Celeste looked at Graham first.
Then at me.
“You said she was overseas.”
I answered before he could.
“He says a lot of things.”
Her hand rose unconsciously to the pendant.
I looked directly at it.
“Take that off.”
She froze.
Graham stepped between us slightly.
“Ellie—”
“I wasn’t speaking to you.”
Celeste’s fingers found the clasp.
For the first time since I had seen her step out of the executive elevator, her confidence disappeared.
“Graham gave it to me.”
“Graham gave it to me first.
After my promotion to colonel.
He took it from that box while I was deployed.”
Her eyes shifted toward the open velvet case.
Then back to Graham.
“You told me it belonged to your mother.”
That surprised even me.
Graham whispered her name.
“Celeste.”
She stepped away from him.
“You told me Eleanor knew about us.”
“He told Audrey something similar,” I said.
“Interesting pattern.”
Graham’s face hardened.
“This is exactly why I didn’t want everyone talking to each other.”
The room went silent.
He seemed to realize what he had admitted a second too late.
Celeste removed the pendant.
She placed it carefully on the dresser.
“What else did you lie about?” she asked him.
He turned on her.
“Don’t start acting innocent now.
You knew I was married.”
“You said you were separated.”
“You saw her photographs.”
“Because you said the marriage was over.”
Their argument rose around me, but I stopped listening.
There would be plenty of time for blame later.
I picked up the pendant.
The metal was warm from Celeste’s skin.
I closed my hand around it.
That simple movement did something none of Graham’s explanations could do.
It reminded me that I did not need him to agree with reality before I acted on it.
“I’m leaving,” I said.
Graham turned toward me.
“Ellie, please.
We can talk about this.”
“We just did.”
“Thirty-one years and you’re going to walk away after one conversation?”
I picked up my marriage certificate and slid it into my bag.
“No.
