Chương 6
"I hate when people assume success was handed to me," he had said.
I remember touching his hand.
Telling him I believed in him.
At the time, I thought I was comforting him.
Now I wondered if I had been helping him protect a lie.
Evan closed the laptop.
"I am sorry."
I looked at him.
"Are you?"
He nodded.
"I should have come forward."
"Why now?"
His eyes moved toward the floor.
"Because yesterday I saw a picture online."
I frowned.
"What picture?"
"Someone posted your hospital discharge."
My stomach dropped.
"What?"
"It was not public for long."
"Who posted it?"
Evan hesitated.
"Dominic's sister."
Natalie.
Of course.
My father's expression changed.
"What did the post say?"
Evan looked uncomfortable.
"That some people use family emergencies to create unnecessary drama."
The room went still.
I felt heat rise in my face.
Not anger.
Something colder.
Natalie had not only watched.
She had chosen a side.
And she had chosen it publicly.
My phone buzzed.
A notification appeared.
Another message.
This time from Dominic.
We need to talk before this gets worse.
I stared at it.
Before this gets worse.
Not before I hurt you.
Not before we fix us.
Before this gets worse.
I turned the phone face down.
For the first time in days, I knew exactly what I wanted.
Not revenge.
Not humiliation.
Not to destroy him.
I wanted the truth to exist without me having to carry it alone.
The truth to exist without me having to carry it alone.
For years, I had confused carrying something with protecting it.
I carried Dominic's stress.
I carried his excuses.
I carried the uncomfortable conversations with his family because I thought keeping peace was part of being a good wife.
But sitting there with my phone turned face down, I felt something shift.
Maybe peace was not supposed to require one person to disappear.
My father walked Evan to the front door.
When he returned, he closed the office door behind him.
"You need to decide what you want to do next."
I looked at him.
"Not what you think I should do?"
"No."
That surprised me.
My father had always been protective.
When I was sixteen and a boy at school made cruel comments about my family, my father wanted to call the principal himself.
I had begged him not to.
I wanted to handle it.
He had struggled.
But eventually he listened.
"This is your life," he said.
"I can give you information.
I can give you resources.
I can stand beside you."
He paused.
"But I cannot make this decision for you."
I looked down at my sleeping son.
The irony was painful.
I had spent years trying to become the kind of wife who never needed anyone.
And now I was learning that strength was not pretending you were unaffected.
It was being honest about what hurt.
That night, I barely slept.
Not because Leo was difficult.
He actually slept better than expected.
I stayed awake because every quiet moment gave my mind another memory.
Dominic opening the car door for me on our first date.
Dominic leaving handwritten notes in my lunch bag when I had long days.
Dominic promising that no matter how successful he became, he would never become the kind of person who forgot where he came from.
That promise hurt the most.
Because I believed it.
The next morning, I woke up to a message from Victoria.
We need to talk.
I stared at the screen.
For months, Victoria had found subtle ways to make me feel like I did not belong.
She never openly insulted me.
She was too careful for that.
Instead, she asked questions that sounded innocent.
"Are you sure you understand how demanding Dominic's work is?"
"Do you think it is wise for you to be involved in family business discussions?"
"You have always had a different kind of life than the rest of us."
Every sentence sounded polite.
Every sentence left a bruise.
I almost ignored her.
Then another message arrived.
This is not only about Dominic.
That made me answer.
Where?
Her reply came immediately.
A coffee shop near your father's office.
I told my father where I was going.
He did not like it.
"I can come with you."
"No."
He looked concerned.
"Why?"
"Because I need to hear what she says when she thinks she can speak freely."
He considered that.
Then nodded.
"Take someone nearby."
I smiled slightly.
"Your security team?"
"They are not there to intimidate anyone."
"They are absolutely there to intimidate people."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Maybe a little."
The coffee shop was crowded when I arrived.
People were working on laptops.
A woman was reading near the window.
Two college students were arguing quietly over a project.
Normal life again.
It always bothered me how normal everything looked while my own life felt unstable.
Victoria was already seated.
She stood when she saw me.
For once, she looked uncomfortable.
"Audrey."
I sat down.
"Victoria."
She glanced at my hands.
Then at my face.
"I heard you are staying with your father."
"Yes."
She nodded slowly.
"I think everyone needs time."
I almost laughed.
Everyone.
A word people used when they wanted responsibility to become unclear.
"Did you come here to talk about time?"
She looked away.
"No."
A server approached.
Victoria ordered tea.
I ordered water.
Neither of us touched our drinks after they arrived.
"I know Dominic made mistakes," she said.
I waited.
"But I think you need to understand the pressure he has been under."
There it was.
The defense.
I looked at her.
"Did he tell you about the investment?"
Her expression changed.
Only slightly.
But I noticed.
"No."
The answer came too quickly.
"You knew."
She looked down.
"Audrey."
"You knew."
A long silence followed.
Finally, she sighed.
"I knew he had support."
"From my father."
"Yes."
"And you said nothing."
Her lips pressed together.
May you like
"Dominic was afraid."
I stared at her.
