“You still lied.”
“I did.”
“And then you disappeared.”
“Because I panicked.”
That hurt more than I wanted it to.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Margaret, last night was not part of any plan.”
I folded my arms.
“Convenient.”
“I had carried that envelope for six weeks. I planned to sit beside you, introduce myself, explain Robert, and leave.”
“What changed?”
“You told me nobody had remembered your birthday.”
My anger faltered.
Daniel continued.
“You smiled when you said it, but I could tell it hurt.”
I looked away.
“And suddenly,” he said, “I didn’t want to destroy your birthday.”
“So instead you destroyed the morning after.”
“Yes.”
There was no excuse in his answer.
Only regret.
Before I could respond, Martin appeared at the end of the corridor.
“Mrs. Whitmore?”
Something in his voice made both
of us turn.
He held his phone.
“You need to see this.”
The live security screen showed the parking lot.
