“This is Emma,” my mother-in-law said proudly at Christmas dinner, pointing to a well-dressed blonde. “She’ll be perfect for James—once the divorce is finalized.” The room seemed to pause. I buttered my bread, smiled, and reached for the folder I’d brought for dessert. The room in Fairfield County, Connecticut, went still—silver humming mid-air, the Beef Wellington steaming like a magazine spread, snow dusting the boxwood hedges beyond the French doors. Someone’s spoon tapped crystal and then fo