From Julian.
“Because I told her not to.”
The words were so quiet that at first I thought I had imagined them.
Julian stared at the floor.
Elena slowly turned toward him.
“What did you say?”
He raised his eyes.
“I told you not to contact them.”
Her face went blank.
“You told me that David would use the children against me. You said that if I tried to go back, he would destroy everything we had.”
“I said it would be complicated.”
“You said he would take me to court!”
“I said there could be a legal dispute.”
“You said the girls would hate me!”
Julian rubbed his face.
“I didn’t know what to do.”
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Elena stepped toward him.
“You told me that you were helping me!”
“I was trying to protect our life.”
“Our life?”
Her voice cracked.
“You let me believe that my children didn’t want me!”
