Chapter 7 - The Woman Who Refused to Let Him Become a Monster
The next decade brought changes.
The Woods family expanded.
The Hamilton businesses became legitimate.
The foundation grew.
Caitlyn became a respected executive.
Deari became a respected businessman.
People who remembered the old rumors were surprised.
The city changed too.
But scars remained.
Deari still woke from nightmares.
Sometimes Caitlyn found him sitting alone in the kitchen.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“You're lying.”
He smiled.
“You notice everything.”
She sat beside him.
He rested his head against her shoulder.
The reversal made her smile.
Once, she had slept on his shoulder.
Now he did.
“I've been thinking,” he said.
“About?”
“Retirement.”
She stared.
“From what?”
“Everything.”
“You're forty-eight.”
“I know.”
“You're too young.”
“I've been doing this since I was twenty.”
She took his hand.
“What would you do?”
“Nothing.”
“That sounds miserable.”
“Then maybe something.”
She smiled.
“Travel.”
“Too many people.”
“Read.”
“Too quiet.”
“Gardening.”
“I'd kill every plant.”
She laughed.
“Then stay home.”
He looked at her.
“That sounds good.”
One morning, he made pancakes.
They burned.
Caitlyn laughed.
Their daughter laughed.
Their son complained.
For the first time, Deari didn't feel like a boss.
He felt like a father.
Then came the final surprise.
A letter from the prison.
Gregory Hale had died.
Before his death, he left a message.
I lied about the beginning.
Deari read it.
Inside was evidence that Deari's father had planned the original criminal network's destruction.
He had started the organization to dismantle corrupt officials from within.
It had gone wrong.
He had become trapped.
Gregory had taken over.
Deari had spent his life believing his father had been a monster.
He had been a man who made terrible choices trying to undo worse ones.
Caitlyn sat beside him.
“You can forgive him.”
“I don't know if I can.”
“You don't have to.”
He looked at her.
“Then what?”
“Let him stay dead.”
Deari smiled.
“That's surprisingly wise.”
“I'm your wife.”
“I know.”
She kissed him.
The past finally loosened its grip.
They buried the last documents.
May you like
Closed the last files.
And walked away.
