Chapter 14 - Nina
Valerie called her sister from Maya’s office.
“Nina, tell me you didn’t sign something for Richard.”
On the other end, Nina began to cry.
She had been frightened by the photograph outside Valerie’s building. A man from Richard’s legal team had come to her workplace that morning and said Valerie could lose her job if the airport encounter appeared planned. He offered Nina a statement to sign, claiming it would establish that Valerie had been traveling to see her and had never intended to approach me.
Nina had read only the first page.
The second said Valerie had discussed meeting me at JFK to demand a settlement.
“I thought I was helping,” Nina whispered.
Valerie closed her eyes. “Come to Maya’s office. Bring everything they gave you.”
Nina arrived with the papers and the lawyer’s business card. She signed a correction under Maya’s guidance, explaining precisely what had been said to her. Maya filed the DNA result, Valerie’s letters, the school records, and Nina’s correction together.
The complaint lost its force almost as soon as Richard filed it. The damage to Valerie and Nina would take longer.
That evening, Chloe and I sat in our apartment, surrounded by wedding gifts neither of us could bear to open.
“We need to talk about us,” she said.
“I know.”
She twisted her ring once, then set her hands in her lap.
“I liked you, Carter. I thought we could make a good life.”
“I liked you too.”
“But you’re in love with Valerie.”
I thought about the woman I had known three years ago, and the one who had built a life for Lucy while I was gone.
“I don’t have a right to ask Valerie for anything,” I said. “I do need to be Lucy’s father.”
Chloe nodded. “And I need a marriage that began with the truth.”
We agreed to separate and speak to our attorneys about ending it. She took a bag to her parents’ house. At the door, she turned back.
“Lucy’s lucky that Valerie kept telling the truth,” she said. “Listen to her about what Lucy needs.”
The next morning, Richard asked to see me. I met him at his office with Owen present. His desk had been cleared of company files.
“You’ve made your point,” he said. “Call off the investigation.”
“That isn’t my decision.”
“I can still make this difficult for Valerie.”
Owen leaned forward. “Richard, stop.”
But my father was looking only at me.
“What do you want?” he asked.
I stood. “For you to tell the investigators everything.”
May you like
After we left, Owen received a call from the board’s attorney. The outside review had uncovered a payment to the lawyer who had visited Nina.
It had been approved that morning, while Richard was already on leave.
