Page 8 of The Silence of Monsters

When my younger brother fell in love with her older sister, both sets of parents were vehemently against it. My parents went to drastic lengths to keep the young lovers apart. Archie was miserable as a Halliday, and much like his daughter had done, he ran away from home so he could breathe and be with the person he loved. Channing was young back then, so she probably didn’t know exactly how hard things were for her family after they defied mine. The way I manipulated her was a very ugly part of our families’ history repeating itself.

My brother lived a vagabond lifestyle after he ran off with Willow. He only brought her home after she was pregnant with Winnie. They’d decided they needed to be responsible parents, so Archie had to reprise his role as heir. I still got a tickle in my throat when I recalled my brother’s huge smile and bright eyes when he told me he was naming his daughter after me.

I wanted to believe my father and mother would adjust their prejudice when they allowed my brother to come home with his young family. Instead, they alienated my brother’s bride and made his life a living hell for defying them in the first place. I told Archie he should take Willow and leave again. I promised I would help him and make sure they still had a good life, but he stubbornly maintained that we were family. He was unwilling to give up his place in the legacy. He had no desire to relinquish his inheritance and ready-made position in the company. And more than that, he didn’t want his daughter to miss out on what could be hers. While he was away from home, he learned how hard normal people had to work for what they had. He was determined that his wife and daughter would never suffer just to merely exist. All the Hallidays were selfish in one way or another. My younger brother was no different. He was convinced that my parents would eventually embrace Willow and Winnie.

They didn’t.

Willow was isolated.

She was tormented.

She was belittled and mocked.

At every turn, she was made to feel inferior.

It drove a wedge between her and my brother. Willow wanted to leave. He wouldn’t let her.

I often wondered if he’d known there was a history of mental illness in Willow’s family. Would he have taken her feelings more into consideration? There was a bomb with a long fuse moving through the lavish manor. When it ignited, no one was spared from the explosion’s shrapnel.

I was overseas on a business trip with my father when the news came. My little brother was dead, and so was Channing’s sister.

The investigation showed that the fire was set deliberately. An accelerant was purposely placed all around the main bedroom. It was revealed that both Willow and my brother were drugged with sleeping pills when the fire started. Because of all the antique furniture and old wooden fixtures, the flames gobbled up that wing of the house before anyone could save it, or the people inside. According to the experts, it wasn’t clear who set the fire. But with the Harveys’ mental health history, the blame automatically fell to Willow. Especially since she’d arranged for Winnie to be out of the house that night. I think the reason my mother still hated Channing was because Willow took Winnie to her before she ended her, and my brother’s lives. It was clear that Willow felt her sister was a better choice to care for Winnie than the rest of us. If their mom hadn’t had a serious breakdown and needed around-the-clock care in the wake of Willow’s death, there was a high probability Channing would’ve gained custody of Winnie. It was no secret Willow wanted her daughter raised by her family and not her husband’s.

It was a tragedy. Just like the fact my mother had buried my brother before my father and I made it home. It was an entirely preventable catastrophe. It was cruel and heartless to ask Channing to walk into the lion’s den when she knew exactly how hungry the beast inside would be. However, the woman hated me. It wasn’t like there would be a point in our relationship where I could change her opinion. It was better that I kept up a front of loathing and distaste, even if I didn’t think Channing was the monster Colette made her out to be. My mom appreciated that we shared a common foe, so I always pretended to hate any Harvey as much as she did.

I picked up the contract and offered it to her. “This is the bare-bones agreement. Read through it and make the changes you think are necessary. I’ll adjust the required time limit.”

She took the file with shaky hands. I heard her gulp as she looked at the document as if it might bite her. “Even if I agree to this, we aren’t going to fool anyone. Your mother knows we don’t get along. Winnie knows we don’t like each other. I told her we were sworn enemies a couple of weeks ago. Your entire inner circle is going to think you being with someone like me is a joke. They’re going to think I’m only with you for the money.”

I dipped my chin in agreement. “You’re right about all of that. I don’t care if my mom thinks it’s fake. She can’t keep hounding me to get married if I already am.”

Channing laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. “All she’s going to do is harass you until we divorce. You’re just trading one headache for another.”

“She won’t.” I pointed at the document she couldn’t seem to look away from. “If I initiate a divorce before the contract term is complete, you will receive a portion of my shares in Halliday Inc. My mother will never let that happen.” The only thing she loved in this world was this company. It felt like she’d been trying to take it over since she was a child. Her singular goal in life was to become a Halliday.

“And if I initiate a divorce before the contract expires?” Channing asked in a strangled voice..

“You’ll have to pay for a breach of contract. You won’t be able to afford it. Don’t think that’s an option, Harvey.”

She stared blankly at the papers in her hand for a long moment before she lifted her head to glare at me. “I really hate you, Chester. I would give anything to have never met you.”

I couldn’t hold back a chuckle at her sudden surrender. I thought she would call me every name in the book and throw more things at my face before she relented.

“You’ve always hated me from afar. Now you can hate me up close and personal. Think of it as an upgrade.”

She scowled at me, and I thought it was cute. There was a slight tingle under my skin that made me pause and consider why I wasn’t reacting the way I always did when I closed out a difficult business deal.

I liked to win, but something about this victory felt different. Money was typically what I gained after a hard round of negotiation. There was an idea creeping into the back of my mind, whispering that this triumph held something much more important. When I could drop the heartless façade that was second nature to me, I would give some serious consideration as to why I felt like I had both won and lost this battle with the feisty redhead.

Channing

“Slow down, Champ. I haven’t seen you drink like this since our wedding day.”

My favorite ex-husband reached across the bar and took away the rocks glass from which I’d just chugged a mouthful of bourbon on ice. I wasn’t much of a drinker. The exception was when I couldn’t quite get a handle on my emotions. My feelings were swinging from one extreme to the other ever since Win extorted me. Every inch of my being wanted to tell him to shove his proposal and contract as far up his uptight ass as possible. I felt deep down that I had no way to avoid his unwavering determination to force me to do exactly what he desired. If I didn’t have to worry about him going after the innocent people around me, I would walk away and never speak to him again. Winnie would be eighteen in five years. I could hold out until it was her choice whether she wanted me in her life or not — maybe. Win blocked every avenue of escape.

I lifted my blurry gaze to the familiar face of the man I once loved. Roan Goodwin saved me from my first disastrous marriage that I’d fallen into when I was barely a legal adult. He kept me together when my life was at its lowest point, and I’d first learned what it was like to lose something you loved with your whole heart. We were too young and impulsive when we tied the knot. It was a marriage of convenience in a different way. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we made better friends than lovers. Our union was short-lived, but our friendship had endured long after our divorce. After Salome, Roan was the person I trusted and confided in the most. I called him my hero, but he always reminded me that I saved myself.

“I hate him.” I tried to snatch my glass away, but Roan intercepted me and handed me a glass of ice water as a replacement. “I really hate him. He’s the devil. That entire family, except for Winnie, deserves every awful thing they’ve done to others returned to them tenfold.” I was full-on pouting and feeling very sorry for myself.

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