One of Us Is Dead(25)

“What book did she choose?” Keisha asked.

“Vogue.”

The girls laughed, but I didn’t. I was still thinking about what had just happened between Olivia and Dean. Was this a common occurrence? Was Dean abusive? The room suddenly quieted as the spotlight lit up Shannon onstage. As much as she and I were at odds, I hoped this would go well. Shannon needed to show Buckhead that she had moved on, even if she hadn’t yet.

She grabbed the mic and cleared her throat. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. As you all know, I’m Shannon Madison,” she began.

Whispers ensued throughout the audience, followed by shushing. Karen, Jenny, and Keisha helped quiet the crowd. I shook my head slightly. She should have said Shannon Block. She was no longer Shannon Madison.

She smiled and continued, thanking everyone for their generous contributions and talking about the charity and what the money would be used for. She thanked those that had volunteered. She thanked the members of the Buckhead Women’s Foundation, and then it was time for her to introduce Bryce. He was being honored for the work he had done to secure a building and the finances needed to open a recreation center in Atlanta for at-risk youth.

“And now, it is my pleasure to introduce the man of honor,” Shannon began.

Karen clasped her hands together as if she were praying.

“You all know him as your congressman, but I know him very differently as he was once my husband. Bryce and I met fifteen years ago. We fell madly in love, and together we built a beautiful life. Yes, I know you’ve all heard about our temporary separation.”

Whispers ensued.

“This is so painful,” Keisha said to Jenny.

“Should we stop her?” Karen asked.

“That’ll make it worse.” Jenny leaned in.

“Nothing can be worse than this,” Keisha said.

Shannon held her smile through all the whispering and continued. “Love like the love Bryce and I had, excuse me, have . . . never dies. It just changes, morphs like clay, but it can always get back to its original shape.”

“She’s drunk, right?” Keisha asked.

“Has to be,” Jenny said. She looked over at me and gave me an encouraging smile. I wasn’t the one that needed the reassurance though. Shannon needed all the strength in the room at this moment.

Shannon paced back and forth on the stage. The mic slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a thud. She bent down, nearly falling over, and picked it up.

“Oopsie daisy,” she said. “Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Bryce and I are getting back together.”

People whispered and looked around the room. Eyes were on me. Eyes were on Bryce and eyes were on Shannon. Bryce started quickly up the stairs of the stage.

“They say if you love someone, let them go, and if they come back, then it’s meant to be. So, Bryce . . . here you are.” Shannon motioned to Bryce right as he got onstage. It had looked as though the whole thing had been planned, but Bryce’s face told the truth as it was red with anger and embarrassment.

“Come to me, my friend, my lover, my everything, my—” Bryce grabbed the mic from Shannon. She tried to lean in for a kiss, but he stepped aside, and she tumbled over.

“It would appear someone’s had a little too much to drink this evening,” Bryce said with a smile. He looked at Shannon, who was still trying to get her footing. Her face was wrinkled up in confusion, as if she had no idea what just happened. The crowd exploded with laughter.

“Oh, Shannon. You sure know how to put the ex in ex-wife.” He laughed.

Shannon’s eyes moistened as she searched the faces in the crowd. My heart broke for her.

“In all seriousness, you did a wonderful job here tonight putting on this event. So, thank you for the handoff, but I’ll take it from here. You certainly deserve our gratitude and a night of relaxation, minus the alcohol,” Bryce said, winking to the crowd and then looking at Shannon. Her eyes grew wide like she was just starting to understand what was going on. He returned his gaze to the crowd. “Give it up for my ex-wife, Shannon, everyone.” Applause ensued as she slowly walked offstage.

“But as the great Taylor Swift once said, ‘We are never, ever, ever getting back together.’ ” The crowd roared with laughter as Bryce slapped his own knee and the DJ quickly threw on the track.

Shannon’s eyes filled with tears. Karen, Keisha, and Jenny scurried toward her, while everyone sang along to Swift’s catchy lyrics. Bryce found my face in the crowd as he led the sing-along, and he winked at me. My eyes narrowed. My lips remained pressed firmly together. How could he have done this to Shannon? How could he have embarrassed her like this? He loved her once. She had been his wife. If he could do this to her, what would he do to me?





17

Karen


“Shannon, it’s not the end of the world,” I said, holding her against me. Hugging her was like trying to hold on to Jell-O as she was falling apart in my arms. We were seated in the back of an Uber Black SUV on our way to Shannon’s apartment. I needed to make sure she made it home okay.

“Yes, it is.” She pulled away. Her makeup was smeared, and she now looked like a Picasso painting. “I don’t know what the hell happened. One minute, everything was fine. And the next, everyone is laughing at me, and I’m being escorted offstage.”