Chapter 3He Put Me Second

On the day of Eleanor’s memorial service, the Whitmore family gathered at the private family chapel.

At six in the morning, the house manager brought me the guest acknowledgment list.

“Mrs. Whitmore, would you still like to review the guest list as usual?”

I had just opened the first page when I saw that the order of the main memorial candles had been changed.

The first name was Adrian Whitmore.

The second was Paige Avery.

The third was Noah Whitmore.

My name had been moved behind the general family acknowledgments.

The house manager lowered his head.

“Mr. Whitmore said Noah is young, and since Mrs. Whitmore met him before she passed, he wanted the boy to light the first candle.”

I closed the list.

“Where is Adrian?”

“In the back garden.”

In the back garden, Adrian was crouching as he straightened Noah’s little black suit.

A white flower was pinned to the boy’s lapel.

Paige stood beside them, holding a candle.

Noah tugged at his collar.

“Daddy, this is tight.”

Adrian loosened it half an inch.

“Bear with it for a little while.”

I walked over.

Paige saw me first, her expression turning uneasy.

“Willa, I told Adrian that Noah and I could stand at the back.”

Adrian stood and looked at me.

“You’ll handle the acknowledgments later.”

I looked back at him.

“Who did you give the first candle to?”

He was silent for a moment.

“Grandmother met Noah. She liked children.”

“She liked children, so he gets to stand ahead of me?”

Adrian’s brows drew tight.

“Willa, today is her memorial.”

“So you do know that?”

I closed the list.

“I almost thought the Whitmore family had changed its name to Avery today.”

Paige’s face went white.

Adrian’s expression darkened.

“Do you have to sound so sharp?”

I looked at him.

“Are your actions not sharp?”

Noah suddenly wrapped his arms around Adrian’s leg.

“Daddy, I’m scared.”

Adrian’s hand landed immediately on the child’s back.

“I’ll be with you.”

“What about Mommy?”

“She’ll be with you too.”

Then the child looked at me.

“Will Willa be with us too?”

The wind was strong at the chapel entrance.

The guest list in my hand flipped open.

Adrian walked over and pressed his palm on the pages.

“You’re the only one who can keep the reception under control.”

I moved his hand away from the list.

“You gave the candle to someone else, and now you want me to stand at the door and protect your reputation?”

He said nothing.

I handed the list to the house manager.

“Don’t ask me to review it today.”

The house manager froze.

Adrian stared at me.

“Willa.”

“Handle it yourself.”

When the memorial began, Noah held the first candle and stood in front of Adrian.

Paige stood on Adrian’s right.

I stood outside the chapel and watched the three of them walk toward Eleanor’s portrait.

Someone whispered:

“She looks more like Mrs. Whitmore, doesn’t she?”

The person beside them quickly hushed them.

“Don’t say that.”

I heard it.

Adrian heard it too.

He turned back and looked at me, warning in his eyes.

As if merely failing to smile on command meant I had caused him more trouble.

After the service, he came over and stopped me.

“I’ll take you to the cemetery alone tonight.”

“No need.”

“How many more days are you going to keep this up?”

I looked up at him.

“Adrian, when you let Paige’s son light the first candle, you should have known I would never hand you the second.”

His face changed instantly.

Behind him, Noah called, “Daddy, my hands are cold.”

Adrian hesitated for only a moment before turning back and wrapping the child’s hands in his.

I did not even slow down.