Clara pressed her palms against her temples, her tears returning. “I just don’t understand. The Liam I know would never humiliate me like this. He would never—” Her words broke apart, choked with anguish. “Unless…” Her parents exchanged a worried glance but stayed silent.
Clara wiped her face with the sleeve of her gown, her hands shaking as she reached for her phone on the table. “I need to hear it from him,” she whispered. “I need to know why.” Her parents and Phoebe watched in silence as she dialed Liam’s number. The line rang once, then cut straight to voicemail. She tried again, and again—each time the same.