Chapter 15 - The Man I Married
I met Everett in a lawyer's conference room with glass walls and a recorder sitting openly on the table. Neither of us could pretend this was a private argument anymore.
“Why did you sign the Swiss sale?” I asked.
“Diane said it was the only way to save me.”
“Save you from what? Paying back money? Losing your title? Having people find out you lied?”
He looked older than he had at the gala. “I thought if I could get control of the debt, I could force Harborline to sell.”
“You knew it was me by then.”
“Yes.”
“And you still did it.”
His jaw trembled. “I couldn't stand everybody knowing my wife had been carrying me.”
That sentence explained more than a decade of insults. He hadn't mistaken my kindness for weakness. He had needed it to be weakness so he could feel strong.
I stood. “You don't get to ruin a company because your ego is hurt.”
He followed me to the doorway. “Grace, I loved you.”
“Maybe,” I said. “But you liked being admired more.”
Back at the office, the investigators produced new evidence: emails between Vanessa, Daniel, and Diane discussing a planned drop in Wardbridge's value. They expected Rook's bid to become unavoidable after the stolen funds drained the business.
But one email had another name on it. The recipient wasn't a banker or a lawyer. It was Everett.
He had replied with two words: HANDLE GRACE.
I read the message aloud, slowly, with Ruth beside me.
May you like
For months, I'd been afraid Everett was a fool being used by cruel people. Now I had to face something worse.
He had made a choice.
