Chapter 2 - THE WOMAN IN THE LOCKET
Ethan took Lily upstairs to his hotel suite.
The wedding guests were still waiting downstairs.
Within minutes, phones began ringing.
The wedding coordinator called.
Victoria called.
Victoria's maid of honor called.
Ethan turned his phone off.
Lily sat on the edge of the bed with a cold towel against her cheek.
Ethan knelt in front of her.
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
Lily stared at the carpet.
“I was supposed to get the extra ribbon.”
“What ribbon?”
“For my flower basket.”
Victoria had apparently told Lily there was another roll inside a cabinet in the bridal suite.
Lily had gone looking for it.
She couldn't find the ribbon.
Instead, one drawer jammed.
“When I pulled it,” Lily said, “a little box fell behind the table.”
Inside the box was the pendant.
“Did you open it?”
Lily nodded.
“I wanted to see the picture.”
“And then?”
“Victoria came in.”
Lily's breathing changed.
“She asked what I had.”
Ethan took her hand.
“You're okay.”
“I told her.”
“And she got angry?”
“She grabbed it.”
Lily hesitated.
“I got scared, so I put it in my flower basket.”
“Why?”
“Because she looked really scary.”
Then Victoria started searching.
When Lily refused to say where she'd placed the pendant, Victoria grabbed her.
Ethan felt his jaw tighten.
“You did nothing wrong.”
“But the wedding—”
“The wedding doesn't matter.”
Lily looked up.
“She said I ruined everything.”
“You didn't.”
Ethan reached into his jacket.
The pendant was still there.
He opened it.
The photograph was old.
The woman appeared to be in her early twenties.
Something about the picture bothered him.
Not familiarity.
The opposite.
Victoria had been part of his life for almost two years.
He knew photographs of her childhood.
He knew stories about college.
He knew the names of former coworkers.
But he had never seen this woman.
Ethan turned the pendant over.
There was an engraving.
It was so worn he almost missed it.
C.M.
Beneath the initials was a date.
06.17.09.
Ethan searched the date on his phone.
Nothing obvious.
Then he searched Victoria's full name with the initials C.M.
Again, nothing.
Lily watched him.
“Is she Victoria's mom?”
“I don't know.”
There was a knock.
Ethan stood immediately.
“Who is it?”
“Victoria.”
Lily stiffened.
Ethan told her to stay inside the bedroom.
He opened the suite door only a few inches.
Victoria had removed her veil.
Her eyes were red.
“Please let me explain.”
“You can explain from there.”
Victoria glanced past him.
“Where's Lily?”
“Away from you.”
“I lost control.”
“You hit my seven-year-old daughter.”
“I know.”
“You pulled her hair.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
“I know.”
“Over a necklace.”
“It's not a necklace.”
Ethan reached into his pocket.
Victoria's eyes immediately fixed on the pendant.
“Who is C.M.?”
Victoria said nothing.
“Who is the woman?”
“My family.”
“Which family?”
Victoria swallowed.
“My sister.”
Ethan stared at her.
During two years together, Victoria had told him repeatedly that she had been an only child.
“You don't have a sister.”
May you like
Victoria looked at the pendant.
“I did.”
