Page 61 of Absolution

“I re-married.”

My eyebrows shoot up. That was unexpected.

“She was really into my lifestyle, high maintenance… My credit cards literally burned.”

I doubt they literally burned, but whatever.

“So…?”

“I crashed. It all crashed. I took bank loans. My apartment was worth millions and it was my security.”

Oh, yes. I lived it. He made a ton of money on real estate. I gave him my everything so that he could focus on his career.

“Then the banks wouldn’t lend me more so I… I took some money from the firm.”

“You did what? You stole money, Evan?”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. He was always a little bit naive, but that’s so not like him. He always knew right from wrong. Did he? says a little voice at the back of my head. He cheated on you. For six months he went and fucked another woman.

“I was terrified of losing everything.”

“You could’ve come clean with her.”

Evan licks his lips and looks out the window. Cecilia pulls out the straw from the juice packet, spraying us with little drips. I put it back down.

“Let it stay there, honey.” I give her another piece of the muffin that I have yet to try myself, but I have no appetite.

“She’s so cute,” says Evan as he grabs a napkin and wipes his face. “Her eyes, hair, she’s really dark, nothing like you. Is— Was the dad dark?”

I inhale raggedly, the reminder of Christian aches. “Yes. Why didn’t you just talk to her?”

“I… When the company found out I stole from them, they threatened me with prosecution.”

“Naturally,” I say.

Evan presses his lips together. “I guess,” he mutters. “Anyway, I got them back the money and they settled on kicking me out and never pressed charges.”

“Where did you get that money?” A crawling, nasty foreboding is settling in my stomach. He did something bad, something really bad.

“I borrowed from Suzanne’s dad.”

“Okay. And?”

“He really wants his money back.”

“I can imagine he would. What does your wife say about this, then? Does she know?”

“She left me.”

“Oh.”

“I gave her everything, and she fucking went and annulled the marriage, as if what we had was worth nothing.”

Pushing down the rage that threatens to flare up, I laugh inwardly at the irony. He gave her everything? Much like I did in our marriage.

“Her dad’s not a good man, Kerry. He’s threatening to break every bone in my body if I don’t pay him back, and I don’t have the money, I can’t.”

“What the fuck, Evan? How can you be so stupid?”

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