When I married Thaddeus, she was my maid of honor.
After I married into the James family, I helped her find a job.
I once believed our friendship would last forever.
Now I saw that for what it was: wishful thinking. She was the real reason Thaddeus had turned on me.
I met Geraldine's mocking gaze head-on. "Geraldine, I don't know what I did that wasn't good enough. I don't know why you hold such a grudge against me."
"For the sake of what we used to be, can you let me go?"
"Please."
Right now, all I wanted was to survive. I had to survive.
Geraldine sat down. She lowered her eyes and traced her left ring finger with a slow, deliberate touch.
The wedding ring that belonged to me was on her hand.
After a moment, she looked up.
"I came here today to tell you the truth."
"It's not that you didn't do enough. It's that you did everything too well."
"Since middle school, you've been better than me in every way."
"I was already exceptional. But next to you, I was nothing more than a leaf making the flower look prettier."
"You don't understand what that feels like. You don't understand that kind of hatred."
"As long as you're alive, I'll never have peace."