“All you did was show me what kind of person you are. You are the one who would have run away at the first sign of trouble, who would have taken money without question just as you did when my father was alive. You never cared how many people hescrewed over as long as you got to stay comfortable. I’ve kept you in that comfort ever since his death but I’m done with that now.”
Her eyes narrowed. Pleading and playing innocent hadn’t worked, I guess she was changing tactics. “You can’t do this.”
“Bad idea to tell Alfie Tell what he can’t do,” I said. Carolyn Tell was lucky I wasn’t strong enough to hit her. “You tried to set me up, you vicious bitch.”
“I was just speeding up the process. You wanted the money anyway, I just gave it to you sooner.”
Before I could argue that I didn’t give a damn about the money, Alfie interrupted me. “On that note, I’ve had a prenuptial agreement drawn up.” Elliot was already pulling a document out of a desk drawer and passed it to Alfie. “You may read it if you wish.” He handed the document to Carolyn.
What about me? Didn’t I get to read it?
Her eyes widened, her fingers tightening into fists, crushing the papers. “You can’t be serious. How dare you? You can’t give everything to her!” She threw the papers at me and Ada scooped them up, passing them to me. I scanned them while tension bubbled around me.
I gained everything if I ended the marriage. That was the agreement. If I walked away, I got everything Alfie owned. I would never sign this. He had to know that.
“The money you stole is being transferred to Lola’s real account. It’s hers to do with as she wishes,” Alfie continued while his mother seethed. “As for the company itself, I’m leaving. I’m sitting down with the board over the coming weeks to arrange the transfer. I’m done.”
My mouth fell open, tears filled my eyes. Grace seemed stunned too.
“I will not live in your shadow or the shadow of ghosts any longer.”
“I won’t allow it,” Carolyn snapped, desperation lacing her words. “I’ll tell the press everything about you!”
“That’s not how our circle does things,” Grace said softly. No police and no press. I guess those were the rules.
“I’ll ruin you! The things I know about you?—”
“What do you know, Carolyn?” he said, his voice unnervingly calm. “That I killed my brother? That I let my father die? I’m not sorry anymore.”
Her rage landed on me. “You…” She couldn’t even finish her sentence, she was so angry.
“Me? What the fuck did I do other than love your son?” Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. Confrontation and consequences, this woman had gone too long without experiencing either. “That’s the problem, isn’t it? You aren't scared I’m going to steal his money. You’re scared I’m going to make him happy and you don’t think he deserves it.”
“He doesn’t deserve it! He ruined everything.” She lunged at him and before I could stop her, Ada landed a punch square on her face.
“Don’t you ever touch him again.” Elliot stood by her side, the two of them between Carolyn and Alfie. They were the only parents Alfie had ever had.
“I suppose you’re finally happy.” She turned on Grace, the first time she’d acknowledged her own daughter. “You know I don’t deserve this.”
“No you don’t,” Grace said, her eyes fixed on the floor, too disgusted to look at her mother. “Alfie has been entirely too generous with you.”
“How can you side with him? He killed your brother!”
“He killed my rapist!” Grace screamed, jumping out of her seat.
The room froze. My breath stuck in my chest. I looked at Alfie who was frighteningly still. He didn’t know. He hadn’t known.
“He didn’t?—”
“Don't you dare pretend you didn't know. You knew what Charles was, what he was doing to me just like you knew what he was doing to Alfie. You just didn’t care, you didn’t want to disrupt your perfect life.” Her chest was heaving. She had been holding this in for a very long time. “If it was up to me Alfie would throw you off the fucking balcony just like he did to Charles.”
She was shaking. I sat still, feeling like an intruder. Alfie put a hand on her arm and moved her behind him. His demeanor took on a whole new level of menacing.
“Carolyn, you are a worthless woman. You aren't smart enough to be successful or attractive enough to still be valuable. You’ve birthed one rotten child and two that despise you and that is your only legacy. You will never know love or devotion. You’ll never be held. You will die alone surrounded only by those that you pay to stay close. You are an empty vessel. A shadow. You are a godless, childless, friendless woman. You came from nothing and money hasn’t made you anything more than pathetic.”
She shrunk into herself as he broke her down. This was the Alfie Tell I’d first met.
“This is what my father made me,” he continued. “This is what he used on others. He was a ruthless bully and I tried to be the same but I’m not.Sheshowed me that I’m not. The woman that you attacked, that you tried to set up as a thief, that you’ve humiliated. She makes me watch movies, she’s taught me to laugh, she taught me to fuckingcry. I am nothing like you. Or Joseph. Or Charles. Get out of my sight.”
