Free Unexpected Changes by A.M. Willard Page B

It was something I thought we created, and it deserved a chance at a normal life.”
    Interrupting him, I say. “What do you mean you thought you two created?”
    “Just listen or I might not get through it all, okay?”
    “Carry on.”
    “I asked for a divorce, or an annulment, which was denied by both of our families. Needless to say, I wasn’t aware of the lies behind the scenes. See Tabitha, once I left home, we never had a marriage. Hell, we didn’t even live together. Well, not until the last few months, but we still had our separate rooms. I stayed at work most of the time, trying to ignore her.”
    Listening to Carter, my heart breaks even more for what he’s had to go through, but I’m also getting livid that he hadn’t told me this before.
    “All these years, I tried to figure out why my lawyer couldn’t get them to agree to anything or sign the fucking papers. It wasn’t until this last year that we started investigating things. You’ve seen what happens when you push buttons—people die. That’s why I hired Jack. I had to be reassured that you were protected, as I couldn’t put anything past them.”
    “Hold up! You’re telling me that his watching me was because I was really in danger and that you know they killed your lawyer? What the hell have you gotten me mixed up in, Carter? I didn’t ask for this, nor did I sign up for that.”
    “Calm down, Tabitha, and listen. I hid you from them; it wasn’t until the end that Bethany got wind of you. I promise nothing was going to happen to you. She was trying to scare me into dropping the divorce. Bethany didn’t want me to find out that the child she lost … it wasn’t mine. She and my father were having an affair and it continued years into our marriage. That’s why I was hung by the balls. It was to protect his name, not mine or Bethany’s.”
    “What?” I ask as I look into his face and see the embarrassment written all over it. He never expected to have to tell me about that part and I see it.
    “You heard me. I just found all this out myself. So, have I processed the pain I’ve felt for not being here for her when what I thought was our baby was taken? No. Now I’m not sure what to feel. How do you turn that off? Do you know? ’Cause I sure as hell don’t. Tabitha, I’ve lived the past ten years thinking that if I’d stayed at home and not left for college, I would have my son or daughter here. I didn’t give a shit about Bethany, but I would have given them a home and provided for my family.”
    Anger has turned into tears as I sit here and listen to Carter explain. I can’t imagine the heartache he feels, or the betrayal. “Carter, I’m so sorry they did this to you. You could’ve talked to me and let me in.”
    “No, if you’d known, not only would you have run for the hills, you would have been in danger for certain. I wasn’t going to allow this to affect your life. I knew I was close, and I planned to tell you, but not the way you found out. You have to know I didn’t show up with her that night. She followed me and knew what she was doing.”
    “Where’s Bethany now? What’s going to happen?”
    “I don’t know where she is, but I know the divorce is going through the courts and I’ve been sworn to keep my mouth shut. Jack is no longer on the case, nor Mark.”
    “Mark? Who the hell is Mark? I don’t know him. Or do I?” I ask as I stare Carter down.
    “You’ve had an encounter with him, but only recently. We thought it was best for someone to follow while you were out of town. He was the one who called the ambulance when you fainted. Which I need to know if you are okay. No one ever told me the details.”
    Feeling my face fill with heat, I say, “How many other people did you hire to keep tabs on me? Huh?” I spit out as I stand to pace the living room.
    “Tabitha, come sit back down and listen.”
    Pivoting on my heels, I point a finger in his direction. “Fuck you, Carter. You don’t get to