“You used all ten years.”
His face tightened.
“I know you hate me.”
“I don’t have enough room in my schedule to hate you.”
“That’s not you talking.
That’s Sterling.”
I almost laughed.
Kevin had always understood my loyalty as evidence that I was soft.
Now that I had stopped protecting him, he needed to believe another man was controlling me.
“I found the payment pattern,” I said.
“Not Alexander.”
Kevin looked away.
That was enough.
“You knew exactly what Melanie was doing,” I said.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Then tell me what it was like.”
He rubbed both hands over his face.
“The company was struggling.
Melanie had access to opportunities.
She said she could route legitimate work toward us.”
“And when the work didn’t match the payments?”
“We were going to make it up on later projects.”
I stared at him.
It was such a Kevin answer.
Tomorrow would repair today.
Future revenue would justify present dishonesty.
One more signature would fix the last signature.
One more lie would hold until the truth became convenient.
“And the divorce?” I asked.
His expression hardened.
“That was separate.”
“No.
That was preparation.”
“Ava, our marriage had been bad for years.”
“That’s strange.
You only remembered that after I financed your company.”
He flinched.
I continued.
“You needed me cooperative long enough to sign.
You needed the assets where you wanted them.
Then you filed.”
“I didn’t plan for you to find out like this.”
There are apologies that accidentally confess more than accusations ever could.
I nodded slowly.
“That may be the first completely honest thing you’ve said.”
Kevin stepped closer.
“Please.
Whatever Sterling promised you, this can still be contained.”
Contained.
Not corrected.
Not repaid.
Not confessed.
Contained.
I moved away from him.
“I’m not the person containing your consequences anymore.”
I walked inside and left him on the sidewalk.
