“You’re welcome,” Sarah shot back, because Margaret should thank her for fixing up the house and yard. “The house and yard needed to be clean and safe for the boys.”

Margaret’s gaze dropped to the floor. Maybe she regretted jabbing at Sarah with the unwarranted accusation.

“We know you’re just showing off.” Bridget dared her with a look to contradict her.

Sarah really didn’t want to fight.

Bridget didn’t back off and spewed even more indictments. “Now you’re buying off my daughter with gifts so she’ll still like you.” Snotty. And untrue.

“The gift is because I feel bad for feeling like I couldn’t reach out to her the last two years to give her birthday and Christmas gifts because you and Margaret made it clear I wasn’t welcome. I wasn’t sure that if I sent her something, you’d actually give it to her.”

“Of course I would.” Bridget sounded sincere, but Sarah didn’t quite believe her. “I’m not a monster like you.”

“So talking about her dad like that is you being nice.”

“Enough.” Margaret turned to Bridget. “I understand you’re upset that the divorce was just finalized and he’s seeing someone new, but talking that way . . . It’s not good for Sophia to hear things like that or see you so angry at her father.”

Bridget’s eyes glassed over. “The divorce was only final yesterday. But he’s been seeing that bitch for weeks.”

“You two have been separated for a long time,” Margaret gently pointed out.

“I hoped he’d change his mind,” Bridget admitted. “Instead, he just agreed to everything. The alimony. Custody arrangements. He just wanted it done. He didn’t care if Sophia and I ended up in a tiny apartment I can barely afford.”

“That had to really hurt.” Sarah sympathized, knowing exactly how it felt to be with someone who didn’t want you anymore. She also knew what it was like to end up with nothing and have to start all over.

“Oh please.” Bridget rolled her eyes. “You don’t care about me and Sophia.”

“I do.” She hoped Bridget believed her and they could somehow get past all this hostility. But Sarah didn’t hold her breath because she knew Sean had confided in his sister a lot and loved to tell Bridget things to get her sympathy and the attention he loved. “I know what it’s like to have your life turned upside down by the loss of your husband and partner.” Maybe their situations weren’t exactly the same, but it still boiled down to being left alone and having to start over.

Bridget narrowed her gaze and shook her head. “Don’t do that. Don’t compare what happened between you and Sean and what happened in my marriage. You ruined him. You took everything from him. You never cared about him. You made his life a living hell. That’s not the same as two people growing apart over the years.”

“You only know what Sean told you. That’s not the whole story.”