Chapter 5 - CELESTE HAD BEEN PREPARING BOTH SIDES
Lauren showed Damian the rest.
Celeste had not only been talking to Emma.
She had been talking to Lauren.
For months.
Damian works too much.
Emma is lonely.
She’s becoming afraid of disappointing him.
He doesn’t understand how much Allison’s death still affects her.
Each statement contained enough truth to sound reasonable.
Damian did work too much.
Emma did miss her mother.
He sometimes avoided talking about Allison because grief still made him shut down.
Celeste took those weaknesses and created a different family.
A distant father.
A frightened daughter.
A stepmother trapped between them.
Lauren admitted Celeste had gradually convinced her that Emma might need more time with Allison’s side of the family.
“That’s why I agreed to come today.”
Damian’s anger rose.
“You were going to take my daughter without calling me?”
Lauren’s face hardened.
“I thought you knew.”
“You believed her?”
“So did you.”
That stopped him.
Lauren looked toward Emma’s bedroom.
“You married her.”
Damian had no answer.
Then Lauren handed him the message that explained why she had not called first.
Celeste wrote:
Please don’t contact Damian. He agreed to this, but Emma begged us not to make it emotional. If he sees your number, he’ll change his mind out of guilt.
Lauren had believed she was protecting Emma from a painful goodbye.
Celeste had been managing every person separately.
To Emma:
Daddy doesn’t want you.
Mommy survived.
Someone is coming to take you to her.
To Lauren:
Damian agreed.
Emma wants this.
Do not call him.
To Damian:
Nothing.
That afternoon Damian’s attorney called.
Celeste had retained counsel.
Her first position was that Damian had become physically aggressive during the confrontation and she feared returning to the home.
Damian had pushed her away from Emma and thrown her suitcase outside.
He had to acknowledge that honestly.
His attorney warned him:
“From now on, every action matters.”
Damian understood.
Celeste had failed to remove Emma quietly.
May you like
Now she was beginning a second strategy.
And this one was designed for adults.
