My mom had simply smiled and said, “It’s just human nature. It’s hard to drive past something like that and not look.”

I’d always been frustrated with her answer.

Yet as I’d gotten older and encountered my own accidents and traffic jams, I’d find myself following everyone else, slowing to a near halt on the road to get a good look at the wreckage, to see just what had happened.

To realize… it could have been me.

That was how I’d felt over the last twenty-four hours.

Like a passerby in an automobile accident, observing someone else’s pain.

But the pain and suffering was all mine.

It was all mine.

He’d done this. He’d caused this pain.

And the first thing I had done when I realized this was leave.

I couldn’t face Roman now.

Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Not after the conversation I’d had with Lauren. Not knowing what I knew now.

“Are you sleeping with Roman Cavenaugh?” Lauren asked again, clicking the door to the break room securely in place.

I nervously looked around, realizing we were thankfully alone.

“What is going on?” I asked, clearly diverting.

“You’re not going to answer the question? Fine. I’ll do the talking then,” she snapped, pacing back and forth, like a furious caged tiger. “I was top of my class. I had my pick of jobs. I could have gone anywhere, but I came here. I’m smart as hell. The Cavenaughs are lucky to have me. Well, Roman might not feel that way after today.” She laughed.

“Lauren? You’re not making any sense,” I said, taking a step forward.

Maybe the stress of work had gotten to her. Maybe she needed a break. I knew she never liked Roman much, but this? This was like watching someone go manic.

“I’ve been watching him.”

“Who? Roman?” I asked, suddenly fearful.

“Yes. I’ve always known he was a shady guy, but I never knew how bad it was. This? This goes beyond what I thought he was capable of. He was there, Cara,” she said, her eyes blazing. “He set the whole thing up.”

“I don’t understand.”

“The night Tyler cheated on you. He made it happen.”

My body froze.

“He was the one who brought it up to me in the first place. He never speaks to me. He never speaks to anyone really. So, when he suddenly started a conversation with me about your boyfriend at the meeting that day, I thought it was odd. Beyond odd. So, I watched him… financially speaking. I have access to pretty much everything accounting does. A few weeks later, the night Tyler kicked you out of your apartment, he was there. At the strip club. He was stupid enough to use his business credit card for the drink he bought.”

I swallowed audibly.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” I said defensively.