Page 115 of Discretion at Its Finest

He shrugged. “We had a family, said our vows when we got married, and because I loved her…” He swallowed hard. “…more than she loved me.”

My chest tightened.

“But looking at her now, seeing what this family did to her spirit, to her health…” His voice cracked. “There are days I wish she had run. So she could’ve had even a sliver of happiness.”

He was quiet for a moment, his eyes dropping to his hands.

“The situation with Reid and finding out he wasn’t my son… I handled it poorly. When Gregory told me what he found out… I had a choice. I could’ve protected the boy I raised, stood between him and what came next.” His jaw worked. “But I didn’t.” He shook his head slowly. “Our family was falling apart. And then Reid was just… there. The proof of it happening in real time. Instead of holding it together, I took it out on the person who needed me the most. I let Gregory tarnish his name and reputation. Told myself it was the right call.”

He gave a forced grin, one that didn’t reach his eyes the slightest bit. “If I could go back, I’d do a lot of things differently.” He exhaled slowly. “But since I can’t… the least I can do is make sure my grandchildren don’t pay for my mistakes.”

After a moment or so, he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and set a sealed envelope on the edge of the crib. “I’ve made arrangements,” he said quietly. “For Brielle and Eugene. Whatever happens to this family… whatever Gregory does or doesn’t do, they’ll have something of their own.”

I looked at the envelope, then back at him as he lifted his gaze to mine, sincerely.

He’d already thought this through. Prepared for it… as if he knew I was leaving before I even did myself.

“Don’t make the same mistake Jamie made, Genevieve,” he said, and my throat burned. “This house… this family will take everything from you.”

He looked at down Brielle, then back up at me.

“The way it took everything from her.”

Raymond left just before midnight.

I sat in the rocking chair long after, Brielle warm against my chest, the nursery quiet around us. I watched as Eugene ran back and forth inside, curious about his sister sleeping but too hyper to stick around and watch her.

This house will take everything from you. The way it took everything from Jamie.

I thought about the way she looked at me in those final weeks before the hospital took her back. She was watching her own life play out again in someone else and couldn’t do anything to stop it.

I didn’t want to become that. I didn’t want my children to watch me disappear into the decision that I was too afraid to leave, or for Gregory to suck the life out of me while I was still here.

I’d finished putting both kids down before trekking over to the guest bedroom. I sat at the edge of the bed in silence for hours before inevitably crawling into bed and staring up at the ceiling until morning. Four days passed like that. Maybe five. I moved through the house the way I always did, following the routine I’d built, hiding away so I wasn’t seen.

In the midst of it all, I was stuck in my head. Gregory had frozen my accounts. Alex had told me that weeks ago. My name had been quietly scrubbed from press releases, from the Newman Trust public record, from anything that would give me leverage. I had no money that wasn’t his. No documentation that wasn’t tied to this house, this family, this once perfect life we’d constructed.

If I disappeared, he’d call it abandonment, file for emergency custody within the week, and the kids would be his. I couldn’t leave with them because I’d be considered reckless for traveling with children to go to a fugitive. If I stayed… who knows how much more I’d be erased. How I’d disappear and no one would even know I was gone.

In the midst of my spiraling, I’d called Alexander every hour on the hour. My calls had gone straight to voicemail every time. But I called non-stop for days straight. I wanted to at least know something, hear anything—but I got nothing.

One morning, however… I got a message from him: an airport destination hours away from here in another state, and a time of departure. I stared at it for a long time, trying to make sense of it. It could’ve been meant for someone else entirely. There was no explanation or context at all…

I tried to message Alexander back immediately. The message didn’t deliver. I called, straight to a disconnected tone. I tried again.

Nothing.

He’d cut the line the moment it left his hands. Whatever this was, he was already pretending he never sent it.

This could have been nothing, could have been an accident—but for some reason… it felt like my last chance.

I didn’t sleep that night.

I just lay in bed until the house went quiet. Gregory’s light finally went off down the hall. The only sounds left were Brielle’s monitor beside me.

Somewhere around midnight I got up, got dressed, and told myself I was just going to see. Just going to drive… to find out what was at the random airport in the middle of nowhere before I talked myself out of it forever.

I told myself it wasn’t a decision yet.