My deceased father appeared in my dream the night before my birthday and warned, ‘Don’t wear the dress your husband gave you.’ I woke up trembling, because my husband had just given me that dress. And when the seamstress brought it back and I checked the lining, I realized my father hadn’t just visited in a dream, he might have prevented something I hadn’t noticed.

Mark bolted toward the exit, but his way was blocked. He fought, tried to shove an officer aside, but they had him pinned within seconds. The cuffs clicked shut around his wrists.

“Liv!” he shouted, twisting toward her. “Liv, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to. They forced me. I had no choice.”

She looked at him and felt nothing, no compassion, no fury, only a hollow calm.

“You did have a choice, Mark,” she said softly. “You could have told me the truth. We could have faced everything together, but you chose to kill me.”

They dragged him away and the room exploded into confusion. Guests were in shock, whispering, asking questions. Nikki was sobbing, holding on to Darius. Iris came to Liv and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

“It’s over, Olly. It’s all over.”

Liv stood there still holding the microphone and stared at the door through which her husband had been taken. The husband who stopped being her husband the moment he decided her life was worth less than money.

Detective Hayes approached her.

“You’ll need to give a full statement, but that can wait until tomorrow. Get some rest. You’re a very brave woman, Mrs. Sutton.”

“I just wanted to live,” she murmured, her voice exhausted. “I just wanted to reach my birthday.”

The party was of course destroyed. Guests drifted out, offering words of support, though most didn’t know what to say. Liv sat at the now empty table and Nikki held her hand.

“Mom, why didn’t you tell me?” she cried. “I would have—”

“What would you have done, sweetheart?” Liv brushed her daughter’s hair gently. “This wasn’t for you to carry. This was my test.”

“But Dad, how could he?”

“I don’t know, Nikki. I just don’t know.”

They stayed seated until the waiters began clearing the tables. Then they rose and left the restaurant. Outside, it was dark and cold. The wind rustled the leaves scattered along the sidewalk. Liv lifted her eyes to the sky, to the quiet stars above.

“Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered. “Thank you for not leaving me.”

And for the first time in days, a small sense of relief settled inside her.

The worst was over.

Read more on next page