Page 6 of The Bad Husband

“No, no… It’s all right. But I can go outside, sit by the pool, and have a glass of wine if I want to, right?”

A grin tilts her lips.

“Of course. You can do whatever you want. This is your home, too. Anything you need, please let me know now or in the morning. In case of an emergency, feel free to call me.”

“I’m sure that won’t be necessary,” I murmur just as she calls my phone, so I can add her number to my contacts list.

“Your, um, stepmother gave me your phone number,” she says in response to my surprise. “I hope it’s not a problem.”

“No, it’s not,” I say, saving her number on my phone.

“Okay. We’re all set then,” she says, relieved. “I hope you’ll have a wonderful summer.”

“I hope that, too.”

A pinch of uncertainty tarnishes my answer.

“Oh, one more thing,” she says, about to make a beeline to the door.

“The gate code changes every night at ten sharp after the staff leaves. You can get the new code from me, or Mr. West, if I’m not available.”

My mouth softens.

“What about Henrietta?”

“She only answers her phone if Damon calls her, and he doesn’t need the new code. She can open the gate with her key fob, just like him.”

How nice of them.

“So this is a detention center?”

My thought slips out without a filter, making the woman smile.

“It’s actually not. No one is in the house after ten, except for the people who want to be in the house. Henrietta and Damon. And now you.”

Charming.

“You’ll be all right,” she says, noticing the wry smile on my lips.

“I’m sure I will. Thank you so much.”

She tilts her chin in response, and soon after, she walks out the door while I stay frozen in the middle of the room, perpetually in awe of the beautiful space.

2

LILA

Wearing a towel around my chest, with my hair damp from the shower, I step out of the bathroom when a noise catches my attention.

Cars roll onto the gravel driveway.

Nudged by curiosity, I slip out of the room and tiptoe my way to the staircase swirling around the heart of the house.

There, I set my hands onto the handrail and bend over to take a peek at the black cars pulling up in front of the entrance.

A man climbs out of the first vehicle. It’s an SUV with tinted windows.

He is massive, wears a suit despite the warm weather, and is bald like my father.