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“That’s…”
“A lie,” Carl insists, standing and shoving his chair back. “It’s a lie. I wouldn’t do that! This union is for the good of the company.”
“Is it?” I ask, my voice so unlike myself that I have to pause. I kind of like this whole “having a backbone” thing. “Or is it for your own financial gain when you make Jasper and I divorce in a few years and take controlling interest of the company?”
“I—”
“Hold the fuck on.” Jasper plants his hands on the table and stands, glaring at his father. “That is not what I signed up for.”
“She’s lying.”
“No, I’m not,” I reply blandly.
“So, you didn’t want to take over their company?” Jasper asks his dad.
“They owe me!”
“I owe you nothing.” My mother stands, glaring at him, holding him there. “I paid back every cent.”
“Not the interest.”
“Plusinterest! I have receipts.”
He stands and looks between her and me. “I won’t let this stand.”
“I thought you might say that.” I brace myself and flip open the file in front of me. In the file are bank account transcripts, all leading to an offshore account in… Carl Pierce’s name, showing us that those “charities” he helped put together, those donations he took, were all for personal gain. Also, in the file, the pictures Liam Stokes took and delivered this morning stare back at me. Complete with time stamps.
I slide it over to Jasper and catch his eye. “I’m sorry.”
I can’t imagine how it must feel, how it must look to him to see this when he was under the assumption his father was good. But now, his world is being blown apart.
He flips through a couple of photos and scoffs. “You fucking asshole.”
“Don’t you talk to me like that,” his father growls at him.
“I’m so done.” Jasper turns, leaving the file behind and stalking out of the room, wrath and rage in his wake.
“Get back here.” But Jasper doesn’t so much as falter. Carl turns back to us. “I’ll ruin you.” He picks up the file and curses when he sees the photos. Him in his townhome with the woman who is not his wife.
“You won’t,” I say sternly and give the security—the one I’d called well ahead of time in preparation—a nod. He and a man wearing a suit enter the room. “You’re done, Carl. Finished. And if you ever come near me or my mother again, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
He curses at me and turns, running right into the security guard and the suit.
“Carl Pierce, you’re under arrest for charity fraud and tax evasion.”
Carl attempts to sidestep him but runs right into the police officers that were clearly waiting outside, the man keeps reading him his rights as the officers snap cuffs onto his wrists and push him out the door, all the while, Carl is yelling and making quite a scene. The security guard gives me an amused glance before following behind them, leaving me in silence with my mother.
“I’m sorry,” is all she says.
“I know,” I reply, taking a seat at the head of the table, relief that this whole thing is finally done with washes over me.
“Did William really take it well?”
I weave my head. “Sorta. He wasn’t mad at me. But he’s worried how his wife and kids will take it.”
Mom closes her eyes and sighs. “I… I wouldn’t change it. Because of you.”
“I know.”
