Chapter 2

"Lily, get your shoes on. We're leaving," I said, my voice hollow.

Lily looked up from her cartoons, confused. "Leaving? But we just got here. I want to play with Daddy."

Mark stepped towards me. "Sarah, don't do this. It's a long drive. You're tired. Lily's tired. Let's just... talk about this in the morning."

"There's nothing to talk about, Mark."

As we argued, the distinct beep-boop-beep of a key code sounded at the door. It swung open.

Ashley Brennan stood there, holding a small takeout bag. She was looking for Mark.

"Mark? You didn't answer my calls about the urgent project. I brought those tacos..." Her voice trailed off as she saw me, then Lily.

Lily, however, beamed. "Hi, Auntie Ash!"

My blood ran cold. Auntie Ash?

Ashley looked flustered for a split second, then her expression hardened into a challenging stare directed at me. It was a look that said, Yeah, and what are you going to do about it?

"I was just worried," Ashley said, her voice now smooth, addressing Mark but looking at me. "When you didn't answer about the, uh, urgent project files."

Mark' s face was a mask of panic. "Ashley, now's not a good time. You should go."

She ignored him, her eyes still on me. Then she smiled, a small, knowing smile.

"Are you guys going to dinner? Maybe I can join you?" she asked, brazenly.

I grabbed Lily' s hand. "We're going home."

I walked out, pulling Lily with me, not looking back.

The car ride back to Phoenix was a blur of silent tears from me and confused questions from Lily.

"Mommy, don't you like Auntie Ash?" Lily asked from the back seat, her small voice laced with genuine bewilderment.

My heart fractured a little more. "Why do you call her Auntie Ash, sweetie?"

"Daddy said so. When I visit him in Austin, we play with Auntie Ash. She' s nice. She buys me ice cream."

Visit him in Austin? He' d had Lily for weekends here? Without telling me Ashley was part of those visits?

"Daddy said it was our little secret from Mommy," Lily added, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "He said you worry too much."

A deliberate pattern of concealment. He had actively coached our daughter to lie to me, to keep his affair partner a secret. I felt foolish, naive. All those times I' d thought he was bonding with Lily, he was integrating Ashley into her life, into our life, behind my back. The self-blame was a bitter pill. How could I have been so blind?