Kat turned back around. Standing in the framed doorway separating the kitchen from the rest of the cabin, she frowned.
“Don’t make the food?”
He didn’t answer. Nor, did he look at her. Instead, Matt simply continued to stare out at nothing.
“Okay. If you’re not hungry, we could—”
“I said, don’t.” He finally looked at her.
The daggers shooting back at her left Kat shaken. “Do what?” She took a step closer. “Matt, what’s going on?”
He gestured toward the coffee table. “You tell me.”
It was only then that Kat saw it. The pictures and bank statements. The business contract between Brian’s father and hers lying on top of it all.
Her heart dropped. “I-I…I can explain.”
He chuckled humorlessly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Can you? Because I wouldloveto hear an explanation for this.”
She glanced back down at the papers, knowing what he must be thinking.
“Matt…” She had to stop to blink away the tears threatening to form. Swallowing down the large lump in her throat, Kat whispered, “It’s not what it looks like.”
“Really?” His lip curled. “’Cause from where I’m sitting, it looks like the girl I’d planned to marry…the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with…sold herself out like a high-dollar whore.”
Kat reared back, bile rising in her throat from the horrible accusation. “What? No!” She shook her head.
“Stop. Lying!” Matt swiped his arm angrily across the table, the pictures and papers flying in the air before landing on the wooden floor below.
Her muscles jumped from the deafening outburst. “It wasn’t like that, Matt. I promise.”
“Then what was it like, Katherine?” He shot up from the couch and faced her. With his hands on his hips, his face turned red with fury. “According to those”—he pointed at the strewn papers—“your father and yourhusband’sfather went into business together right after you and Anderson got married. I bet the ink wasn’t even dry on the marriage license when they signed that fucking contract.”
Kat opened her mouth to respond, but shame and grief prevented any sound from escaping.
“What’s the matter? Having trouble coming up with another lie?”
“I’m not lying!”
“You married agayman, Katherine! And don’t bother denying that one, because Derek found the proof.”
“I’m not denying it.”
“Well, there’s a first.” Matt spun around, his booted feet crumbling some of the pictures as he began pacing the small room. “I want to know why.” He faced her again. “Why did you do it? No, wait. Let me guess. You and your father came up with this little plan together. Isn’t that right?”
“No,” she answered adamantly.
“Bullshit,” Matt snapped before continuing on with his misguided assumptions. “Your father made all his money partnering up with companies that were in financial trouble. From what Derek found, Sloane Anderson was damn near to the point of filing for bankruptcy when you and Brian got married. All of a sudden, your dad swoops in, partners with Anderson Biomeds, and saves the day. Am I close so far?”
Kat swiped away the tears she was unable to stave off but remained silent.
Matt’s face twisted in a disgusted smirk. “That’s what I thought. So with the help of your Dad’s business connections, your former father-in-law’s company takes off by securing government contracts like the one for the formula your team was working on. Contracts like those go for millions, right?”
Kat nodded. “Yes.”
“I also did a bit more digging over the last hour, and it turns out good ole Sloane wasn’t too keen on the idea of his son being a homosexual.”
“No,” Kat admitted. “He hated it. Hated Brian because of it.”
