Chapter 5 - The Barbecue
The annual Hale barbecue took place on the final Saturday of August.
Clara arrived early because Barbara had asked her to help prepare the food.
By noon, Clara had arranged the tables, coordinated the grill, filled the serving dishes, and driven to the store twice for forgotten supplies.
Barbara accepted compliments for everything.
“You always throw the best parties,” one relative told her.
Barbara smiled while Clara carried another tray from the kitchen.
Connor spent most of the afternoon talking with his cousins near the grill. Each time Clara approached him, he appeared too busy to speak.
Shortly before dinner, Barbara began complaining that Clara had purchased the wrong brand of mustard.
“It’s the brand you wrote on the list,” Clara replied.
Barbara rolled her eyes.
“There you go again, needing to be right.”
Several relatives laughed.
Clara looked toward Connor.
He pretended not to hear.
Later, Barbara asked everyone to gather around the table for a photograph. When Clara stepped beside Connor, Barbara waved her away.
“Family members in the first row.”
The words were quiet, but Clara heard them clearly.
“So where should Connor’s wife stand?” Clara asked.
Barbara gave her an innocent smile.
“Anywhere you like.”
Connor looked at the ground.
At that moment, Clara knew the marriage was over.
She walked inside and opened the transition folder stored in her bag. She sent a scheduled email to Connor, Barbara, the company accountant, and the two assistant managers.
Her resignation would become effective at five that afternoon.
She also sent the operating documents and offered thirty days of limited transition support through her attorney.
Clara did not cancel deliveries or instruct employees to quit. She simply informed them that she would no longer be working for Hale Family Kitchen.
Several catering employees immediately announced that they planned to leave as well.
They were loyal to Clara because Clara had been loyal to them.
At four fifty-five, Clara returned to the table.
Barbara raised her glass.
“If Clara disappeared tomorrow, nobody would even notice.”
May you like
Five minutes later, Clara removed her wedding ring.
The phones began ringing.
