“Lauren, anyone who has been through what you have has felt ashamed,” Bea said. “Believe me, I know. My husband was abusive. We divorced thirty years ago. I was so young. There were all those children. It was the hardest time of my life. And I never learn. I frequently make the mistake of thinking there are some people who are immune, who live charmed lives, just because they appear to have it easy. But you never really know what is going on in another person’s life. Don’t worry, I won’t be talking about your issues with anyone else. I respect your privacy and I completely understand. And if there’s any way I can be of help...”

Lauren was deeply touched. “Bea, would you like to go to lunch sometime?”

* * *

Cassie went to her father’s office on her way to the airport. She left her suitcase with security at the front entrance and went upstairs. The receptionist in his office actually recognized her immediately and grinned a big hello, until she saw the firm line of her lips.

“Will you please tell my father I’d like to see him at the earliest free moment he has? It’s urgent.”

“Of course!” she said. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, but he’ll want to speak to me before I leave town.”

“Yes,” she said nervously. “Yes, of course. I’ll tell him.”

Just a moment later a nurse came to the reception area and called for her. Cassie couldn’t remember the woman’s name but she was very sweet and asked her how she was liking Harvard. It was so like her father to brag about her accomplishments as if he had anything to do with them, yet refuse to help her with tuition to punish her mother.

“Classes haven’t actually started yet,” she said. “I came home for a family emergency.”

“Oh no!” she said. “The doctor didn’t mention anything. Is everyone all right?”

“I think she will be,” Cassie said. She walked straight to her father’s office.

Of course it was furnished with the best of everything, as was the rest of the office. The examining rooms held the latest equipment and were smart and efficient. Brad Delaney sat behind a large mahogany desk, surrounded by bookshelves and a couple of TV screens even though most of the medical files were now accessible via computer.

He rose. “Cassie?” he said, as if shocked.

“Stop it,” she said. “You know I’ve been in town. Lacey is reporting every tidbit to you. I came running the second I heard Mom had been so badly hurt. You never contacted me.”

He took on the expression of a slapped toddler. “I was under the impression you didn’t want to see me.”

“But I do want to see you,” she said. “I’m leaving today. I came here to tell you something. I think you know, you’re in trouble. You have a problem.”

“I certainly do,” he said. “My wife of twenty-four years is leaving me for a younger man.”

“I don’t know about that,” Cassie said. “She has filed for divorce because of your abuse. You could get help, you know. It won’t save your marriage. It’s really too late for that, but it could save your life. And if you got help and changed, you might be a part of your grandchildren’s lives. As it stands, you won’t. You’re not safe. You’re a dangerous megalomaniac who hurts people.”

“She’s lying,” he said. “She did that to herself and blamed me! She wants a big divorce settlement!” he spat out.

“There is proof, you know. You, the great saver of lives, have inflicted so much pain. On the people who loved you most.”

“Do you think it’s smart to accuse me this way when you’re hoping to have your tuition to law school paid?”

“First of all, you already threatened to pull your support, just like you do every other month. Lacey seems willing to be held hostage but I’m not. I’ll find a way. For that matter, it would feel dirty now, knowing how cruel you can be. Since I assume you won’t try to change, won’t get help, I suppose this is goodbye.”

He glowered, not speaking, his eyes narrow slits. If this office was like all others on the face of the earth, someone would have an ear to the door and the word would travel. She decided to make the most of it.

“My mother’s face has healed enough for her to go back to work. I’d like you to know one thing. If you ever lay a hand on her again, you will be sorry. I would ride into hell to make sure you’re sorry. Leave her alone.”

“Get out, Cassidy,” he said, keeping his voice carefully quiet.

She turned and left but she was acutely aware that one of his staff looked at her hard. She wasn’t sure if the expression was one of disdain or pity. Perhaps he had already briefed his staff that he was being railroaded by a greedy soon-to-be ex-wife.

She had an Uber pick her up to go to the airport. She’d lived in the Bay Area her entire life and she loved it, earthquake rumbles and all. This was her part of the world. Leaving her mother here during what could be one of the most stressful, frightening times of her life didn’t feel good at all, but she would be back. Leaving her mother terrified her, but she was right—they had lives to live right now. There were important transitions. They were headed for new lives and it wouldn’t be too long until they’d be together again.

