Camilla stood in front of me.
The red gown was still perfect.
Her makeup hadn't changed.
But her confidence had.
She looked toward Julian again.
He was still watching us from across the room.
Then she turned back.
"I think you have the wrong impression of the situation."
I looked at her.
"Which situation?"
She lowered her voice.
"Julian and me."
I waited.
She seemed uncomfortable with the silence.
"We work closely together."
"I know."
"People sometimes misunderstand professional relationships."
I glanced at her hand.
A few minutes earlier, that same hand had been wrapped around my husband's arm.
"Do they?"
She gave a small sigh.
"Audrey, I don't want to argue."
"Neither do I."
She touched the diamond earrings again.
I looked directly at them.
"Where did you get those?"
Her fingers stopped.
"What?"
"The earrings."
She looked at me.
Then she glanced down.
"Oh. These."
"Yes."
She hesitated.
"Julian gave them to me."
I felt the words land.
There was no surprise.
No confusion.
Just confirmation.
"When?"
"A while ago."
I nodded slowly.
"Did he tell you they belonged to his wife?"
Camilla's face changed.
"I didn't know they were yours."
"They were in my jewelry box."
She looked away.
"I thought he had bought them."
I didn't answer.
She seemed to realize that her explanation wasn't helping.
"I really didn't know."
I looked at her.
"Then you should ask him why he gave you something that wasn't his to give."
She pressed her lips together.
For a moment, I felt sorry for her.
Then I remembered the way she had smiled when Julian told me to leave.
I remembered how she had called me decorative.
And I remembered the look on her face when she realized I wasn't going anywhere.
I didn't need to punish her.
I didn't need to insult her.
I simply needed to stop pretending that her behavior was harmless.
"Please return them," I said.
She looked startled.
"Now?"
"Whenever you can arrange it."
She touched the earrings again.
"I'll speak to Julian."
"That's fine."
She nodded.
Then she took a small step backward.
"Audrey, I hope you understand that I never intended to hurt you."
I looked at her.
I wanted to ask whether she had thought about me when she accepted the earrings.
Whether she had considered the woman who had worn them before.
Whether she had ever wondered why Julian was comfortable giving away something that belonged to his wife.
But I didn't ask.
I had spent too much of my life asking people to understand things they already knew.
"Good evening, Camilla."
She walked away.
I watched her return to Julian.
He immediately leaned toward her.
She whispered something.
His face tightened.
Then he looked toward me.
I turned away.
The evening was nearly over.
Employees were beginning to leave.
Some approached to congratulate me.
Others simply smiled.
I thanked them.
I didn't want the night to become a celebration of my marriage falling apart.
There were too many people depending on Aurelia's future for that.
Malcolm joined me near the entrance.
"Your car is ready."
"Thank you."
He glanced toward the ballroom.
"Julian wants to speak with you again."
I looked at him.
"Did he say why?"
"He didn't explain."
I nodded.
"I'll speak to him another time."
Malcolm understood.
He didn't push.
Before leaving, I turned once more toward the room.
The blue lights were still shining over the stage.
The anniversary logo remained on the screen.
Twenty years of Aurelia Systems.
I thought about the people who had built it.
I thought about the eight hundred jobs we had protected.
And I thought about the six weeks of financial records waiting to be reviewed.
The acquisition was only the beginning.
There would be difficult meetings.
There would be questions.
There would be decisions that might not make everyone happy.
But I had made one promise to myself before signing the final documents.
I would not allow personal anger to determine how I ran the company.
I would not use my position to settle scores.
And I would not ignore wrongdoing simply because the person responsible shared my home.
I walked toward the hotel entrance.
Outside, the night air was cool.
My driver opened the car door.
Before getting inside, I checked my phone.
There were several messages.
One was from Malcolm.
Another was from the general counsel.
The third was from Julian.
It contained only six words.
"We need to fix this marriage."
I read it twice.
Then I locked the screen.
He had finally remembered our marriage.
But only after discovering that I owned the company he had spent years trying to control.
I got into the car.
As we pulled away from the Halcyon Hotel, I rested my head against the seat.
My shoulder hurt.
My heart hurt too.
But for the first time in months, I wasn't wondering what Julian was doing or who he was talking to.
I was thinking about what I needed to do next.
The following morning, I would meet with the board.
The financial review would continue.
And the earrings would have to come home.
I looked out at the passing streetlights.
I had spent years trying to save a marriage that my husband had already abandoned.
Now I had to decide what could still be saved.
Click here to continue reading: PART 9: The Morning After the Anniversary, My Husband Sent Flowers Instead of an Apology, and the Board Meeting Began Without Him
My Husband Wanted Me Gone Before the Biggest Announcement of His Career, But He Had No Idea Why I Had Come
Part 8 of 20
