Chapter 7 - THE WOMAN WHO CAME BACK
Hannah listened to the recording twice.
The second time hurt worse because she knew every pause in Bradley’s voice.
That was the man who had held her hair through morning sickness.
The man who had painted the nursery pale green.
The man who had told strangers he couldn’t wait to be a father.
“He planned around my survival,” she whispered.
Dominic stood near the window. “People like Bradley plan around whatever they think belongs to them.”
Hannah looked at him. “You say that like you know.”
“I do.”
Before she could ask, the door opened.
A woman in jeans and a raincoat stepped in, breathless.
“Hannah?”
Hannah stared.
“Claire?”
Claire Donnelly had been her college roommate, maid of honor, and closest friend until Bradley convinced Hannah that Claire secretly wanted him.
They had not spoken in three years.
Claire crossed the room and hugged her carefully.
“You idiot,” she whispered through tears. “I’ve been calling for months.”
Hannah broke.
“I thought you hated me.”
“I hated him.”
Dominic glanced toward Tomas, who gave a small shrug. “She got through security by threatening to livestream the lobby.”
Claire wiped her face. “Worked, didn’t it?”
For ten minutes, Hannah remembered what it felt like to be known before Bradley.
Then Claire reached into her bag.
“I came because you need to see this.”
She handed Hannah an old phone.
“Bradley left it in my car two years ago after he cornered me outside your birthday dinner. I kept it because I was scared.”
“Cornered you?”
“He told me if I kept interfering in your marriage, he would ruin my career.”
Claire unlocked the phone.
There were hundreds of messages between Bradley and a contact labeled V.R.
Victor Russo.
Hannah scrolled until a photograph stopped her.
Her father.
Vincent Mercer, older, thinner, alive.
Standing outside a diner in Vermont.
The message beneath the photo was from Bradley.
Found him.
May you like
Victor had replied:
Then the old man is leverage too.
