Chapter 11 - THE SECOND BETRAYAL
I thought Margaret's confession was the worst thing we'd hear.
I was wrong.
Charles made a deal.
In exchange for cooperation on the old fraud investigation, he turned over everything he'd kept.
Bank records.
Letters.
Payment schedules.
And emails.
One folder contained messages from the previous six months.
Some were between Charles and Margaret.
Others were between Charles and Jason.
I stared at the screen.
“No.”
Jason went pale.
I looked at him.
“You talked to Charles?”
He didn't answer quickly enough.
“Jason.”
“Yes.”
The word nearly broke me.
“When?”
“Three months ago.”
“You told me you discovered the payments six months ago.”
“I did.”
“And then?”
“I found Charles.”
“You found the man your family had been paying millions of dollars?”
“Yes.”
“And you didn't tell me?”
“I was trying to understand what happened.”
I stepped backward.
“You knew Daniel was your brother?”
“No.”
“Did you know he died because of something connected to the fraud?”
“I suspected.”
My throat tightened.
“Jason.”
He moved toward me.
“I was trying to protect you.”
I laughed.
The sound came out ugly.
“There it is again.”
“What?”
“Protection.”
I pointed toward the interview room.
“Your mother protected the family.”
I pointed toward Richard.
“Your father protected the company.”
Then at Jason.
“And you protected me.”
I shook my head.
“Everybody in this family lies and calls it protection.”
Jason looked devastated.
“You're right.”
That stopped me.
No excuse.
No argument.
Just those two words.
“You're right.”
He removed his wedding ring from his pocket.
The ring he had planned to wear that afternoon.
He placed it on the table.
“I should've told you.”
“Yes.”
“I was afraid you'd leave.”
“Yes.”
“And I decided my fear mattered more than your right to choose.”
I felt tears finally come.
Not because of Margaret.
Not because of the dress.
Because of him.
The person I'd trusted.
Jason continued.
“I love you.”
“Don't.”
“I do.”
“Love without honesty isn't enough.”
He nodded.
“I know.”
I picked up my handbag.
Jason didn't stop me.
That hurt too.
Maybe it also saved us.
At the doorway, I turned.
“What would've happened if your mother hadn't burned the dress?”
Jason looked at me.
“We would've gotten married.”
“And when would you have told me?”
He couldn't answer.
That was the answer.
May you like
I walked away.
For the first time since meeting Jason Wilson, I had no idea whether I would ever come back.
