I felt the old instinct to defend myself rise again, but I let it pass.
“Vivian, I did not create the disputed documents. I did not move our savings. I did not file a lawsuit accusing me of misconduct. Those were decisions made by other people.”
She looked away.
“We thought you would eventually give in.”
The admission was so quiet that I almost missed it.
I stared at her.
“You expected me to surrender because you believed I had less power than you.”
She did not deny it.
For the first time, I saw the truth beneath her polished manners. She had not necessarily believed every accusation Arthur made. She had simply believed that protecting the family name was more important than asking whether those accusations were fair.
“We were worried about Daniel,” she whispered.
“So was I.”
She began to cry.
I felt no triumph. I did not want to humiliate her or remind her of every cruel thing she had said.
