Chapter 17 - The Husband Who Cried on Command|
Colin came to my new apartment carrying white roses.
I had moved out three days earlier.
The apartment was small, with hardwood floors and a narrow balcony overlooking a busy Chicago street.
It wasn't luxurious.
But for the first time in years, it felt safe.
At least until Colin appeared outside my door.
“June.”
I didn't invite him inside.
“What do you want?”
He held up the roses.
“Can we talk?”
I studied him.
The familiar handsome face.
The careful haircut.
The expensive watch.
Twelve years of marriage had taught me every expression he possessed.
But now I saw the effort behind them.
“Say what you came to say.”
He lowered the flowers.
“I made mistakes.”
I laughed softly.
“Mistakes?”
“Yes.”
“Colin, you forged documents.”
His face tightened.
“You don't understand the pressure I was under.”
“You cheated on me for two years.”
“June—”
“You gave me stolen jewelry.”
“That's not entirely fair.”
“And then you planned to blame me when the company discovered it.”
His eyes filled with tears.
There they were.
The tears that had fooled detectives.
The tears that had convinced my first attorney my husband was a loving man trapped in an impossible situation.
The tears that had buried me.
“I love you,” he whispered.
I stared.
For a moment, I almost felt sorry for the woman I had once been.
The woman who would have rushed forward.
The woman who would have believed him.
Instead, I asked:
“Then why did you sign a partnership agreement with Tessa?”
He stopped crying.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
“That's business.”
I nodded slowly.
“Of course.”
He stepped closer.
“June, we can still fix this.”
“How?”
“Withdraw the complaints. Tell Nadine we misunderstood the transaction.”
I felt sick.
There it was.
The real purpose of his visit.
Not love.
Not regret.
Damage control.
“And then?”
Colin smiled hopefully.
“Then we start over.”
I looked at him.
“What happens to Tessa?”
His expression hardened.
“She made her choices.”
“And Roland?”
“He'll protect us if we cooperate.”
I shook my head.
“You still don't understand.”
“Understand what?”
“I'm not trying to save our marriage.”
He stared.
“Then what are you trying to do?”
I looked directly into his eyes.
“Save myself.”
Colin's face changed.
He looked at the flowers.
Then back at me.
“You think you're clever.”
I remained silent.
“You think a few documents make you untouchable?”
My heart began pounding.
But I didn't step backward.
“Please leave.”
He laughed bitterly.
“You'll have nothing without me.”
I looked around my small apartment.
The secondhand furniture.
The inexpensive curtains.
The coffee mug on the counter.
Then I smiled.
“I already have more than I did when I was married to you.”
His expression darkened.
He dropped the flowers onto the floor.
Then walked away.
An hour later, Nadine called.
“We have the full financial release agreement Colin wanted you to sign.”
My stomach tightened.
“What does it say?”
She paused.
“June, your husband wasn't only trying to make you accept responsibility for the necklace.”
I sat down.
“What else?”
“The agreement would have released claims against several Mercer Financial affiliates and assigned away certain marital financial interests.”
My breath caught.
“Why?”
“Because some assets linked to those companies may have been acquired during your marriage.”
I stared at the wall.
Then Nadine said:
“He was preparing to take your freedom, your reputation, and any claim you might have to the money.”
I closed my eyes.
May you like
In my first life, he'd brought those documents to my deathbed.
And now I finally knew why.
