Free Truth Be Told by Victoria Christopher Murray Page B

settling on American soil, they had metamorphosed from the Cruzes of Havana to the Cruises of Greenwich, absent of their native accents, with a plan to take advantage of America’s riches.
    Leonard (changed from Leonardo) Cruise landed a job at Zytec Corporation, the nation’s largest pharmaceutical company. His passage from mailroom to boardroom took thirteen years. As upstanding citizens of Greenwich, Ellen (formerly Elena) sat on committees with women who would once have hired her to clean their homes. It was a rebellious Pilar who used her middle name instead of her first name, Angela, who left home at eighteen to pursue an acting career. It didn’t hurt that she was leaving a family who held disdain for their second born because she refused to leave her Cuban heritage behind.
    Pilar had continued, “When my parents looked at me and my child as if we were the refugees, I remembered why I moved away. I was so thankful that Solomon couldn’t understand.” She had faced Conner. “Our son has only you.”
    Almost nine hours had passed since Pilar had uttered those words—simple words that now complicated his life. He was the father of a child by a woman he never loved, never wanted. All those years ago, Pilar was just a convenience. She had allowed him to march through the challenges of his marriage with his head up. There weren’t many he allowed into his life, but the few who knew about Grace’s infidelity always said that he was so strong. Repeatedly, he’d heard how a lesser man would have left his wife. He had embraced those uplifting words, standing as the martyr who held his family together.
    But no one knew the truth—that he had tried to wash away the image of another man bedding his wife with his own indiscretion. It had never worked. He loved Grace and ended it with Pilar.
    He never felt as if he’d escaped his infidelity. The memory haunted him like a recurring cancer flaring up at odd moments, like when he was holding his wife or playing tennis with his daughters. He had to work at keeping the memory in remission.
    But he had kept the secret. Even when Grace had spoken honestly about her affair, he’d remained silent. Even when they became members of the church and, later, leaders of the Marriage Enrichment Fellowship, he’d kept the truth hidden. He had many justifications for his sin of omission: he had already confessed his sin to God, he didn’t want to hurt Grace, they’d suffered too much, his affair had been retaliation only, not meant to cause any harm. Conner chuckled bitterly at that last thought. What Pilar told him went beyond harm. It brought his secret to light.
    For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. The truth of God’s words, he thought, as Luke 12:2 passed through his mind.
    His eyes moved to the phone, and the ache in his heart became stronger. He was surprised that Grace hadn’t called, though he imagined there were countless messages on his cell phone. He picked up the message sheets that Marilyn had left for him. Just one from Grace: three-fifteen—long after they were supposed to meet. Conner had wanted to call Grace the moment he left Pilar, but what would he have said? “Hi, honey, I can’t come home right now.”
    In an instant, Grace would have known that something wasn’t right. And how was he supposed to respond when she questioned him? He feared that he would blurt out everything. Another part of him feared that he would not.
    He picked up the phone, but before he dialed, he dropped the receiver back. He slipped into his jacket, then picked up his briefcase. A phone call wouldn’t do. He had to see his wife.

    The red digital numbers on the clock screamed at Grace: 9:57. This was not late for Conner. Many nights he hadn’t come home until almost midnight.
    But he always called.
    She pushed back the comforter, got out of the