“She wants to drive a wedge between us so she can control you.”

“She’s a gold-digger, Daniel.”

“She always has been.”

I felt my face turn hot.

I looked at Dan, waiting to see what he would do.

He looked devastated, torn between the mother he had spent his life protecting and the wife who had stood by him.

“Mom, that’s enough,” Dan said, but his voice lacked the force I wanted to hear.

“Is it?” Juliette asked, taking a step closer to me.

“She wants my money, Daniel.”

“That’s why she’s so angry.”

“She thinks she’s entitled to it.”

I looked at the counter, where the cheap hot dogs were still sitting in their plastic packaging.

I looked at the old, chipped plates I had washed by hand because our dishwasher was broken.

“I don’t want your money, Juliette,” I said, my voice dangerously quiet.

“I wanted your respect.”

“But you don’t even respect your own children.”

Sarah wiped a tear from her cheek, looking away.

“You’re a selfish woman,” Sarah whispered.

“And everyone is going to know.”

“Who are you going to tell, Sarah?” Juliette sneered.