Perfect, I thought. Keep looking down on me. The fall will hurt so much more.

I retreated to the kitchen and served dinner with the quiet calm of an executioner sharpening an axe.

Herb-roasted chicken. Blistered lemon-rosemary potatoes. Haricots verts toasted with almonds. I decanted the expensive red—a vintage Daniel adored but could no longer afford without my salary quietly propping up his over-leveraged accounts.

We gathered in the dining room. As everyone took their seats, Richard stood at the head of the table and raised his glass.

“To family,” he boomed, with the unearned authority of inherited wealth. “In this chaotic world, we only have each other. Loyalty above all else.”

From her seat, Vanessa took a sip of wine, her eyes sparkling. She nearly choked, covering her mouth to suppress a laugh.