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Aunt Cass and I both nod.
She takes a moment to collect herself before she begins. “Your father and I were in a meeting with him. We were in the conference room of Daulton Holdings. Your father received a call from your mother. I think one of you girls fell off a bike and broke your arm.”
“I remember that. It was Skylar. She must have been about ten years old at the time.”
“Fifteen years ago?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“That must have been it. Anyway, he stepped outside the room to calm your mother down. She was understandably upset.”
Rochelle takes a deep breath. “When he left, Thomas tried to force himself on me.” I can’t help myself. I reach over and grab her hand. Even if Rochelle had an affair with my dad, she didn’t deserve what Thomas did to her.
“I tried to fight him off, and it got pretty physical. I’m talking torn clothes and bloody. When your father walked back in the room, he saw what was going on. He pulled Thomas off me and beat him within an inch of his life. Your father completely snapped. Thomas was hospitalized for many weeks and almost died.” I can’t help but smile. Good for my dad.
“What happened after that?”
“I went to the police and filed a report. Thomas immediately lawyered up. They offered me a lot of money to withdraw my criminal complaint, but I declined. I wanted to see him behind bars where he belongs, but your father did assault him. Because of the extent of the injuries suffered by Thomas, it was to the level of felony assault. Your father would have gone to jail even though he was only defending me. After much back and forth, I settled to protect your father. Thomas received probation, though. I refused any settlement that included him getting nothing. Albeit small, he deserves to have some permanent criminal record of his actions. Thomas had to agree not to file charges against your father, and Thomas paid me awholelot of money.”
“Does my mom know about this?”
She shakes her head. “I doubt it. Your father and I both had to sign non-disclosure agreements. I don’t think he would have wanted her to worry.”
I swallow hard. “Rochelle, I’m truly sorry for what you went through. No one should ever have to endure something so horrible.”
“Thank you. It would have been a lot worse if your father didn’t save me.”
“I need to ask you one more question, and I beg you to be honest with me.”
She nods. “Of course.”
“Thomas referred to you as my father’s girlfriend. Did you have an affair with my father?”
Rochelle actually starts laughing. I’m staring at her like she’s crazy. “You’re serious, Reagan?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“Your father, in a million years, wouldn’t have ever cheated on your mother. He was hopelessly and unabashedly in love with her. Every other word out of his mouth was Darian this or Darian that. And if it wasn’t about her, it was about you girls. Scott Lawrence was one hundred percent a loyal family man. Only a sleazeball like Thomas Daulton would suggest otherwise.”
Aunt Cass gives me anI told you solook. I let out a huge breath of relief.
Rochelle looks at me. “That’s why you’re here? You thought your father and I were having an affair?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“I’m sorry you went through that. Your father was my guardian angel, not my boyfriend.” She lets out a laugh. “I’m not even into men. I have a wife. Did you know that?”
I smile as I shake my head. We all laugh.
“How’s your mother doing? Last I heard she was having a tough time with his loss. I reached out a few times after he passed, but I haven’t in years.”
“She had a rough go of it for a while. It took her about three years to come back to life. But she met an amazing man and remarried a few years ago.”
“You know what, I saw that. The developer, Jackson Knight, right? They got engaged at an Eagles football game.”
Aunt Cass and I laugh. “Yep, they certainly did.”
“Good for her. I’m happy she was eventually able to move on.”
