“I don’t know how to explain it,” Marina said. “I guess I was just hoping to get an answer that I don’t think is here.”

“I hope the question wasn’t ‘why are the LeDoux assholes’ because that one might need some time to answer.”

Marina smiled. “Come on. They’re headed back downstairs. There’s catered food and an open bar. Might as well make gluttons out of ourselves and make them even madder.”

“Now you’re talking.”

They followed Dottie and Janice back toward the staircase that led into the living room. About midway down, Marina paused as she saw Chastity enter the room—with Harold. Adelaide sucked in a breath.

“Wow. He’s got some serious balls showing up here with her,” Adelaide said. “He’s lost his damned mind. Maybe that facility will put a bed for Harold next to your mother.”

“They’d kill each other.”

“Bonus plan.”

Marina heard Adelaide’s words but they didn’t register. So many emotions were overriding them—disbelief, anger, sadness, grief. How in the world had the man she’d spent thirty years with gone that far off the rails? How could someone just dump their family and never look back?

And here he was, only days after Marina had caught him with his child sidepiece, and Avery probably hadn’t even gotten the stench of sitting in jail off of her, and he was trotting around in an ill-fitting suit like he’d done nothing wrong.

And that was when it hit her. He didn’t think he had.

Harold had always put himself first. Marina had known that, but she’d been raised by a woman who put men on a pedestal, no matter how many times they hopped off and rolled around in the mud. Harold was the primary financial support, so it was Marina’s job to make sure that income was protected and that meant giving Harold more time to dedicate to his career, which meant less responsibility for their home and their daughter. But somewhere along the line, everything had become Marina’s job and Harold had merely sat back and enjoyed the spoils.

She’d updated his mother’s hideous house and kept it clean and repaired. She’d done all the shopping, cooking, and laundry. She’d raised their daughter. And she’d still gone back to work after Avery started preschool.

Harold put himself first because he could. He didn’t care about fair or equitable or partnership. He didn’t care about promises or vows, either. And he certainly didn’t care that he was making a fool of himself with Chastity LeDoux. But with his huge opinion of himself, he probably didn’t see things that way.

Adelaide elbowed Marina. “Look at Preston,” she said. “He’s mad enough to spit nails. I don’t think he likes Baby Precious with Harold.”

“Why would he?”

Adelaide shrugged. “I would never have a useless twit of a daughter like Chastity, but if I did, I’d be looking to pawn her off on the first guy who would take her off my hands.”

“He probably thinks all this doesn’t look good for his election bid.”