“That’s rough. I don’t see how her death is your fault.”
“Not directly. But my affair with her mother destroyed their family.”
“Duke, I…” She sighed heavily. “You’ve carried this guilt with you for so long, but—”
“There’s more.”
“Okay?”
“The fallout from the affair could’ve been worse if everyone knew my role in Carolyn’s company.”
“You worked for Carolyn?”
“Yes.”
“I assume you’re not talking about the HR firm.”
I nodded. “Correct.”
“So you were an escort?”
“That, and other things,” I admitted.
“Like…?”
“The business was solely under the table. Carolyn amassed a fortune without paying taxes, and laundered money through her HR firm. I helped her carry out the day-to-day tasks, including setting up the dates, collecting the money, and even resorting to violence if needed. Never toward a woman, though.”
Demi nibbled on her thumb. “Why did you do it?”
“When I left medical school, it wasn’t entirely because I wanted to pursue my dream of being a chef. Even if I wanted to go back, I couldn’t because I flunked out. I barely even showed up my first year. Not only that, but I also gambled and lost the tuition money Ma and Pop sent me. I owed the school—and some very dangerous people—thousands of dollars.”
Demi swallowed. “Oh.”
“I was spiraling, drinking every day, getting into fights, fucking random women. Basically, trying to kill myself because I didn’t see a way out. I just remember feeling so depressed. The shame…” I closed my eyes against the familiar feelings that swelled inside. Feelings that I’d fought hard to overcome. “Ma and Pop never knew about any of that. So when Carolyn approached me and asked me to work for her, I agreed.”
“Were you having sex with these women?”
Hiring an escort wasn’t illegal. What happened behind closed doors blurred the lines, though. WhileIdidn’t have sex with my clients, other employees did, with Carolyn’s knowledge and encouragement. Whichwasillegal. “No. Just Carolyn. I didn’t care either—about the fact that she was twenty-something years older than me, about her marriage, about her family. I just wanted what I wanted.”
“In your defense, you didn’t owe her family anything.Shedid.”
“As you know, when Trinity found out, her father set about destroying Carolyn. Trinity was caught in the middle and started drinking to cope and—”
“Wait,” Demi interrupted. “You were gone when Trinity died. How do you know all of this?”
“I checked on her. I know someone who’s connected to them.”
Demi seemed to understand that. “So whoever this person was, they told you what was going on? You weren’t still seeing Carolyn?”
I shook my head. “Once I was done with the relationship, I didn’t look back.”
“But you went to see her on Thanksgiving.”
“For closure. Like I told you before. She’s sick,” I explained. “Early-onset Alzheimer’s, and a few other things. She thinks Trinity is still alive.”
“That’s sad.”
“When Trinity died, I couldn’t escape the reality that I had caused this. Carolyn had been in business for years before me. No one was the wiser until I entered the picture. The scandal of my affair with Carolyn set everything in motion. Now, Trinity is dead.”
