He offered her money to leave.
Rebecca accepted.
PART 21
“You bought her silence?”
Thomas nodded.
“She promised Mark would never know.”
“And Noah?”
“I sent support.”
“Secretly.”
“Yes.”
“You watched Mark marry me.”
“Yes.”
“You watched us struggle to have a child.”
His face collapsed.
“Yes.”
I stood so quickly the chair moved backward.
My abdomen tightened.
Dr. Hayes immediately stepped closer.
I raised a hand.
“I’m fine.”
But I was not fine.
PART 22
Thomas insisted he thought he was protecting Mark.
That sentence made me furious.
Everyone had been protecting someone by lying.
Thomas protected Mark.
Mark protected me.
Rebecca protected herself.
And every lie had simply postponed pain until it became larger.
I looked at Thomas.
“Leave.”
“Emily.”
“Leave.”
He did.
PART 23
I finished Mark’s letter alone.
There was one final request.
Please do not punish Noah for what the adults did.
He did not choose any of this.
