Daniel finally spoke.
“Meridian Urban Development.”
Richard’s expression hardened.
“What position?”
“Vice president of project finance.”
Something cold moved through me.
Fourteen months.
An affair with the CEO’s daughter.
Promotions Daniel never fully explained.
Bonus payments.
Late meetings.
Business trips.
My stomach twisted.
Richard looked at Daniel.
“Did my daughter influence your position in my company?”
“No.”
“Think very carefully.”
“I earned my position.”
Richard stared at him for several seconds.
Then he pulled out his phone.
“Thomas,” he said to Dr. Whitmore, “would you mind if I use your office?”
Dr. Whitmore nodded.
“Of course.”
Richard looked back at Daniel.
“I need to make another call.”
Daniel swallowed.
“To whom?”
“My general counsel.”
Daniel’s fear was immediate.
And I knew instantly.
May you like
The affair wasn’t the whole story.
Not even close.
It was one of those small details that seemed harmless until your marriage collapsed and every harmless detail began rearranging itself into evidence.
He usually brought the mail inside.
He handled taxes.
He monitored our joint investment accounts.
He paid the credit cards.
I had access, technically.
But Daniel worked in finance, and I worked as an elementary-school librarian.
He had convinced me early in our marriage that it simply made sense for him to “handle the complicated stuff.”
At the time, I thought it was teamwork.
Lying in that hospital bed, watching him panic over Richard Cole’s phone call, I began wondering whether it had always been control.
“What did you do?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“That answer isn’t going to work anymore.”
Daniel rubbed the back of his neck.
“This is about company politics.”
“Then why are you scared?”
“I’m not scared.”
“You look terrified.”
Dr. Harris interrupted before Daniel could answer.
“Claire, your blood pressure is still too high. I need calm in this room.”
I nearly laughed.
Calm.
My husband’s mistress had just been escorted away by police after kicking me.
The billionaire who employed both my husband and his mistress’s father was discovering that Daniel had apparently lied to everyone.
My baby might be coming six weeks early.
Calm seemed ambitious.
Dana Mercer, the hospital attorney, quietly suggested Daniel leave.
He refused.
“I’m her husband.”
I turned toward him.
“Not for much longer.”
He flinched.
Good.
Maybe that was cruel.
But cruelty had been hiding in my house for fourteen months wearing my husband’s face.
“I want you gone.”
“Claire, we need to talk.”
“You keep saying that now that I know everything.”
“You don’t know everything.”
I stared at him.
“That might be the first honest thing you’ve said today.”
His eyes shifted away.
A nurse covered a smile.
Daniel noticed.
“I’m not discussing my marriage with an audience.”
“Then stop discussing it.”
He leaned toward me.
“Please. Just give me five minutes alone.”
“No.”
“Claire—”
“No.”
He lowered his voice.
“There are things you don’t understand.”
“Then explain them right here.”
His jaw tightened.
He looked at Dana.
At Dr. Harris.
At the nurse.
Then back at me.
“I can’t.”
“Exactly.”
The door opened again.
Richard returned.
Two people followed him.
One was a woman about forty-five in a gray suit.
The other was a younger man carrying a laptop.
Richard pointed at Daniel.
“Your employee identification.”
Daniel stared at him.
“What?”
“Give Ms. Park your employee ID.”
The woman stepped forward.
“Rachel Park. General counsel, Cole Meridian Group.”
Daniel’s expression went blank.
Rachel spoke without emotion.
“Mr. Bennett, you have been placed on immediate administrative leave pending internal investigation.”
My heart pounded.
Daniel stood.
“On what grounds?”
“Potential conflicts of interest, undisclosed personal relationships affecting company operations, and possible financial misconduct.”
“Financial misconduct?”
Richard said, “We began reviewing the last eighteen months of decisions connected to your division.”
“That’s insane.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
“Then you should welcome the investigation.”
Daniel looked at me.
“This is because of her.”
Richard stepped between us.
“No. This is because you lied about your relationship with my daughter and because preliminary records show irregular approval patterns connected to your office.”
Daniel’s face changed.
Small.
But I saw it.
Rachel did too.
“What irregularities?” he asked.
She gave him a thin smile.
“We’ll discuss that with your attorney.”
“I don’t need an attorney.”
“You might reconsider.”
My hands became cold.
“Daniel, what did you do?”
“Nothing.”
Richard looked toward me.
“Claire, there may be another issue.”
I wanted to scream.
“How many issues can one afternoon possibly have?”
Rachel opened her tablet.
“We found expense reimbursements submitted under Daniel’s name for travel that appeared to include a spouse.”
I frowned.
“I haven’t traveled with Daniel for work in almost two years.”
Daniel shut his eyes.
Richard’s expression became murderous.
Rachel continued.
“Several hotel reservations, flights, and event charges list ‘Claire Bennett’ as accompanying him.”
“I wasn’t there.”
“I suspected that.”
My breathing quickened.
“Who was?”
Nobody needed to answer.
Vanessa.
Rachel nodded slowly.
“We believe Ms. Cole may have traveled under your name on certain company-funded trips.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“That was just how reservations were entered.”
“Why?”
“Company systems automatically populate spouse information.”
Rachel raised an eyebrow.
“That is not true.”
He said nothing.
I suddenly remembered photographs.
Daniel in Chicago.
Denver.
Seattle.
He always sent me pictures from conferences.
Hotel windows.
Restaurants.
Conference badges.
Never himself at dinner.
Never the people with him.
I had joked that he was terrible at selfies.
Fourteen months.
A whole relationship funded partly under my name.
“Were there documents?” I asked.
Rachel hesitated.
Daniel spoke quickly.
“Claire, don’t.”
I looked at him.
“What documents?”
Rachel said, “We need to verify several signatures.”
My heart dropped.
“What signatures?”
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