Chapter 14 - Nathan Finally Chose a Side
Nathan asked to see me alone.
I refused.
Rebecca attended.
We met in a conference room at her office.
Nathan looked exhausted.
He placed his wedding ring on the table.
“I know you're done.”
I did not answer.
“I've spent two weeks trying to decide what to say that won't sound like another excuse.”
“That's probably because most of what you have are excuses.”
He nodded.
“I deserve that.”
Rebecca sat quietly.
Nathan pushed a folder toward me.
“I brought something.”
Inside were account statements.
Emails.
Passwords.
Corporate records.
“What's this?”
“Everything Mom asked me to hide.”
I looked at him.
“Why now?”
“Because I saw Ethan yesterday.”
My chest tightened.
“You were told not to approach him.”
“I didn't.”
He shook his head.
“I was across the street when you left the therapist's office.”
Rebecca's expression hardened.
Nathan quickly continued.
“I stayed in my car.”
He looked at me.
“He held your hand before crossing the street.”
I said nothing.
“He used to hold mine.”
His voice broke.
“I kept telling myself I was protecting him from a scandal.”
“You were protecting yourself.”
“I know.”
“For six weeks, he thought what happened in that basement was his fault.”
Nathan looked down.
“I know.”
“No.”
My voice sharpened for the first time.
“You know now because it's costing you something.”
He flinched.
I continued.
“You knew then that Brooke locked him inside.”
“Yes.”
“You knew he was frightened.”
“Yes.”
“You knew your mother wanted records making him look unstable.”
“Yes.”
“You deleted footage.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Nathan wiped his face.
“Because Mom said if you saw it, you'd divorce me.”
I almost laughed.
“So you destroyed evidence to prevent me from divorcing you.”
“Yes.”
“And now?”
“Now you're divorcing me because I destroyed evidence.”
For once, he saw the irony.
I opened his folder.
Nathan had kept copies of Victoria's instructions.
Messages telling him which accounts to use.
Which bills to classify as consulting.
Which documents to place before me during busy workdays.
There were even messages about Ethan.
One read.
CLAIRE IS TOO EMOTIONAL ABOUT THE BOY.
DON'T LET HER CHANGE THE TRUST UNTIL WE HAVE THE DOCTOR'S REPORT.
Another.
BROOKE NEEDS TO KEEP OLIVIA CONSISTENT.
The word consistent made me sick.
Nathan spoke quietly.
“I'll testify.”
Rebecca looked up.
“Against your mother?”
“Yes.”
“And Brooke?”
“If necessary.”
I stared at him.
“Why should I believe you?”
“You shouldn't.”
That answer surprised me.
He continued.
“You shouldn't believe anything I say without evidence anymore.”
He looked at Rebecca.
“So I'm giving you evidence.”
Nathan had finally chosen a side.
Too late to save our marriage.
Maybe not too late to save what remained of himself.
Then Rebecca reached the last page in the folder.
Her expression changed.
“What is this?”
Nathan closed his eyes.
“A safe-deposit box.”
“In whose name?”
“My mother's.”
Rebecca looked at him.
“Why is this relevant?”
Nathan swallowed.
“Because she kept the original insurance documents there.”
“What else?”
May you like
He looked at me.
“A letter your father wrote the night before he died.”
