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Nalani was with my best friend at the time, David James Marlow. I believed him to be a better man than I was until he split once he found out she was pregnant. He wasn’t prepared to be a father at such a young age and left your mother on her own.
To add to the problems, your mother and I were also together at the same time. It happened by mistake one night when she was on the verge of leaving David. It was wrong. We both knew it, but I loved your mother long before David took off.
She wanted the paternity test. Though it was likely you were David’s child, but there was always that air of doubt because we didn’t know for sure. I insisted it didn’t matter either way. I saw it as my responsibility to look after you both since David, Nalani and I had all known each other for a long time.
I felt you both deserved that.
We agreed early on that we would get married to satisfy my father. The pressure from him to take a wife became insurmountable.
And I saw no better choice than your mother.
Nobody knew there was a possibility that you weren’t mine, not even him. Our friendship was never supposed to grow to love, but it did.
It was also the perfect scenario to get married because your grandfather had always wanted agrandson that I could pass the family business to. In all ways, it was win-win.
I’d always made it clear growing up I wouldn’t have children.
It wasn’t something that ever interested me. Obviously, things changed the moment our situation changed.
Your grandfather also made it clear that if there was no future grandson, he threatened the remaining fifty percent of the company would be given to my sister, who I was sure would then sell off her share to the highest bidder and I simply couldn’t have that.
I had a fifty percent share when he passed away, and he stipulated If I had a son to pass the business to, and later run, the remaining fifty percent share would be given over.
When he found out we were expecting a boy, the funds remained in trust until you turned thirty, or until you agreed to join the business, whichever came first. Then you would inherit what he perceived was your birthright.
I knew business never interested you. My constant push for you to join me came from your grandfather’s wishes.
He doted on you and wanted more than anything for us to work side by side.
I tried to make that side of it work. Ultimately, I knew it would never happen.
I wanted full control over the company, and I make no bones about that. I was afraid once you found out about the inheritance, along with the truth coming out about us never knowing who was rightly your father, I feared you would sell your share tospite me for all the years I’d shown you nothing fatherly at all.
I probably wouldn’t have blamed you.
Again, that left me in an impossible situation.
My way of gaining back control over something I really had no control over, came at a high price.
It wasn’t easy knowing there was a possibility your mom carried another man’s baby, but I did the best I could in those early days.
I loved her. I want you to know that.
I knew I could bring you up as my own regardless, and it would just be the three of us. It didn’t matter to me initially that you may not be my blood.
Again, Nalani wanted to get a paternity test, and maybe she even did without me knowing. But, again, I wasn’t willing to face the possibility you weren’t mine.
I didn’t want to know the truth.
Then, after we married, your mother wanted more children, and that’s not what we agreed. It was never part of the plan.
I don’t think our marriage was ever supposed to last, and as much as I loved her, I knew it would drive me further away from my goal of being the CEO of all of your grandfather’s companies—my dream of being the best and most respected businessman Seattle has ever seen.
It got the better of me. The power. The fortune. The women. Never having to struggle. Everything I wanted was right at my fingertips. It got to the point where I never even had to try.
It was all so perfect.
But time and time again, my mind played tricks on me. And I swear I saw David in your eyes, and the resentment grew.
