Chapter 9 The Truth Comes Out
Molly tried very hard to stay away from Sean.
She came to work early and left late to avoid seeing him. She had the children picked up by a car service instead of letting him come to the apartment. She answered his emails about the children with only facts—no personal conversation.
But the children noticed.
"Why are you mad at Dad?" Ben asked one day.
"I'm not mad," Molly lied.
"Yes, you are," Alex said. He was smart enough to know when his mother was lying. "Did he do something wrong?"
"It's complicated," Molly said.
"Then explain it," Claudia said. "We're smart."
So Molly told them about Diana's phone call. She told them about the research she had done. She told them about Sean's past.
"He broke other people's companies," Alex said. "But did he do it illegally? Did he do anything that broke laws?"
"No," Molly admitted. "But he was mean and ruthless and he hurt people."
"That was before he knew about us," Ben said. "He's different now. You know he's different. That's why you're scared."
"I'm not scared," Molly said.
But she was.
She was scared that she was falling in love with Sean Anderson. And she was scared that he would hurt her just like he had hurt everyone else.
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The following week, Molly was working late at the office.
It was nine o'clock at night, and almost everyone had left. She was alone on her floor, organizing supplies for a big project.
Sean came out of the elevator.
"What are you doing here so late?" Molly asked.
"I saw your light on. I wanted to check on you," Sean said.
"You don't need to check on me."
"I know. I want to." He sat down in one of the comfortable chairs she had added to the floor. "Talk to me. Tell me what's really going on."
"Nothing's going on," Molly said.
"You've been avoiding me for three weeks. The children told me that you're angry."
Molly sat down in the chair across from him. "I'm not angry. I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"Of you. Of me. Of us."
Sean leaned forward. "I know I have a terrible past. I know I'm not a good man. But I'm trying. I'm trying so hard to be good for you and for them."
"That's not enough," Molly said. "Trying is not enough. I need to know that you won't hurt us."
"I can't promise that," Sean said quietly. "None of us can promise never to hurt the people we love. We're human. We make mistakes."
"But you have a pattern," Molly said. "You hurt people and you leave them. How do I know I won't be next?"
Sean stood up and pulled her to her feet. He held her face in his hands.
"Because I have three reasons not to leave," he said. "And because I love you. I love you, Molly. And I'm terrified that I'll lose you. That should tell you something about how serious I am."
"It doesn't tell me anything," Molly said. But her voice wasn't convincing.
"Let me tell you about the Westbrook Group," Sean said. "Diana told you that story. Let me tell you the real story."
And he did.
\---
Fifteen years ago, Sean's father had started a business partnership with a man named Richard Westbrook.
The partnership had failed because Richard Westbrook was stealing money. He was taking the profits and hiding them in offshore accounts.
Sean's father had discovered the theft and confronted Westbrook.
Westbrook had denied everything.
Sean's father had decided to quietly shut down the company and take the loss rather than make it public and embarrass his business partner.
But then Sean found out what had happened.
Sean was young and angry and he wanted to protect his father's reputation.
So he had gone after Westbrook.
He had gathered evidence. He had contacted the authorities. He had made sure that Westbrook was prosecuted for fraud.
Westbrook had served two years in prison.
The Westbrook Group had been shut down.
"But here's the part Diana didn't tell you," Sean said. "Richard Westbrook had a daughter. Her name was Emily. She was thirteen when her father went to prison. She killed herself three years later. She left a note that said her life was over because her father was in prison."
Molly felt her stomach twist.
"I have carried that guilt for fifteen years," Sean said. "I have asked myself every day if I was responsible for Emily's death. If I had just let it go, if I had let my father take the loss, maybe Emily would still be alive."
"You're not responsible for—" Molly started.
"I know. But I still feel responsible. And that's who I was, Molly. That's who I have been for my entire life. Someone who makes decisions that hurt people, even when I'm trying to do the right thing."
He pulled her closer.
"But then you came back. And three beautiful children came into my life. And suddenly, I didn't want to be that person anymore. I wanted to be better. For them. For you."
Molly rested her head on his chest.
"I don't know if I can trust you," she whispered.
"I know," Sean said. "That's okay. I'll earn it. One day at a time. I'll earn your trust."
And in that moment, with her head on his chest and his arms around her, Molly decided to give him that chance.
She decided to be
lieve that people could change.
She decided to believe in him.
It was the most dangerous decision she could have made.