Chapter 17 - CELESTE’S VERSION OF MARA
Celeste gave a formal civil statement because we were disputing property losses and wedding expenses.
She did not deny the Reset document.
She explained it.
“I felt like I was marrying a widower who expected me to live inside his first marriage.”
Some truth.
“My future bedroom still had Mara’s clothes in adjoining closets.”
True.
“Family members compared me to her.”
True.
“Eva brought Mara into every conflict.”
She was three.
Examples?
If Celeste said bedtime:
“Mommy let light.”
If Celeste said shoes:
“Mommy pink.”
Normal child memory mixed with normal child resistance.
Celeste said:
“I was becoming the bad living woman against a perfect dead one.”
That sentence mattered.
Then:
“I thought if the environment changed, all of us could move forward.”
Why not discuss the full plan with me?
“Because Alessio became irrational when Mara was involved.”
Sometimes true.
Then:
“Did you believe you had authority to dispose of Mara’s belongings?”
“I believed he delegated household transition.”
“Did he delegate Eva’s locket?”
“No.”
“Her keepsake box?”
“No.”
“Her books?”
“I thought they were household property.”
Some were legally Eva’s.
Some not clearly.
Then:
“Why hide the full Reset document?”
Celeste stopped.
“I knew he would say no.”
There.
Not misunderstanding anymore.
Knowledge.
Then the dinner.
“Why throw the locket?”
“I lost my temper.”
“Why say dead women had no place at your wedding?”
“Because I was tired of feeling like the wedding had three people in it.”
May you like
That was emotionally honest.
Still cruel.
