Chapter 1
Emma Davis, the young actress Oliver got close to while filming The Hollow Room, walks into his Oscar after-party dressed almost exactly like me.
She sees me and smiles.
“Mrs. Jones.”
Her eyes drop to my dress.
“Oh my God.”
I look at her. “What?”
She laughs under her breath.
“Nothing. It’s just… wow.”
“Say it.”
“I mean, I knew you liked what I wore to the Governors Awards.” She smiles. “I just didn’t think you’d actually do the whole look.”
Oliver turns around.
“Emma.”
“What?” She looks at him. “I’m kidding.”
Then she looks back at me.
“You look good, Mrs. Jones. Seriously.”
I laugh. “You think I copied you?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You kind of did.”
She shrugs.
“I’m just saying, this is like the third time.”
“The third time what?”
“We show up looking the same.”
Emma smiles like I’m making this way more serious than it is.
“Come on, Mrs. Jones. People notice stuff.”
Oliver sighs.
“Rachel, just let it go.”
I look at him.
“She’s literally standing here telling me I copied her.”
Emma cuts in.
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“I said people might think that.”
She looks at Oliver.
“See? This is what I mean.”
I laugh. “What do you mean?”
“You get so mad.”
“I’m not mad.”
“Okay.”
That “okay” almost gets me.
Then I notice the diamond camellia brooch on her dress.
My brooch.
“Where’d you get that?”
Emma looks down.
“This?”
“Yes.”
She touches it.
“I’ve had this forever.”
“No, you haven’t.”
She looks back up at me.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. Seriously.”
Oliver steps closer.
“Rachel.”
I don’t look at him.
“That’s mine.”
Emma lets out a small laugh.
“Mrs. Jones, come on.”
“You’re wearing my dress and my brooch.”
Her smile fades.
“I wore this when we were doing The Hollow Room.”
Oliver goes quiet.
Emma looks at him.
“You remember.”
Of course he does.
That movie changed his career.
Before The Hollow Room, Oliver was a movie star. After it, people finally started calling him a serious actor.
Emma had been nobody when she got cast opposite him.
The director almost replaced both of them after their first read.
Oliver knows that part.
What he doesn’t know is that I called the director the next morning and talked him into keeping Oliver.
When he told me Emma was getting cut too, I told him to give her another shot.
She was new.
I thought she deserved one.
Oliver asked me later if I had gotten involved.
“Well, I just made a call.”
That was all I said.
He hated people thinking he got parts because his wife was a producer.
So I never told him more.
Emma smiles at him now.
“That second read changed everything.”
Oliver nods.
“It did.”
She turns back to me.
“I know you weren’t really there for that part.”
I stare at her.
Emma lowers her voice.
“Oliver and I kind of went through that together.”
“Did you?”
Her smile tightens.
“Mrs. Jones, I’m not trying to take anything from you.”
“Good.”
I point at the brooch.
“Then turn it over.”
She freezes.
“What?”
“If it’s yours, turn it over.”
Oliver frowns.
“Rachel, seriously?”
“There’s something engraved on the back.”
Emma blinks.
“I don’t know anything about that.”
“You’ve had it for years, right?”
“So?”
“So what does it say?”
Her eyes start to shine.
Oliver steps between us.
“Enough.”
I look at him.
“You believe her?”
He rubs a hand over his face.
“Rachel, I’m not doing this here.”
Emma touches his arm.
“It’s okay. I should probably go.”
Oliver looks at her immediately.
“No.”
She gives him a small smile.
“I don’t want to mess up your night.”
“You’re not.”
Emma glances at me.
“I know I’m just someone you worked with.”
Oliver shakes his head.
“Come on. You know you’re more than that.”
Something in me goes very still.
My phone buzzes.
A message from my assistant.
Found the gown. It came out of your archive yesterday. No approval.
I lock my screen.
Then I look at Emma.
“Enjoy the party, Mrs. Davis.”