One of Us Is Dead(24)

“More condolences.” I rolled my eyes and looked down at my Cartier watch.

“Some people are just vile.” Olivia shook her head.

She glanced down at her watch too and turned toward the bar. When she turned back, Olivia had another shot in her hand. This time it had a yellowish tint. “Here, Shannon. Your big moment is almost here. Tequila will help.”

I hesitated for a moment, but then took it from her and tossed it back. I checked the time once more. I had less than five minutes before I had to be onstage to introduce Bryce. I had almost backed out, but I wanted to show everyone that I was strong and capable, with or without a husband. I wanted Bryce back, but sometimes, I found myself wanting me back more—the me I was before him. Tonight made me feel like I could have that.

“Let me walk you to the stage,” Olivia said, grabbing my hand.

I looked down at her hand and then at her face. She gave an encouraging smile.

“Okay,” I said.

The first step I took was wobbly. Those drinks had hit me quickly. My vision was a little blurry, but I felt beyond confident—like I could take on the world. I smiled at people as Olivia led me through the crowd. They threw compliments at me, and I thanked them. This was where I was supposed to be. I was Shannon Madison with or without Bryce. We stopped off to the side of the stage.

Olivia placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye . . . only I was seeing two Olivia’s.

“Shannon, you’re going to do great. Bryce will be up here shortly, so you can introduce him,” she said.

I nodded or at least I think I did.

“I just want to say congratulations on your last event as chairwoman. You did a wonderful job, but I’ll be taking the reins from this point on.” She smiled . . . twice, or maybe once. I closed my eyes for a moment and shook my head slightly, trying to make sense of her words.

“Wait, what? What do you mean, last event?” I stammered.

“The board voted last week for you to step down as chairwoman. Your divorce got in the way of your ability to lead. We were afraid our charities and events would suffer under your leadership. I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you sooner. It’s been weighing so heavy on my heart, keeping this from you. But it was unanimous.” Olivia pulled her lips in.

My eyes went wide and I felt them get glossy. “No, this can’t be right.”

“It was a tough decision, but it was the right one,” Olivia said, tilting her head.

“Are you ready?” Bryce said, standing beside me.

His head was held high, and his shoulders were pinned back. I looked up at him, realizing I had lost everything. All because he left me.

Olivia removed her hands from my shoulders and smiled. She looked at Bryce. “She’s ready,” she said and then disappeared into the crowd.

His politician grin was plastered across his face now, signaling he was ready to be introduced. I knew now that if I wanted my life back, I needed Bryce in it.

“I’m glad you decided to go through with this,” Bryce spoke through his large beaming smile, never letting it falter.

I tried to say, “Me too,” but my voice cracked, so I nodded instead.

He glanced down at me, “Perhaps we can work things out if this goes well.”

My heart swelled, my pulse raced, and it felt like I had a swarm of butterflies inside my stomach. Bryce leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. It felt warm against my skin. “You look beautiful,” he whispered.

I felt my cheeks flush. Bryce and I were getting back together. He said so himself. The rest of my life would fall back into place. Chairwoman of the Buckhead Women’s Foundation. My social status. My marriage. Everything. I walked up the stairs to the stage with my head held high—ready to reintroduce Bryce and me to the world.





16

Crystal


I watched Bryce kiss Shannon on the cheek. I felt a bit uneasy, but I knew he was just trying to make nice. He didn’t need his ex-wife making a scene, and he knew Shannon was like a China dish, fragile and prone to breaking into a million pieces.

“Is Shannon trying to steal her man back?” Olivia said with a laugh.

“She’s just being professional,” Karen said.

“As is Bryce,” I added.

“The only thing worse than hope is false hope.” Olivia sipped her champagne. “I’m going to go get a better view. This is for sure going to be a train wreck.” She tried to grab Dean’s hand, but he grabbed her arm with force.

“Stop,” he warned in a low growl.

“Stop what?” Olivia tried to pull her arm away.

“With the drama.” He tightened his eyes.

“Ow. I’m just having fun.”

This time when she pulled, her arm came free. It was covered in red marks from where his fingers had been. She rubbed her arm with her hand, trying to soothe it.

“That hurt, you asshole. Cool it on the drinks.” She pushed him back, turned on her foot, and disappeared into the crowd.

When I glanced around at the other girls, it seemed none of them had noticed what happened. I had seen this type of toxic relationship before, and I knew firsthand that it could be deadly.

“Are you guys still having the monthly book club at the salon tomorrow morning?” Jenny asked.

Karen laughed. “If you can even call it that, thanks to Olivia’s pick.”