Page 71 of My Boss's Sons

Ethan frowned. “What the hell is going on? What do you mean, you’re our half-brother?”

“Dad cheated. A lot. He knocked someone up and along came Alex.” I took Mom’s hands in mine and held her teary gaze. “I don’t want to protect him anymore.”

“What the fuck? Wait. Wait a second. You’re saying that you’re not Alex’s mom?” Noah collapsed into his chair. “I don’t understand.”

“She’s my mom. She’s the only mother I’ve ever known and the only one I’ll ever know. By choice.” I swallowed. “She didn’t birth me, though.”

“He cheated on you.” Ethan was coming around to the idea faster than Noah. “And what? Just showed up with a baby one day?”

“He’s always cheated on me. I just looked the other way because it was easier. I have a good life. I loved him. I get to do things I want to do and I got to raise you boys without interruption because of the life I chose with your father. I didn’t want to leave and have to share you. I didn’t want to miss a single moment with you boys. So I ignored his cheating. And when he showed up with Alex… I wanted another baby but he didn’t. I didn’t care that Alex wasn’t biologically my own. All I cared about was that no one would show up to steal him away from me when she decided she wanted him back.”

“Mom… No…” Noah sat forward with his elbows on his knees and held his head. “Why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’tyoutell us, Alex?”

I stiffened at Noah’s accusatory tone. “It’s not like I’m the one who knocked anyone up while I was married, Noah. You don’t need to talk to me like that. I kept it a secret because it wasn’t just mine to tell. You worship the ground Dad walks on. It would’ve been cruel for me to hurt your relationship with him. Over a decade had passed when I found out the truth. I didn’t think he was still actively cheating.”

“Fine. He made a huge mistake over twenty-years ago. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad man now.”

I tried to stay calm but it was hard. “Of course, you wouldn’t think he could be bad. You’ve always been the golden child,Noah. He’s no angel. He’s treated me like the mistake I was for my entire life. I’ve seen the bad in him over and over again. If what Ava said is true…”

“It’s not fucking true!” Noah tugged at his hair and jumped to his feet. “I’m not listening to this.”

“Noah!” Mom hurried after him but he took the emergency stairs and fled.

“Good riddance.”

Mom frowned at me. “That’s your brother, Alex.”

“Maybe a bad time for a joke, but he’s only my half-brother.” I shrugged. “I need to get out of here, too. I can’t deal with this shit right now.”

“Honey, no. Just stay and talk to us. This is all such a mess.” She turned around and walked a few steps away before turning back to us. “I have things I need to tell you boys but you have to be together. Stay here and I’ll go find Noah.”

“No. I don’t want to be a part of this anymore.” I patted my pockets to see if I had my keys and swore when I didn’t.

“Your father lied!” Mom’s broken cry shut me up. She sat down and suddenly looked twenty years older. “He lied.”

The door to the stairs slammed shut and Noah held up his hands as he tried to walk through the living room. “I’m just getting my keys. I’m not back to talk about any of this.”

“Noah, come here and sit down.” Mom’s tone was serious and it stopped Noah in his tracks. “I mean it. Get over here and sit with your brothers. I’m not going to let your father hurt you boys anymore. Especially when it comes to your relationship with each other.”

“What are you talking about, Mom?” Noah still sounded just as furious but he walked over and sat down on the couch between me and Ethan.

“Your father thinks I have the IQ of a squirrel so he’s never bothered to hide things from me. After that meeting withSophia, I didn’t feel right about the entire situation. Your father has never once confessed his cheating to me. Even when he brought Alex home, he didn’t actually admit what he’d done. He refused to say the words.” She stared down at her hands. “Him confessing to cheating wasn’t believable, especially after I saw the way Sophia reacted to the accusation.”

We were all on the edge of our seats and when Mom hesitated, I nearly lost my mind. “Mom!”

“I went through his emails. He never bothers to close his laptop or lock his phone around me. He has a folder of files right there on his desktop. Each file is a video. If it wasn’t for the context, I would’ve happily watched most of those clips. I saw the way you three looked at Sophia and touched her. Hardly appropriate behavior for the workplace, but you boys couldn’t help it. It was really beautiful to see.”

“You’re getting a little offtrack, Mom.” Ethan motioned with his hands for her to go on.

“He just had all these clips of Sophia with you boys. And then there was the video that no mother ever wants to stumble across. Ethan.” Mom shuddered. “Don’t worry. I stopped it before I saw anything too horrible, but I got the gist. You really need to keep it in your pants at work, young man.”

One glance in his direction told me that he was mortified. He was bright red. “Shit.”

Noah let out a frustrated growl. “Why the fuck did he have those videos?”

“There were more that didn’t star you guys. She wasn’t lying.” She held out her phone with a shaking hand. “I saved it. Just in case he deleted it. If Sophia decides to press charges against him, I want her to have this.”

My stomach crashed and burned as Noah took the phone and hit play on the video. As I watched my father sexually harass and assault Sophia, I could see the fear in her face. I could seeher trying to get away from him. Her shaky voice begging him to leave her alone rang through the apartment.

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