Chapter 2 - The Money I Thought Was FamilyThe hotel elevator doors closed behind us.
Paige was still holding my hand.
Lucas stood beside me, unusually quiet.
I hated that.
Children shouldn't have to learn how adults betray each other.
I pressed the button for our floor.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Are we still going home tomorrow?”
I looked at him.
“No.”
His eyes widened.
“Why?”
“Because we're going somewhere better.”
“Where?”
“Home.”
He frowned.
“But we're already at the hotel.”
I smiled.
“I mean our real home.”
Paige leaned against my leg.
“Are we in trouble?”
“No.”
“Did Grandpa get mad?”
“No.”
“Did we do something bad?”
I crouched.
“Listen to me.”
They both looked at me.
“You did nothing wrong.”
Lucas nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
“And nobody gets to make you feel like you don't belong.”
Paige wrapped her arms around my neck.
“I love you, Daddy.”
I hugged her tightly.
“I love you too.”
That night, I couldn't sleep.
I sat beside the hotel window overlooking the dark Pacific.
My phone kept vibrating.
Courtney.
Mom.
Walter.
Mindy.
Lance.
I ignored all of them.
At 2:13 a.m., a message arrived from Walter.
Please come downstairs.
I stared at it.
Then another.
I owe you the truth.
I almost deleted it.
But I didn't.
I went downstairs.
Walter was sitting alone in the hotel lobby.
Without Shirley.
Without Mindy.
Without anyone.
He looked exhausted.
“Where are the children?”
“Sleeping.”
He nodded.
“Good.”
I sat across from him.
He looked at his hands.
“How much?”
I took out a folder.
“$186,400.”
His eyes widened.
“For Lance?”
“Lance.”
I opened another page.
“$74,000 for Mindy.”
Walter stared.
“She borrowed that much?”
“She called it an investment.”
“What investment?”
“There was no investment.”
He closed his eyes.
I continued.
“Your wife also asked me to pay for three months of her credit cards.”
Walter looked shocked.
“She said you gave her money.”
“She told you that?”
“Yes.”
“She lied.”
He looked away.
“And Courtney?”
I stopped.
That question hurt.
“What about her?”
“How much?”
I didn't answer immediately.
Then I said,
“Money isn't the problem with Courtney.”
Walter looked at me.
“What is?”
“She knew.”
His face fell.
“She knew everything.”
“About Lance?”
“Yes.”
“About Mindy?”
“Yes.”
“About the money?”
“Yes.”
He whispered,
“Why?”
I stared at him.
“Because she wanted peace.”
He didn't respond.
“She kept telling me to let things go.”
I swallowed.
“She called humiliation a misunderstanding.”
Walter looked toward the elevator.
“Where is she?”
“I don't know.”
“She stayed at the restaurant.”
“No.”
“She left?”
“She followed us.”
I looked at my phone.
“She's downstairs.”
Courtney entered the lobby five minutes later.
Her eyes were red.
She looked at Walter.
Then me.
“Can we talk?”
I stood.
“No.”
“Brandon.”
“You had seven years.”
She started crying.
“I made mistakes.”
“You made choices.”
“I was trying to keep my family together.”
I laughed softly.
“You weren't keeping a family together.”
I pointed toward the elevator.
“You were teaching our children that being accepted requires them to tolerate disrespect.”
She covered her face.
“I know.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You don't.”
I walked away.
Behind me, she whispered,
“I love you.”
I stopped.
For a moment, I wanted to believe her.
May you like
Then I remembered Paige standing beside that back table.
I kept walking.
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