Her mother had called Cliff Whitman. That was something she’d failed to mention to Ashley, along with many other things. It felt like another betrayal and it stung all the more because she had so many questions and no one she could ask. Her mother was dead. Cliff was dead.

But she had Joanna, and Joanna was still holding her hand. Joanna was telling her the truth and Ashley sensed it was as hard for Joanna to say it as it was for her to hear it.

“Yes, a year ago. That was when I finally decided to divorce him. You look pale. Wait there. I’m getting you some juice.” Joanna stood up and returned a few moments later with freshly squeezed juice, cool from the fridge.

Ashley took a gulp and then another. She hadn’t realized her mouth was so dry. “So you decided to divorce him because you discovered he’d cheated on you with my mother?” Had there ever been a more awkward conversation?

“No,” Joanna said. “I divorced him because I discovered he had a child that he’d known about the whole time and refused to acknowledge. I’d forgiven him many things, but I couldn’t forgive him that.” She stood up quickly and paced across the terrace and back. “You’ll have to excuse me. I’m not used to talking about this with anyone. I never have. It’s...difficult.”

Ashley almost wished she wasn’t talking about it now, but there had been enough lies and cheating. She wanted the truth. But maybe that wasn’t fair on Joanna. “If you’re finding it too hard—”

“It’s hard, but you deserve to know all of it.” Joanna rubbed her fingers over her forehead, visibly stressed. “When your mother made that call, he panicked at the thought of it all coming out and what that would do to him. He never once thought about what you might need. He was thinking only of himself. I said to him, You had a baby, Cliff. You have a child you’ve never met. A child who needs you, and you’re worrying about yourself? I told him he disgusted me.”

Whoever thought Joanna was weak should see her now, Ashley thought. “What did he say?”

“He tried to deny it, but because I’d heard everything he had no choice but to confess the whole story. And it didn’t make for happy listening. It turned out your mother told him she was pregnant as soon as she knew. He panicked and offered her money, but she told him she wasn’t interested in his money if he wasn’t prepared to be an active part of your life.”

Ashley went hot and then cold.