Chapter 2: The Woman at the Door Knew Her Name
The woman at the door didn't look at Ethan.
She looked at Patricia.
"You promised me you'd tell him," she said.
"You promised me months ago."
Patricia's face went white.
Ethan turned slowly.
"Tell me what?"
Nobody answered.
I was still holding the deed.
My hands were steady even though my fever wasn't.
I watched Patricia's mouth open and close like she was searching for a version of the truth that would hurt her the least.
The baby made a small sound.
Ethan looked at the child, then back at Patricia.
Something was shifting behind his eyes.
"Patricia." His voice dropped.
"Who is this woman to you?"
"She's nobody.
She's—"
"She called you by name." He stepped closer.
"She said you made her a promise."
The woman at the door lifted her chin.
"My name is Diane.
And Patricia is the one who introduced me to your husband."
The room went completely still.
I looked at Patricia.
She wasn't looking at Ethan anymore.
She was looking at me.
And for the first time all evening, she looked afraid of the wrong person.
Not Ethan.
Me.
Because I was the one still holding the document that decided who slept in this house tonight.
And I hadn't said a word yet.
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What Diane revealed next — and why Patricia was truly terrified of her — is in the full story.
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