“He’s going to lose his job for this. Especially since you’ve actually got evidence,” I finally say. “The Society must be proud of their newest recruit.”
“I guess,” Ellie says. “I just hope he doesn’t do this again.”
“Men like him don’t just turn over a new leaf, but at least he won’t be able to prey on his students anymore.”
“I didn’t realize how much this job would affect me,” Ellie admits.
“If it were easy taking down powerful men, we’d all do it,” I say with a shrug. “You did good, El—you know that, right?”
Ellie nods. “I thought doing the right thing would feel good.”
I pat her knee, a surge of sympathy welling inside me for her situation. Not only is she dealing with an absent husband but now she’s navigating a group of the most powerful and well-connected women in the city.
“I got an email from Kat—she says she’ll be in touch soon with another event invitation,” Ellie says.
“Damn, these women move quickly,” I reply.
“I just don’t know if I have the heart for this again,” Ellie confesses.
I let her words linger between us for a while before I finally say the only thing I’ve been thinking. “I wish I could take your place. Taking down these fucking assholes would bring me joy and purpose. Who knows how many women these predators would target. They’re fucking untouchable and it makes me actually rage.”
Ellie doesn’t reply, but she lifts the paper in her hands and returns to the exposé on Professor Matthew Ruehlman. “He was such a dickhead,” she finally says, “but a charming one.”
“They always are.” I think about Jack. If she only knew whatI know. Someday the truth will be revealed and she’ll realize just how untrustworthy men really are. “Want to order pizza from Pop’s?”
“Sure,” Ellie says, eyes still scanning the article.
“Got any red wine?” I ask, eager to get her mind off the misplaced guilt she seems to be feeling. She shakes her head no but doesn’t say anything else. “Great—I’ll have the delivery guy pick up a bottle on the way over.”
She nods, her thoughts still a million miles away. This woman doesn’t even realize that she’s living in a gilded cage of her own making. But I’m determined to show her the truth of her small, pathetic life. There’s freedom in honesty, even when it breaks us.
Especiallywhen it breaks us.
Sixteen
Ellie
You left your door unlocked again. I could have let myself in last night.
I blink away my fear as I stare at the text message the next morning.
Wouldn’t it be easier if you just let me in?
As soon as the next text comes I swipe left on the message and block the number. I’ve blocked every message so far, but it hardly matters when they keep coming from an anonymous source. I feel preyed upon; I feel targeted without any clear reason why. Is this random? Is this because of my father? Maybe one of his disgruntled employees—someone he fired at some point. Maybe even Jason returning to blackmail me after our affair.
My cell vibrates to life and another flicker of fear shoots through my veins. I glance down, prepared to find another message from an unknown number, when I see Aubrey’s name flashacross my screen.
Awake yet?
I don’t reply, glancing at the clock to find it’s nearly ten a.m. I never sleep this late, but I guess I needed it. Splitting the bottle of red wine last night with Aubrey probably helped. I crawl out of bed, wiping the sleep from my eyes as I stumble to the bathroom. When I’m finished, I pad on bare feet out of the bathroom and nearly run into my husband.
“Morning, sleepyhead.” He plants a kiss on my forehead. “I was just about to bring you breakfast in bed.”
“That sounds good. No work today?” I turn to the kitchen, headed to the fridge for some orange juice.
“Finally caught up on the Allegiance case,” he says, referencing a company that my father works closely with. “You were dead to the world when I got home last night. Found two glasses and an empty bottle of pinot in the sink—who were you drinking with?”
“A friend,” I say, my brain still groggy with sleep and maybe a little wine hangover.
