“I do,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
I sat down.
The witness stand was even lonelier than it looked.
From here, I could see everyone: Gabriel, his expression carefully controlled, but his eyes worried. Anthony, leaning back in his chair, trying to look relaxed. Tonya, watching me with cold calculation. And Richard, standing in front of me with a smile that made my skin crawl.
“Mrs. Lyon,” he began. “Or should I say, Ms. Brennan? I understand you only recently took your husband’s name.”
Stay calm.
Answer the question.
Nothing more.
“I go by Lyon now,” I said carefully.
“Of course. How long have you been married to Dr. Lyon?”
“About a month or so.”
“A month or so?” He made a show of consulting his notes. “And how long were you dating before that?”
Here we go.
“A few weeks.”
“A few weeks,” he repeated, his tone suggesting this was somehow scandalous. “That’s quite a whirlwind romance.”
It’s not a question, Cate.
Don’t respond.
Just sit there.
But he was looking at me expectantly, and the silence stretched, and I felt my mouth opening.
“When you know, you know,” I said.
Good.
That was good.
Short. Simple.
See? You can do this.
“Indeed.” Richard’s smile sharpened. “And before you were married, you were employed as Megan’s nanny, correct?”
“Yes.”
“So you went from employee to wife in a matter of weeks.”
Still not a question.
“We fell in love,” I said, the words coming out more defensively than I’d intended. “It happens.”
“Does it?” He tilted his head. “Or did you see an opportunity? A wealthy surgeon, a custody battle, a chance to secure your position?”
