“How could you take her side over mine?” Nina shoots back. “The girl was in prison. You can’t trust somebody like that. She’s a liar and a thief, and she probably deserves to be back in prison.”
“How could you say something like that? Millie has been wonderful.”
“Yes, I’m sure you think so.”
“When did you become so cruel, Nina?” His voice trembles. “You’ve changed. You’re a different person now.”
“Everyone changes,” she spits at him.
“No.” His voice lowers so that I have to strain to hear it over the sound of raindrops falling outside and hitting the pavement. “Not like you. I don’t even recognize you anymore. You’re not the same person I fell in love with.”
There’s a long silence, broken by a bolt of thunder that cracks loud enough to shake the foundations of the house. Once it’s faded, I hear Nina’s next words loud and clear.
“What are you saying, Andy?”
“I’m saying… I don’t think I’m in love with you anymore, Nina. I think we should separate.”
“You’re not in love with me anymore?” she bursts out. “How can you say that?”
“I’m sorry. I was just going along with things, living our lives, and I didn’t even realize how unhappy I was.”
Nina is quiet for a long time as she absorbs his words. “Does this have to do with Millie?”
I hold my breath waiting to hear his answer. There was something between us that night in New York, but I’m not going to kid myself that he’s leaving Nina because of me.
“This isn’t about Millie,” he finally says.
“Really? So are you going to lie to my face and pretend nothing ever happened between you and her?”
Damn. She knows. Or at least, she thinks she knows.
“I have feelings for Millie,” he says in a voice so quiet, I’m sure I must’ve imagined it. How could this rich, handsome, married man have feelings for me? “But that’s not what this is about. This is about you and me. I don’t love you anymore.”
“This is bullshit!” The pitch of Nina’s voice is going up to the point where soon only dogs will be able to hear her. “You’re leaving me for our maid! This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. This is an embarrassment to you. You’re better than this, Andrew.”
“Nina.” His tone is firm. “It’s over. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Another crack of thunder shakes the floorboards. “Oh, you don’t know what sorry is…”
There’s a pause. “Excuse me?”
“If you try to go through with this,” she growls at him, “I will destroy you in court. I will make sure you are left penniless and homeless.”
“Homeless? This is my home, Nina. I bought it before we even knew each other. I allow you to stay here. We have a prenup, as you recall, and after our marriage ends, it will be mine again.” He pauses again. “And now I’d like you to leave.”
I hazard a look around the stairwell. If I crouch, I can make out Nina standing in the center of the living room, her face pale. Her mouth opens and closes like a fish. “You can’t be serious about this, Andy,” she sputters.
“I am very serious.”
“But…” She clutches her chest. “What about Cece?”
“Cece is your daughter. You never wanted me to adopt her.”
It sounds like she’s speaking through gritted teeth. “Oh, I see what this is about. It’s because I can’t have another baby. You want somebody younger, who can give you a child. I’m not good enough anymore.”
“That’s not what this is about,” he says. Although on some level, maybe it is. Andrew does want another child. And he can’t have that with Nina.
Her voice trembles. “Andy, please don’t do this to me… Don’t humiliate me this way. Please.”
“I’d like you to leave, Nina. Right now.”
“But it’s raining!”
Andrew’s voice doesn’t waver. “Pack a bag and get out.”
I can almost hear her weighing her options. Whatever else I can say about Nina Winchester, she’s not stupid. Finally, her shoulders sag. “Fine. I’ll leave.”
Nina’s footsteps thud in the direction of the stairs. It occurs to me a second too late that I need to move out of sight. Nina lifts her eyes and sees me standing at the top of the stairs. Her eyes burn with anger like nothing I’ve ever seen. I should run back to my room, but my legs feel frozen as her heels bite into the steps one by one.