She wanted him to leave. She wanted him to stop talking. “You’ve changed over the past few weeks, Milly, and I was wondering what had happened. What was different. And now I know.” He didn’t shift his attention from Nicole. “You’re the reason she’s started being difficult and confrontational.”

Milly’s eyebrows rose. “Richard—”

“And I don’t need to ask what you’re doing here. You’re hiding out, keeping a low profile because you’ve been playing your games again. Ruining other people’s relationships instead of trying to find one of your own. How many marriages are you going to destroy before you find yourself a new hobby?”

“Richard!” Milly was aghast. “What is wrong with you?”

“Wrong with me?” Finally, he turned his head to look at her. He stared at Milly for a long moment and then gave a short laugh. “You don’t know, do you? She hasn’t told you.”

Nicole’s heart was pounding so hard she thought her chest might explode.

They’d been friends once, she and Richard. He’d sneaked her into the hospital when Milly had just given birth to Zoe. He’d once challenged a photographer who had stuck a camera in her face during a private dinner. And yet somehow they’d reached this point.

She wanted to turn back the clock. She wanted to have another chance. She wanted to make different decisions, different choices, anything that might have prevented her from finding herself where she was now.

Milly was staring at him in exasperation. “Told me what? You’re making no sense, and I think you should leave now. I won’t have you being rude to my friends, especially as you arrived here uninvited.”

“You wouldn’t be protecting her if you knew the truth.”

Milly stepped past him and opened the door. “Good-bye, Richard.”

“She’s the reason we’re no longer together. If it weren’t for her, there’s a good chance we’d still be married.” Ignoring the open door, Richard turned back to Nicole and took a step toward her. “Time to tell her the truth.”

“That’s enough!” Milly grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “The reason we’re not together is because you had an affair and left me. Remember that tiny detail?”

“I had an affair, that’s true, and I’m not proud of it. I take full responsibility for that, but I never intended to leave you.” Two red blotches appeared on his cheekbones. “It was—I don’t know what it was. A moment of wild stupidity. It probably would have blown over, and you never would have known about it if it hadn’t been for her.”

Milly let go of his arm. “What are you talking about? I have no idea what’s going on.”