come here after what happened at the hospital.
Thomas: Do you want me to tell her to leave?
Maya: No. Let her come up those steps. I want her to say it to my face again.