The cold, condescending confidence Vanessa had shown in the atrium cafe was entirely gone.

She just looked deeply embarrassed.

She was standing beside a husband who was openly trying to buy access to the sons he had legally abandoned.

“I’ll be up in a minute, Vanessa,” Daniel said.

He turned back to Claire, waiting for her to agree.

Claire looked down at the gold lettering on the card.

She turned toward a tall metal trash can sitting next to the edge of the blue tablecloth.

She didn’t tear the card in half.