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Back When We Were Bright and Beautiful
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Part One
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. Part Two
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. Part Three
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. Epilogue
  68. Author’s Note
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. About the Author
  71. Also by Jillian Medoff
  72. About the Publisher

Beaten, she looks up. “No, it’s not.”

“When did you discover Billy’s secret?”

“In November. At his family’s house. Before dinner.”

“And you told Billy what you discovered, correct? That’s why he broke up with you?”

“Yes.”

“Billy is referring to this secret here, correct?” DeFiore points: You can’t tell anyone.

“Yes.”

“Then, a few months later, on March 24, you brought up the secret again. This scared Billy, correct? It also made him angry, didn’t it? That’s why you said his anger was your fault, correct? So, I’ll ask you again, Ms. Holly: What is my client’s secret?”

Diana exhales. She studies her hands. “I knew Billy had issues with his sister. He talked about Nate, but rarely about Cassie, even in passing. He acted like he didn’t even have a sister. But the night we were at his parents’ house, she showed up unexpectedly—”

“This was in November?”

“Yes. In November. That night . . . I realized . . . I saw . . .” Her eyes fill with tears.

“What happened, Ms. Holly?” DeFiore’s voice is gentle. “What did you see?”

“It was before dinner.” Diana looks directly at me. “I saw Billy’s father with his sister. Lawrence had his hand . . .”

The courtroom is quiet. I feel like I’m standing on a ledge a thousand feet in the sky. Air rushes past my ears. I’m suffocating.

“His hand.” She turns to Billy, openly crying. “Lawrence’s hand.” Billy bows his head. I assume he’s crying too.

Lawrence’s hand is cupping my breast. We’re laughing. He’s such an idiot; a horny boy with a perpetual hard-on. He’s forever fondling me behind doors, as if my body isn’t mine but his to play with as he pleases. Boob-honk, we call it. Got one—honk. Got the other—honk, honk. I tell him to quit it. We’re about to eat. Walking out of the room, I’m still laughing when boom—there’s Diana Holly in the hall, holding a vase.

That she saw us never crossed my mind, not once. But now it hits me: the vase was a prop. She was just pretending to check the label.

Diana clears her throat. “Lawrence had his hand on Cassie’s breast.”

“Diana, stop!” Billy shouts. “Don’t, please. I’m begging you.”

“Counselor, silence your client.”

DeFiore keeps drilling. “What’s the secret, Ms. Holly? What made Billy so angry and afraid? What secret destroyed your relationship?”

“Billy’s father and sister have a sexual relationship. They were kissing. When I told Billy what I saw, he didn’t believe me. But I saw them!”

The courtroom erupts. I hear a shout, “No!” It’s Eleanor, the Sphinx. She’s up on her feet and shrieking in a voice I’ve never heard before. “No, No, No.”

“Order!” The gavel slams. “We’ll take a break.”

Eleanor rushes out of the room, the Bowtie close on her heels.