Chapter 4
Alice parked her car a block away.
She walked down the tree-lined street toward her parents' house.
Kevin’s silver BMW was parked in the driveway.
He was leaning against the hood.
He looked disheveled.
His tie was loose.
His hair was messy.
He looked like a man whose world was falling apart.
Alice felt absolutely nothing for him.
No pity.
No sadness.
Just a cold,
hollow indifference.
She pressed record on her phone's voice memo app.
She slipped it into her coat pocket.
She walked up the driveway.
Kevin looked up.
His eyes widened when he saw her face in the daylight.
He winced.
"Alice,"
he breathed,
taking a step toward her.
She held up a hand.
"Stop right there,"
she commanded.
He froze.
"Alice,
please.
Let’s just go inside.
Let’s talk about this."
"We can talk here,"
she said.
"What do you want,
Kevin?"
He looked around nervously.
He was worried the neighbors might be watching.
He was always worried about the neighbors.
"I want you to come home,"
he said softly.
"This is a massive misunderstanding.
My dad feels terrible."
"Does he?"
Alice asked,
her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Did he tell you that?
Or did Patricia tell you to say that?"
Kevin sighed.
"Look,
he lost his temper.
You provoked him,
Alice.
You pulled a knife on him."
Alice’s eyes narrowed.
"He hit me first,
Kevin.
You saw the bruise.
You saw the blood.
Are you really going to stand here and defend him?"
Kevin rubbed the back of his neck.
"I’m not defending him.
But you have to understand.
He is the patriarch of the family.
You disrespected his home.
You should have just cleaned up the mess."
There it was.
The exact quote she needed.
Her phone was capturing every word.
"So,
you think I should have cleaned up your sister's vomit?"
Alice asked calmly.
"You think I should have accepted a slap to the face to keep the peace?"
"I think you should have been the bigger person!"
Kevin snapped,
his frustration leaking out.
"We just got married!
You are throwing away a million-dollar lifestyle over a little family argument!"
Alice stared at him.
She looked at the man she had promised to love.
He was pathetic.
"It wasn't an argument,
Kevin,"
she said quietly.
"It was an assault.
And you did nothing."
Kevin stepped closer,
lowering his voice.
"If you come back now,
I will make sure he apologizes.
We can move into the townhouse.
We can forget this ever happened.
My mom is willing to forgive you."
Alice laughed.
It was a sharp,
bitter sound.
"She is willing to forgive me?"
"Yes,"
Kevin said eagerly,
thinking he was winning.
"She even said she would stop telling people you had a mental breakdown."
Alice smiled.
"That’s very generous of her.
But I don't want her forgiveness.
And I don't want your townhouse."
She turned around.
She started walking back down the street.
"Alice!"
Kevin shouted.
"Where are you going?
We aren't done!"
"Yes,
we are,"
May you like
she called back over her shoulder.
"Expect a call from my lawyer."
