I said, “I know,” and we talked about something else, and that friendship ended that afternoon in a way neither of us ever acknowledged.

Part Nine: The Voicemail

Naomi’s letter went to the four of them on the Monday.

It was not, at that stage, a lawsuit.

It was a notice: that I was seeking a divorce, that I was seeking an order for protection on behalf of myself and Daisy, that a child protection matter was open, and that they should not contact me directly and should retain counsel.

That last instruction is the one nobody ever follows.