“Genevieve Ross Vance is here tonight.
We had originally expected her to participate in this conversation, and I’d like to invite her to join us now.”
Nathaniel’s head turned sharply toward the edge of the set.
Genevieve entered carrying the leather folder.
There was no empty chair anymore.
A crew member brought one from off camera.
That detail nearly made Genevieve smile.
Nathaniel had removed her place from the conversation.
Television had just put it back.
She sat opposite the host rather than beside her husband.
Nathaniel recovered quickly.
“Genevieve,” he said warmly, as though they had planned the moment together.
She recognized the tone.
It was his crisis voice.
She had written versions of it for him dozens of times.
“Nathaniel.”
Chloe’s smile had disappeared.
The host looked at the folder.
“We were just discussing the creative process behind The Honest Ascent.
Genevieve, would you describe your role as supportive?”
Nathaniel leaned forward.
“I think there may be some misunderstanding about terminology—”
Genevieve turned her head toward him.
The movement was enough to stop him.
The host repeated the question.
Genevieve answered simply.
“No.”
Nathaniel gave a soft laugh.
“Genevieve did a lot behind the scenes, certainly.
Married couples support each other in different ways.”
Genevieve opened the folder.
“Would you like me to describe the ways?”
Nathaniel’s eyes fell to the papers.
For the first time that night, his expression lost its polish.
Chloe looked between them.
The host said, “Please.”
Genevieve removed the first draft of the memoir’s opening chapter.
“I rewrote the opening chapter eleven times.”
Nathaniel inhaled.
Genevieve placed another page on top.
“I structured the childhood section.”
Another.
“I developed the moral framework Nathaniel used to connect his upbringing to his philanthropy.”
Another.
“I drafted the passages that later became the most quoted sections of the book.”
Nathaniel finally interrupted.
“This is becoming misleading.”
Genevieve looked at him.
“Which part?”
“The implication that collaboration equals authorship.”
“I haven’t used the word authorship.”
Nathaniel opened his mouth, then stopped.
The host noticed.
So did Chloe.
Genevieve had spent years giving Nathaniel sentences designed to rescue him from traps.
