She had held back before out of respect for Lionel, but if Sandra pulled another illegal stunt, Hannah wouldn''t hesitate to press charges. Lionel''s feelings were no longer her concern. They were getting divorced; his reputation meant nothing to her.


    "You know, Hannah, you''re too nice," Anna, another colleague, said. "You should have called the police right then and there. Imagine her, on her knees, begging you to drop the charges."


    Hannah pped her hands together. "Anna, you''re a genius! I didn''t even think of that. Next time, I''ll be sure to invite you all to watch the show."


    "Yes, please!"


    "Oh my God, I''ll identally go live on Instagram!"


    "Careful, Sandra might report you."


    "Ooh, I''m so scared!"


    The mood was light and cheerful as they all settled back into work.


    That afternoon, Hannah packed up and headed home. As she pulled up to the house, she half-expected to see Sandra waiting for her, but thankfully, the coast was clear.


    Inside, however, the atmosphere was tense. As she walked through the living room she ignored Lionel on the sole but she could feel Cord who was tidying up nearby, Staring ather with undisguised hostility.


    Upstairs, Hannah changed her clothes, bracing herself for the inevitable fight about Sandra. She rubbed her temples, already exhausted by the thought of it.


    When she came down for dinner, Lionel spoke, his voice carefully neutral. "Sandra came to see you today?"


    Hannah didn''t look up. She picked up her utensils and began to eat, acting as if she hadn''t heard him.


    When the silence stretched on, Lionel sighed. "She wasn''t trying to pressure you by apologizing in public. She just wanted to show you how sincere she was."


    At that, Hannahughed, a short, bitter sound. She put down her f?rk and looked at him. "So you already knew she came to see me. Why bother asking? Were you testing me to see if I would lie about it?"


    She knew what had happened. Sandra had gone running to him the moment her performance was over, painting herself as the victim For moment, Hannah had thought Lionel might actually be changing, but now she saw she had been a fool. He was the same as always Sandra came first, no matter what.


    "I should have recorded her ''apology'' for you," Hannah said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Then you could hear for yourself whether it was an apology or a threat."


    "Sandra has always been like that," Lionel began. "The fact that she was willing to apologize at all..." He trailed off, realizing his mistake toote.