Chapter 36: Acting Contrary

Daniel's words hit Nancy hard. She felt something inside her shatter bit by bit. He had never acknowledged Nancy's identity. Even when people caught them staying in a hotel together, he didn't explain much. The only girlfriend he acknowledged was Blanche. Nancy couldn't even remember how she hung up the phone or what Daniel said afterward. All night, she just stared at the ceiling, looking at the antique chandelier they had bought from an antique shop in a small town in Europe. Daniel always thought the lamp was peculiar. The various colored glasses seemed random, but you could faintly see the letters D and N. He said it looked just like them. Nancy closed her eyes, emptied her mind. It seemed she had to replace the lamp too. Every day, Nancy would visit her grandfather at noon. Even though she had explained that Daniel wasn't her boyfriend, her grandfather would still occasionally mention him. Nancy had to pretend not to understand what he meant. And on this particular day, N