Chương 6
Vanessa stared at it.
“Of course you know where Maya puts it.”
He closed the cabinet.
“Don't.”
She put the mug down.
“I can't say anything now.”
“You can say the truth.”
“You don't know what the truth is.”
“Then help me.”
Her face tightened.
“You want me to confess to being a monster because that would make everything easier.”
“I want to know why Noah thinks I'll send him away.”
Vanessa's spoon stopped.
There.
Another pause.
Another answer written before it was spoken.
“I said there are schools for children who have behavioral problems.”
“Why?”
“He wouldn't stop contradicting me.”
Ethan stared at her.
“You threatened boarding school because he contradicted you.”
“I was angry.”
“He's seven.”
“I know how old he is.”
“Do you?”
She pushed the cereal away.
“I knew you were going to leave me.”
The sentence was so quiet Ethan almost missed it.
He leaned against the counter.
“What?”
“Six months ago.”
“I wasn't.”
“You met with a divorce lawyer.”
Ethan went still.
He had.
Once.
He had not filed anything. He had not even told Daniel. He had met with a lawyer at a hotel conference room because he wanted to understand what separation would actually mean before he said the word aloud.
“How did you know?”
Vanessa laughed.
“You used the family driver.”
He closed his eyes.
Of course.
“He dropped you at a law firm.”
“It was a consultation.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“I checked the building directory.”
“You checked?”
“Yes, Ethan. I checked.”
He stared at her.
“Why didn't you ask me?”
“Would you have told me?”
He had no answer.
Vanessa nodded.
“Exactly.”
“That still doesn't explain Noah.”
“No. It explains me.”
“I'm not asking for a biography.”
“I'm telling you what happened.”
She stood and carried the mug to the sink.
“I thought you were preparing to take him.”
“I would never take him from you.”
“You wouldn't have to. You'd have the apartment, the school routine, the money, Maya, the schedule. I would become Wednesday dinners and alternate weekends while everyone told me it was about stability.”
“That isn't something I decided.”
“You didn't have to decide it. You built it.”
Ethan looked around the kitchen.
The apartment had always been in his name.
The household accounts were funded through him.
Maya's contract had been signed by his office.
The school tuition was paid by a family trust his father had established.
He had never considered any of that threatening because none of it threatened him.
Vanessa turned off the faucet.
“I started documenting things.”
“What things?”
“Your travel. School pickups you missed. Nights you came home after he was asleep.”
“That's your right.”
“I documented Maya too.”
“Real things?”
“At first.”
The words were barely audible.
Ethan looked at her.
Vanessa leaned both hands on the counter.
“At first.”
The kitchen seemed to get smaller.
“What changed?”
“She found out.”
“Maya?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“She saw a folder in my room.”
“When?”
“Two months ago.”
“That was when Boston happened.”
“I guess.”
“So you threatened her.”
“I told her not to interfere.”
“And she considered leaving.”
“Yes.”
“And Noah?”
Vanessa's face tightened.
“He heard us fighting once.”
“What did he hear?”
“He heard Maya say that if I kept involving him, she would tell you.”
Ethan waited.
Vanessa wiped at something invisible on the counter.
“I needed him to stop talking to her about me.”
“So you scared him.”
“I told him family business stays in the family.”
“You told him Maya didn't love him.”
“I was angry.”
“You threatened boarding school.”
“I was angry.”
“You made him record a lie.”
Vanessa's eyes lifted.
“I was angry.”
The repetition sounded less like a defense each time.
Ethan pulled out a chair and sat.
He suddenly felt exhausted.
“Who were you talking to on your phone when you said to blame Maya?”
Vanessa did not answer.
“Who?”
“My sister.”
“Serena?”
“Yes.”
“What did she know?”
“Enough.”
“Did she tell you to do it?”
“No.”
“What did she say?”
“That I was going too far.”
Ethan almost laughed.
Vanessa's eyes filled, but no tears fell.
“Congratulations,” she said. “You found someone who agrees with you.”
“This isn't about winning.”
“Everything with you is about winning. You just prefer to call it solving.”
He looked at her.
That one landed too.
Vanessa sat opposite him.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
A refrigerator motor started.
Somewhere down the hall a door opened and closed softly.
Maya, probably.
Vanessa folded her arms on the table.
“I wanted one recording.”
Ethan said nothing.
“One thing,” she continued. “Something that would make you fire her.”
“By having our son say she hurt him.”
“I know how it sounds.”
“It sounds exactly like what it is.”
“Yes.”
He had expected denial to continue.
The admission did not bring relief.
It made him feel sick.
“Why today?”
“Because she told me she was going to tell you everything when you got home.”
“Maya said that?”
“Yes.”
“And you panicked.”
Vanessa looked away.
“Yes.”
“You thought if she accused you first, you'd discredit her.”
“Yes.”
He rubbed both hands over his face.
“You understand she could lose her career.”
“Yes.”
“You understand Noah thought he had to choose between telling the truth and keeping his mother.”
Vanessa looked toward the doorway.
Her voice dropped.
“I didn't think he'd take the phone.”
That was not an answer.
It might have been the most honest thing she'd said.
Monday morning began with burnt toast.
Ethan ruined two pieces because he was reading messages while making breakfast.
Noah watched him scrape the black edges into the sink.
“Maya uses the toaster.”
“I am using the toaster.”
“She doesn't burn it.”
“Useful feedback.”
Noah pushed cereal around his bowl.
“Is she coming back today?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“She's taking a few days off.”
“You fired her.”
“No.”
“You said that.”
“I said she's taking a few days off.”
“Because Mom lied.”
May you like
Ethan put the knife down.
“It's because the adults need to figure some things out without making you responsible for them.”
