Silence.
Then Ryan said, “What?”
Patricia lunged for the phone.
I stepped away.
“She also has a recorder running. She says she’ll use it to make you believe I accepted the money because I don’t love you.”
“Chloe, stop this!” Patricia shouted.
Ryan heard her.
“Mom? Are you there?”
Patricia stood frozen.
I could hear Ryan breathing through the speaker.
“Mom, answer me.”
Finally, Patricia reached for the phone.
“Ryan, darling, she’s twisting everything. She’s been trying to turn you against me ever since she arrived.”
“Did you offer her money?”
Patricia opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
“Mom. Did you offer her money?”
“It was a test.”
“A test?”
“I needed to know what kind of woman she was.”
Ryan’s voice dropped.
“So you offered my fiancée fifty thousand dollars to leave me?”
Patricia looked at me with pure hatred.
“She took it!”
“Because you offered it!” Ryan shouted.
