My mother’s words rang in my mind, but holding this in, not saying anything had been more than I could take — especially after my meeting with Sonya and Cecily. I’d been on an emotional roller coaster going back and forth, up and down, inside and out, between believing Jeremy had gotten a woman pregnant, then, believing he had not.

Never show your full hand.

My mother was right about this, the same way she’d been right with every piece of guidance she’d given to me. But I didn’t have it in me to stay silent. My mother was a far better woman than me. So I looked Jeremy straight in his eyes when I asked, “Who is Katrina Brunson?"

And he looked straight into mine when he asked, "Who?" My husband stood there as stiff as a statue. Not a muscle on him twitched, he hardly even blinked.

But I was not about to be fooled. “You know, the woman who lives over in Southeast. The one who’s mad at you because not only won’t you return her calls, but she says you’re treating her like a booty call and now, you’re cheating on her.”

I hadn’t meant to say all of that. I hadn’t meant to play that much of my hand.

But he still stood there, cool, beyond collected, not twitching, not blinking. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Slowly, I moved from around my desk, but I didn’t dare get too close to him because I truly didn’t want to catch a case. “You know what pisses me off the most,” I said through clenched teeth. “How many times have you sat next to me on television with a straight face and talked about how God had given us a gift and that we couldn’t provide the proper spiritual care if we didn’t honor that gift? How many times have you sat next to me on TV while Katrina and her friends were watching and laughing at the joke of our marriage?”

He squinted, then shook his head as if he was confused. “So is this what’s been bothering you?”

“Bothered?” I leaned back a little. “You think that’s all I am is bothered when I hear that you are screwing some miscellaneous chick?”

“That’s all you can be is bothered ‘cause it’s not true. I told you. I don't know any Katrina.”

“I can’t believe you’re standing in God’s house in the place where He’s blessed you to be and you’re telling me this lie.”

“And that’s one reason why you should realize I’m not lying,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to dishonor God, I wouldn’t dishonor you, I wouldn’t dishonor God’s house.”