ARLENE

I heard a collective gasp echo through the trio, and for a split second, I was grateful I couldn’t necessarily see their faces.

The silence that followed for several minutes was enough to tell me they were stunned by the revelation, and rightfully so. But I was just getting started.

“What do you mean you were married to Cole Martinez? He mentioned something about you sharing a resemblance with his wife, but I just thought the man was grief-stricken,” Olivia asked, shock evident in her voice.

I waited to see if anyone else had anything to add, but no other response was forthcoming. I wasn’t sure if that was...