“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!”
Oh, God, no. Olivia wanted to run. Like a trapped deer, her eyes darted around the room, looking for a means of escape. Richard approached Olivia, arms wide to take her into a hug. Not wanting him to touch her, Olivia started to recoil but stopped herself as she caught Denny’s look of shock. Olivia Sinclair, who prided herself on keeping her cool under any circumstance, felt her composure slipping away. Someone snapped a picture, the strobe of the flash like a jolt of lightning.
Moving towards her once again, Richard said, “Happy birthday, honey.” Olivia let him kiss her cheeks. Then she moved on to Denny, pulling her daughter into her arms.
“Are you okay, Mom?” Denny whispered into Olivia’s ear.
“I’m okay. Just a bit shocked.” Olivia meandered through the crowd, greeting people she hadn’t seen in ages. She reached Wendy Betters last. Wendy had worked for Richard’s law firm, Rincon Sinclair, since she was an undergrad. Over the years she and Olivia had forged a strong friendship. Wendy took Olivia’s hand and said to the crowd of people around them, “I need to speak to the birthday girl for a moment.” She led Olivia away and stepped close to her. “Are you all right?”
Olivia’s heart thumped in her chest. All she wanted to do was scream.
“Olivia, talk to me? What can I do to help?”
“Nothing.” Olivia’s voice came out a whisper. “Thank you though.”
“Take a minute to pull yourself together. I’ll tell everyone you went to change your clothes, okay?” Wendy peered around the corner into the room where the party was in full swing. “It’s okay to slip away for a couple of minutes.”
“Thank you, Wendy.” Eager for even a few minutes of privacy, Olivia set her champagne down and excused herself, a fake smile plastered on her face. For a moment, she thought about walking out the front door and away from the house, but she couldn’t do that to Denny. Four waiters circled the room passing out flutes of Dom Perignon. The dining room table had been converted to a buffet covered in white linen. She caught a glimpse of lobster tails, salads, and cracked crab. A white-coated chef sliced a chateaubriand into thin slices. The lights had been dimmed, so the candles that blazed in the silver candelabras lent a romantic air to the whole scene. A full bar had been situated on the far wall of the dining room, and now a bartender mixed martinis for Stephen Vine and his wife.
Careful not to make eye contact with anyone, Olivia hurried down the dark corridor to her room. After closing and locking her bedroom door, she stood in the dark for a moment, wishing she could stay here for the rest of the night, alone. After slipping out of her work clothes, she put on a pair of black pants and a cream cashmere sweater. A couple of splashes of cold water on her face and she’d be good as new. There were enough people in the house so that she could tactfully avoid Richard without anyone noticing. She’d put on a brave face for a couple of hours. After the guests were gone, she’d deal with her philandering husband.
Richard was waiting for her when she opened the bedroom door, and judging by the expression on his face, he wasn’t happy. “What are you doing in here? Do you know how hard Denny and I worked to put this party together? Get out there and be with your guests. If not for me, at least for your daughter’s sake.”
She stared at him for a moment, this man she believed had loved her with the same fierce loyalty that she had held for him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Richard said.
“Why are you taking that tone with me? I don’t appreciate it.” Olivia shivered as she saw her Richard for who he really was. “I don’t even know you anymore.”
In an instant, the state of their marriage crystalized. The clarity proved an effective antidote, for all the hurt and anger dissipated, giving her strength. Olivia knew what she had to do. She made to slip past Richard and get back to her guests, back to Denny. Richard grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear, “What the hell is the matter with you?”
Olivia looked down at Richard’s fingers clamped against the fleshy part of her arm. She looked up and met his eyes without fear. “Let go of me.”
He let her go and stepped away.
“I’ll play along. After the guests leave, we’ll talk.”
“About what?” Richard asked.
“Our divorce,” Olivia said. And with those words she turned her back on him and headed back to her party.
The guests consisted mostly of lawyers and judges, acquaintances of Richard’s. Leave it to him to use her birthday to schmooze and entertain people who had influence over his career. Somehow managing