“Do you?” he fired back.
“Frankly, no.”
“Then we’re in agreement. Think about it, Dominique. She swore him to secrecy, yet she never told Theo. She refused to let it come up at the trial. It was the perfect lie. She put Andreas in a box he couldn’t get out of, knowing it would impact heavily on you.”
“You’re right.”
“I asked Andreas if he’d checked with the hospital. He said he didn’t have to. Olympia would never make up a lie like that.”
“Oh, Paul.” She shook her head.
“When I could see that he was firmly entrenched in his belief, I realized there was nothing more I could do.”
She bit her lip. “You were trying to warn me about her before I boarded the yacht, weren’t you?”
He nodded.
“Those videos were a revelation, Paul. But I’m afraid my husband can’t see he’s her obsession.”
“I know he is,” Paul muttered. “She hates me because I’ve been on to her for a long time. She stays away from me as much as possible. When she realized you’d invited me for dinner, she must have been livid. It meant I’d be watching for any tricks she decided to pull.”
Dominique buried her face in her hands. “She’s not about to go away. I don’t know what to do. Since coming back to Greece I’ve decided to play along. The other night Andreas promised me he’ll never keep secrets from me again.”
“He means it.”
“I know, but—”
“But you don’t trust Olympia any more than I do. She’s the one who abused Theo, not the other way around. If you want my opinion, she planned it so he would find her and Andreas together.”
Her head shot up. “You’re kidding!”
“No. The only reason she married him was for additional security.”
“That’s what Theo said.”
“I imagine it didn’t take him long to realize Olympia was using him. Mrs. Costas is on a fixed income. With her health slowly fading, Olympia decided she needed someone to foot the medical bills if she required extended hospitalization.”
“She used him.”
“Olympia doesn’t have a conscience that I can see. When Andreas didn’t succumb to her wiles, she married Theo. But she made certain her relationship with Andreas never changed. Not long after that he met you and fell in love. I could tell she was consumed by jealousy. It drove her to cause problems both before and after your marriage.”
Dominique reflected on those moments. “I didn’t want to believe she could be so cruel, but there were times…”
“She’s a dangerous person. But, no matter what she did, Andreas only had eyes for you. It’s my belief she intentionally enflamed Theo so that he wouldn’t only divorce her, he would charge them with adultery. Anything to make it as ugly as possible, so Theo would give her a settlement but want nothing more to do with her.”
“Then she achieved her goal,” Dominique said sadly. “I went to see Theo at his office.”
“When?”
“The day you and I flew to Athens—after we left Zakynthos. He told me he gave up his parental rights.”
“I can’t say I blame him. To try to work out visitation with a woman like that would be hell on earth.”
“Poor Ari. He’s so sweet and innocent.”
“I don’t like it any more than you do, but Olympia’s not normal.”
“That’s what Andreas said about Theo.”