Page 45 of Secrets, Lies and Love

I look at Elina, wanting to choke her and kiss her at the same time. “You did this on purpose,” I accuse. “That’s why you told me to come with you.”

She shrugs, not at all ashamed. “Yes, I did. I knew you wouldn’t accept it if I offered, but you can’t be rude to Zoe.”

Her phone rings, and she walks away to answer it. I talk to Zoe, who tries to convince me to take matching silver sandals.

When Elina returns five minutes later, she says, “Dionysus is going on a business trip. He should only return the day before the wedding. He asked me to stay with Joseph until then, which means you have every night free from now until then, Cici.”

“He doesn’t trust me to be alone with his son.” I’m stating the obvious, but despite being disappointed by being separated from the boy just twenty-four hours after meeting him, I can’t help but understand my boss’s position.

To him, I’m a stranger, so he doesn’t trust me to be with his heir unsupervised while he’s away.

Elina nods and, in her undiplomatic way, says, “I wouldn’t trust you either, in his place. Don’t get me wrong, but you’re a recent hire and there’s no way I would leave town and leave you with my kids after so little time working for me.”

“Looking at it from that point of view...” I say, trying not to get too upset.

“Look on the bright side: you have a house measuring almost a thousand square meters all to yourself. Three swimming pools and no grumpy boss to disturb you.”

“He’s not grumpy. Not that grumpy, anyway,” I say, and they both laugh.

“Of course. Greek men are alllovely,”Zoe mocks. “Now let’s get down to business: which hairstyle are we going with?”

It’s strange to have a mansion at my disposal, but when I get home from my shopping spree with Zoe and Elina, Barbara tells me that she was instructed by “Mr. Kostanidis” to make me feel at home.

You know that story about “who seeks, finds”?

That is what happened.

After going around the house trying to familiarize myself, I head to the library, sure that Dionysus won’t mind if I take one of his books.

As soon as I take a few steps into the room, however, I feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach when I see a photo of him with one arm around Sue’s shoulder and the other holding Joseph.

I know she’s dead, but I can’t help but hate her.

No, hate is not enough. Idespiseher with all my might.

I run away because even her image hurts me. I feel choked up remembering what she did.

I run up the stairs and change out of my pajamas and into a bikini.

I read on a website about anxiety disorders that when I feel this way I should try some physical exercise to combat it, not an intellectual activity, so I go down towards the heated pool and without even testing the water, I jump into it.

I couldn’t tell you how long I swim, but when I get out, my muscles are exhausted and my mind is numb.

I go up to my room like a robot, and after a shower, I fall into bed in my bathrobe.

I don’t want to think about that wretch. I hope she’s burning in hell.

Cecily

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

It’s becomesomething of an obsession to unravel Sue’s past with Dionysus.

I know who she was, but what about him? Did he know? I don’t think so. From what I’ve seen of my boss so far, he’s not the kind of man who would team up with someone like Keith’s ex-wife, so of course she deceived him.

What doesn’t make sense is that, unlike my friend, who was too good for this world, Dionysus is a worldly-wise man, experienced with women, so I can’t understand how he didn’t realize that Sue was as fake as a three-dollar bill.

Did she seduce him? I doubt it. There’s no way that just a body and a few good nights of sex could fool him like that.

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