Caleb announced the retreat over breakfast.
"Company team-building," he said, spreading butter on his toast with careful, even strokes. "Hamptons. Three days. You're coming."
I looked up from my coffee. Across the table, Leila sat with her hands folded in her lap, her expression soft and sympathetic. She was wearing one of Caleb's sweaters again. It hung off her shoulder.
"I don't work for your company," I said.
Caleb's knife stilled. "You're my wife. We need to present a united front."
I took a slow sip of coffee. The bitter heat spread across my tongue. "A united front," I repeated.
"Exactly." He set down the knife and looked at me with the patient expression he used when explaining things to people he thought were stupid. "It'll be good for you. Fresh air. Time away from the house."
Leila nodded earnestly. "The lake is so beautiful this time of year. And I'll be there to help if you need anything."
I replaced my cup on the saucer without a sound.
"Of course," I said. "I'll pack."
Caleb's shoulders relaxed. He reached across the table and squeezed Leila's hand. Just for a second. Just long enough.
I watched through my dark glasses and said nothing.
---
The estate sat on twelve acres of manicured lawn that sloped down to a private lake. The main house was all glass and white stone, the kind of place that appeared in magazines with captions about "understated elegance."
I stepped out of the car with Biscuit at my side. The gravel crunched under my shoes. The air smelled like pine and money.
Caleb's assistant, a nervous young man named Derek, hurried over with a clipboard. "Mrs. Wells, you're in the east wing, second floor. I'll have someone bring your bags—"
"I'll take them," I said.
Derek blinked. "Are you sure? The stairs—"
"I'm sure."
I picked up my bag, wrapped Biscuit's leash once around my left wrist, and walked toward the house. Behind me, I heard Caleb's voice, low and apologetic, explaining something to Derek I didn't bother to listen to.
The room they'd given me was at the far end of the hall. Large windows. View of the lake. A bed with too many pillows.
I set my bag on the chair, unclipped Biscuit's leash, and stood at the window.
The lake was flat and gray, the surface broken only by the occasional ripple of wind. A long dock stretched out from the lawn, wooden planks weathered pale by sun and water.
I counted three security cameras on the property perimeter. None pointed at the dock.
Interesting.
---
Dinner was served on the terrace.
Long table. White linens. Candles in glass hurricanes that flickered every time someone laughed too loud. Caleb's employees filled the seats, their voices bright with the forced enthusiasm of people who knew their boss was watching.
I sat at the far end. Biscuit lay at my feet, his head on his paws.
Leila sat beside Caleb, of course. She was wearing a soft pink dress that made her look like a watercolor painting. Her hand rested on the table, just close enough to Caleb's that their fingers brushed when he reached for his wine.
She caught me looking and smiled.
"Camryn," she said, her voice carrying down the table. "Are you comfortable? Do you need anything?"
Every head turned toward me.
I lifted my water glass. "I'm fine."
"It's just—" Leila tilted her head, her expression so full of gentle concern it could have been framed. "I worry about you being so close to the water. The dock can be slippery, and with your—" She paused delicately. "With your condition, I just want to make sure you're safe."
Silence settled over the table like fog.
Caleb cleared his throat. "Leila's right. Maybe it's better if you stay near the house, Cam. Just to be safe."
I set down my glass.
"I appreciate your concern," I said quietly.
Leila's smile widened. She reached over and squeezed Caleb's hand. This time, she didn't let go.
Across the table, one of the junior associates—a woman named Monica—looked at me with something that might have been pity. She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, then thought better of it and looked down at her plate.
I took a bite of salmon. It was perfectly cooked. I chewed slowly and watched the candles flicker.
After dinner, people drifted toward the fire pit on the lawn. Someone brought out a guitar. Laughter rose into the night air, too loud and too bright.
I walked Biscuit down toward the lake.
The dock stretched out ahead of me, pale and narrow in the moonlight. The water lapped softly against the pilings. I stopped at the edge and stood very still.
Behind me, gravel crunched.
I didn't turn.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," Leila's voice said softly.
I felt her presence behind me, close enough that I could smell her perfume. Something floral. Something expensive.
"The dock is old," she continued. "The wood is rotting in places. It would be so easy to slip."
I turned slowly.
She stood three feet away, her arms wrapped around herself like she was cold. Her eyes were wide and dark in the dim light.
"You're right," I said. "It would be easy."
Something shifted in her expression. Just for a second. A flicker of something sharp beneath the soft surface.
Then her face smoothed into concern again.
"Let me walk you back," she said, reaching out.
I stepped aside.
"I'm fine," I said. "But thank you."
I walked past her, Biscuit at my side, and didn't look back.
Behind me, I heard her breath catch. Just once.
I kept walking.