Lauren would be safe, she reminded herself. She had a baseball bat, she had Beth and Chip. Too bad they no longer had Honey. Honey had been looking for an excuse to pound the crap out of some man for almost fifty years.

But then there was the guy. Beau.

She was pleased to hear her mother was being overly cautious. After her father? Beau would not be around one second after he pinched.

* * *

Lauren heard from Cassie that she’d been approved for a low-interest student loan, just enough to get her class schedule started. Lacey was knee-deep in her master’s of English education and when Lauren saw her, they avoided talking about the divorce. And Brad was silent.

Lauren’s lawyer was not silent. She’d had no difficulty securing a restraining order but she was having a hard time getting an accurate accounting of the Delaneys’ net worth, since Brad handled all their finances and investments. She had copies of the couple’s tax returns so she knew what the family income was, but the value of property, medical equipment from his private practice and his total investments was a little murky.

“I suspect we need a forensic accounting,” Erica Slade said. “He’s offered you a settlement, which usually means he’d like to get off cheap.”

“A settlement?” Lauren asked. “Seriously?”

“Four million. The house plus two million. I suggest you reject it. It almost certainly means your estate is worth far more than eight.”

She was dumbstruck. “He’s worth more than eight million?” she asked in a whisper. “Really?”

“Lauren,” Erica said. “You contributed mightily to that. Your income and blood, sweat and tears. Quite literally.”

She thought for a moment. “The house is probably worth closer to six, but there is a big mortgage. The practice must be very valuable, though I never thought of it as ours. The investments—I can’t imagine. He controlled the money. This is terrible. I feel so pathetic and incompetent. Why don’t I know what we have?”

“Because your husband didn’t want you to know,” Erica said. “He was obviously never secure. He may have been concerned that you might file for divorce throughout your marriage. When we get a believable accounting, we’ll talk about a settlement. In the meantime, I’ll get his lawyer to agree to a stipend during your separation.”

“Is there something I should be doing?” Lauren asked.

“Yes,” Erica said. “Begin to rebuild your life.”

She was more than anxious to do that. She began by making an appointment with the last counselor she had seen and felt comfortable with, Jan Straight. In the first session, they renewed their acquaintance and then Lauren filled her in on what had been happening in the last six months, including Brad’s violence.

“I didn’t realize I’d been in denial,” Lauren said. “The more I confront the truth, the more comes to the surface. Stuff I just didn’t want to believe, so I ignored it or tamped it down...”

“Give me an example,” Jan said.

“Well, he was sued by an employee. She alleged he kicked her in the operating room. When she did something he didn’t want her to do or failed to do something he expected, he kicked her. Not hard, but still... Of course he said she was crazy—it never happened. Eventually, he settled with her and she quit her job. I never learned the details. He said he had deep pockets and was a target as a result and it was to be expected people would go after him from time to time. And I accepted that.

“Then, a couple of years later I went to the dentist, a new dentist. Oh my gosh, he was a handsome young man with the most beautiful smile. His assistant was a young woman who’d worked for the previous dentist who’d retired. She was a single mother, was gentle and kind with a good sense of humor.

“During the procedure, he corrected her twice, harshly. Then he kicked her leg underneath the back of my reclined chair. I said, ‘Stop! Did you just kick her?’ And he said, ‘Of course not! Please relax, Mrs. Delaney.’ I couldn’t relax. I was on high alert. Then he did it again. And she winced. And I knew in that moment—Brad was guilty of doing that to one of his nurses. I tore off the bib, pushed away his tray and with my mouth stuffed full of cotton, I sat up and spit it out. I told Ashley she should sue him and if she needed a witness, she could call me. I walked out. And cried all the way home.”

“You’re sure that’s what happened?”

“I have a mental closet full of those things,” she said. “Sometimes I buried them so deeply, I couldn’t even remember them. Like the time he deliberately tripped me at Disneyland—my daughter Cassie never forgot it, but I did. Or at least I refused to think about it. Because if I thought about it, I’d have to do something about it. And that took way too much courage.”