She agreed.
Before ending the call, she said something I hadn’t expected.
“Margaret told me one more thing. She said if Roy ever discovered the plan, she would tell him that you had stolen money from her and turn the entire family against you. She wanted to make sure he wouldn’t believe anything you said.”
My grip tightened around the phone.
So even after the scheme collapsed, Margaret had prepared another lie.
I told Roy what Tessa had said.
He sat very still.
Then he shook his head.
“She really thought she could make me choose between believing my own wife and believing her.”
“She thought you would always be afraid of losing her.”
He looked at me.
“Maybe I was.”
That evening, he sent his mother a message. It was short, direct, and unlike anything he had ever written to her before.
He told her that he loved her, but that their relationship could not continue as it had. He would help arrange appropriate care and would not abandon her, but he would no longer tolerate threats, lies, or attempts to interfere in our marriage.
