That is not why.

You told me yourself, in this house, that you were ashamed — ashamed that your wife outranked you, out-disciplined you, had done more with her life than you had done with yours.

You said you couldn’t bear for your family to know it.”

Dane went white to the lips.

Ophelia drew out her phone with the steadiness of a woman who had thought hard about this moment and made her peace with it, and she pressed play.

And Dane’s own voice came out of the little speaker into the silent drawing room: