“I love you, Char, and I’m going to fix this. But please don’t be mad at me. I’m telling you, I have been framed. Everything’s going to be back to normal soon. You’ll see.”

I looked around the room, realizing that we certainly weren’t alone, and that even if we had been, there were cameras everywhere. I wanted to yell up at them, Do you hear him? He didn’t do this! But I guessed guilty people lied all the time.

I studied Bill again in that orange outfit and was swamped with horror. I squatted down in front of him, my hands on his knees, the fabric rough and thick and industrial. “I will get you out of here,” I said.

He nodded. He kissed my hand. “I never had any doubt.” He paused. “What are people saying?”

I didn’t know as much about what people were saying because of Alice. The time away from my phone last night had proven to be blissful, restorative. Sitting on the beach, sipping wine with the other moms, had given me a gift I wasn’t expecting. Alice had told me that if I didn’t read what people were saying, then it didn’t apply to me. That wasn’t exactly accurate, but it had done wonders to keep my sanity intact.

I shrugged. “Time heals all wounds,” I said. “You know how it is. People move on.”

“Hey,” Oliver said, “I hate to interrupt, but we’ve got some work to do. Charlotte, can I walk you out?” He looked at Bill. “I’ll be right back.”

Bill squeezed my hands and kissed me again. I savored that kiss, breathed it in. I knew it would be a while until I had another. “I love you,” he said. “Don’t forget it.”

I was in that fog again, my eyes full of tears, as Oliver led me out to the parking lot, stopping to retrieve my bag on the way. My heart was pounding in my chest. How do I fix this for Bill? How do I get our life back? I noticed Oliver looking around.

“Tell me you aren’t looking for my car,” I said.

He touched his palm to his forehead. “I’m sorry, Charlotte. I’m exhausted. I’m not thinking straight.” He walked over to his car, and I followed. “Let me take you home.”

“Since I can ill afford another Uber fare and the extra twenty-five percent I feel inclined to tip since they are dropping me at, you know, jail, I would appreciate a lift more than I can say.”

As we pulled out of the parking lot, I gave Oliver the address, then asked, “So, how much trouble is he in?”