A hush settled.
People had begun to notice the tension. Neil, Rosie’s husband, stood near the dining table, swirling his drink.
“Rosie,” Neil said gently. “Maybe we should step outside —”
“Not now, Neil,” she snapped.
“Cassie deserves a moment.”
I looked at him. “Did you know about this?”
He met my eyes, regret heavy there. “Yes, I knew.”
“Neil — don’t you dare…”
He set his glass down. “Everyone, I need your attention.”
Heads turned. Conversations faded into an uneasy quiet.
“Most of you know that Nancy died in a crash last week. What you may not know is Cassie was never supposed to drive her that morning.”
Rosie’s face drained of color. “Stop this.”
Neil’s voice rang steady across the room. “Rosie insisted Cassie take Nancy across town so we could finish setting up for this party. She told Cassie to take Maple, even though there was construction.”
I shut my eyes.
“She said, ‘It’s only a few minutes faster,’” Neil went on, his voice faltering. “Like minutes were worth more than safety.”
Rosie’s hand trembled. “That isn’t what happened.”
Neil didn’t back down. “You told Cassie to take Nancy and pick up the fancy lamps for our bedroom. You told your sister to do it before our housewarming party.”
A guest covered her mouth. Someone murmured, “Oh my God.”
“And after the crash,” Neil continued, “you told me to let everyone believe it had been Cassie’s choice to drive that road. In that terrible weather. I feel guilty and I didn’t do anything!”
Rosie’s confidence cracked at the edges. “It was an accident. Accidents happen.”
I looked straight at her. “But you set everything in motion, Rosie. And then you blamed me.”
Neil inhaled deeply, bracing himself against the back of a chair.
“I should have spoken up sooner,” he said tightly. “I’m sorry, Cassie.”
His jaw clenched as he faced the living room. “The party’s over. Everyone needs to go.”
For a moment, no one moved. Then chairs scraped the floor. Guests gathered their gifts and drifted toward the door.
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