He forced a smile, tight and dismissive.

“It’s going to be a boring networking event, Evelyn.

Speeches and small talk.

Save yourself the trouble.” And that, precisely that, was the moment I knew for certain that I was going.

Not to make a scene; Sarah had been absolutely explicit about that.

No public threats.

No dramatic confrontation.

If Julian was going to expose himself, she had told me, then I was to stand back and let him do it, with witnesses, and say nothing that a court could ever twist into my having provoked it.