Page 56 of Breaking
Troy shot up from his chair, fists clenched at his sides, his face thunderous. "You think that was a trap? That was the best thing that ever happened to me. I get down on my knees and thank God every day that she did. And even if Jenna wins the divorce, I will keep after her until she changes her mind and takes me back. Your plans will not succeed.”
" "Oh, Troy, you give me too much credit. Do you think I destroyed your marriage? No, darling. You did that all on your own."
Troy went still. The anger, the rage, the exhaustion-they all collided in a single moment of realization. And he knew she was right.
His voice, when he finally spoke, was hoarse. "I'm going to fix it. No matter what it takes."
Lila's lips twisted into something like a smirk, but there was no real triumph in it. "Good luck with that."
The door opened, and two security guards stepped in. Susanna stood as well, gathering the files. Lila swallowed, her shoulders trembling.
"Security will escort you out after you meet with HR," Troy said clinically. "Consider this the last time we will ever speak. And I don'tcare who you are, I will personally ensure you never work in this industry again"
Her gaze darted to Mack, pleading now. "Mack, please-"
"No," Mack said firmly.
Her expression twisted. "Mom and Dad won't be happy about this," she spat. "Neither will Margaret."
Troy's expression didn't shift. "Mom only has ever loved Mom. The rest of us are just chess pieces on the board. You're not special, Lila. And as for your parents-your problems are your own."
The security guards stepped forward, and for the first time, Lila had nothing to say.
Chapter 46
Troy
Troy sat in the dimly lit living room, the weight of the impending conversation settling like a stone in his chest. The house was quiet-too quiet for a home that once buzzed with life - Jenna's laughter, the kids' bickering, the hum of life moving beneath the surface. Now, it was just a space filled with ghosts of what used to be. He had taken to living in the apartment. It was difficult to come home when he knew Jenna wouldn't be there waiting for him.
The clock on the wall ticked steadily, a reminder that time moved forward whether he was ready or not. Max and Lilly were on their way. He had told them he needed to talk. That alone must have been enough to put them on edge-he had never been the type for deep discussions.
When the door finally swung open, Max walked in first, his backpack slung over one shoulder, jaw set tight. Lilly followed, eyes red-rimmed and wary.
They already knew. Jenna had told them.
Troy exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sit down."
Max threw himself onto the couch, arms crossed over his chest, while Lilly curled into the armchair, knees pulled up like she was bracing for impact.
"Your mom and I..." Troy started, then faltered. He had rehearsed this in his head, but words always failed when they mattered.
He let out a slow breath. "This is mostly my fault."
Neither of them spoke. Max's fingers tightened around his knee. Lilly wiped her nose with the sleeve of her hoodie.
"I didn't nurture our relationship the way I should have," he continued. "And the fact that your mom never felt comfortable telling me what she needed... just made things worse. Don't get me wrong. That's my fault as well. I kept things from her, things she deserved to know from day one. I wasn't there in the way she deserved."
Lilly let out a quiet sniffle. Max's gaze was fixed on a point somewhere past Troy's shoulder, but he was listening.
Troy hesitated before adding, "I've been thinking a lot about why I am the way I am. My childhood... the way I process things. I was never diagnosed, but looking back, I have often wondered if I am on the spectrum. It’s only recently that I have had the courage to explore this. I don't always pick up on emotions the way I should. I don't always react the way people expect me to." He ran a hand through his hair, feeling uncharacteristically exposed. "But that doesn't excuse anything. It doesn't change the fact that I hurt her. That I hurt all of you."
Max let out a sharp breath, his posture rigid. "We hurt her too," he admitted, voice low. "I've been an ass, Dad. I broke up with Dana a year ago, and I don't even know why, but I was angry all the time. I took it out on Mom." His throat bobbed. "I shut her out when she was just trying to be there."
Lilly's voice was smaller. "I... I think I was wilfully oblivious. I saw what was happening, and I told myself it wasn't that bad. That Mom was fine." Her lip trembled. "But she wasn't, was she?"
Troy shook his head. "No. She wasn't."
A silence pregnant with guilt settled between them, thick with things left unsaid over the years.
