Page 19 of The Liar I Married
“I’ll wait here.” Alex drops onto the visitors’ sofa. “I’m here if you need me.” He chuckles. “Oh, Michael, don’t look so scandalized. I’m here for moral support is all. That’s what friends do for each other, don’t you know?”
As I walk toward my father’s office door, clutching the detective’s report, my mind races with questions. I need answers and I’m not leaving without them. I pause, hand raised to knock on the door. Will this be the end of my relationship with my father? I bite down hard on my bottom lip and knock before pushing the door open. “Sorry to disturb you, Dad, but we need to talk.”
“Jessie, what’s wrong?” He rises from behind the desk, his face a mask of concern. “Has something happened to your mother?”
I shake my head, barely able to contain the emotions welling up inside me. “Mom’s fine. This is the problem.”
I toss the envelope on the desk, and my pulse thunders in my ears. “Read it.”
My stomach flip-flops as he lifts the flap and pours out the contents. I watch his face as he scans the pages and his expression shifts from confusion to anger.
“Where did you get this?” He lifts his gaze to me.
I’m trembling and suddenly I’m four again, and in trouble. I suck in a deep breath to steady my nerves. I can’t back down now. “Where I got it isn’t important. What I need is the truth. Are you the father of that child?”
“No, I’m not.” Color creeps up his neck and into his cheeks. He gathers up the report and stuffs it back in the envelope. “How could you believe such a thing?”
I meet his gaze, shaking my head. “Because you’re supporting them. If that kid isn’t yours then why all the secrecy? It’s obvious you visit them often. Does Mom know about them?”
“We need to keep your mother out of this. It’s complicated, Jessie.” He leans both hands on the table and stares at me. “I can’t expect you to understand and I don’t need to explain myself. This is none of your business.”
Tears sting the backs of my eyes. “Is that all you’ve got to say? Grandma found out, didn’t she? You had a huge argument with her. I know that was the night she had the stroke.” I dug my finger into the envelope on the table. “She died because of this.”
“Don’t you dare bring your grandmother into this.” He leans forward on the desk. “I had nothing to do with her suffering a stroke. How could you say such a thing?”
Shaken, I take a step back. “Because she told me on her deathbed, something was going on with you. After you had that argument with her, she wrote a letter and had Maria deliver it to Mr. Collins. He gave it to me after the reading of the will. It was a warning about the secrets in the family. She wanted me to know about the secret family you’re supporting.”
“I don’t believe you.” His eyes widen in shock. “Where is this so-called letter?”
I pull the neatly folded letter from my pocket and hand it to him. “This is why she fired you, isn’t it? She didn’t trust you any longer. What else are you hiding? It’s obvious she didn’t get the full story before she died.”
I stare at him as he reads the letter and notice a slight tremor in his hands. When he finally looks up at me, his eyes are filled with a mixture of anger and pain. I slam my fist down on the table. “Do you have an excuse? I’d like to hear it before I tell Mom.”
“I can assure you the child is not mine.” Dad shakes his head. “You have my word.”
I can’t believe my ears. “Your word? Then who are they?” I wait a few seconds before glaring at him. “Do you need more time to make up another lie?”
“I’m not lying.” He straightens, meeting my gaze. “I’m only trying to protect you.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “From what—the truth?”
“From things you don’t understand, things that will destroy our family.” He walks out from behind his desk and stares out of the wide window overlooking skyscrapers.
His words are like a slap in the face. “What do you mean by ‘destroy our family’? Keeping secrets like this is what will tear us apart.”
“The child isn’t mine and that’s all you need to know. I’m not discussing this with you, not now, not ever. You’ll just have to trust me on this.” He turns and the afternoon sunlight hits him from behind like a halo. “Some things are better left buried.”
Tears stream down my cheeks. I want to trust him but everything feels like a lie, plus I made a promise to Grandma on her deathbed. “I want to believe you but right now you’re not giving me any reason to.”
“It was none of your grandmother’s business and she as sure as hell shouldn’t have involved you.” He dashes a hand through his hair. “Jessie, if you care for our family, walk away now and forget this ever happened.” He shakes his head, turns his back on me and walks out of the room.
I stare after him, unable to believe he just left me here. A mixture of anger, betrayal, and sorrow consumes me.
What was so terrible that it killed my grandmother, and why couldn’t he trust me with the truth?
TWENTY-TWO
My mind is a whirlpool of emotions as I leave my father’s office. It’s as if the weight of his denial and evasiveness is pressing down on me. I desperately want to speak to John. I need his comfort and level-headedness but Michael’s strained expression when he saw me arrive spoke volumes. I guess mentioning about John’s meeting with Ms. Lawson was to soften the blow if I see them together. I bite back a laugh. I need comfort and someone to talk to but the person I want most is the one I can’t trust. As I head for the foyer, as if on cue, I see John and Ms. Lawson emerging from the conference room. They walk, heads tipped together, their body language too close for comfort. They are so involved with each other they don’t notice me. I keep walking and head for the wide glass doors.
