Page 8 of The Widower
Men…
Colin Adams—how much ruder can you possibly get?
CHAPTER 3
“Never judge someone’s pain if you don’t know what they’ve been through in life…”
COLIN ADAMS
The more I tell Helena to hire someone smart, the less she actually helps me. It’s in-cre-di-ble!
Is it really that hard to find someone discreet who can read a damn note?
And on top of that, she goes and hires a loud, scatterbrained woman who signs papers without checking themfirst. And this is the one who came “highly recommended”? God help me if she hadn’t been.
Calm down, Colin.
There are twenty-four hours in a day. Obvious, I know, but if I’m being honest, I spend every damn one of them irritated. I don’t smile—well, unless I’m being sarcastic—and there’s practically nothing that makes me happy anymore.
There was something. Or rather, someone. But not even my son can look me in the eye now. Not anymore.
Yeah, I’m a flawed man. A failed father. A failed husband…
“Drop it, Colin,” I muttered to myself, looking up at the sky. “And you—yeah, you up there—I’d love to know why you hate me so much, if you even exist.” I guess that was meant for God, the one I used to believe in up until about a year ago. Now… I’m not so sure He’s still around.
My life changed overnight a few months back.
In short, I lost my wife and daughter in a car accident. Actually, I lost more than that—I lost everything. My little girl was a part of me, a part I’ll never get back.
Almost no one knows the real story behind that tragedy. I made sure of it. I didn’t want anyone digging into the details.
I’m a father broken beyond repair, and every breath I take is filled with the ache of missing Maddison, my daughter. Shewas the reason behind my silliest smiles—the ones that don’t exist anymore.
She always made it her mission to make me feel whole. No matter how stressful my day had been, or how badly something had gone, she’d be there beside me, coloring in her little books while I worked on a design.
As for my son… he’s more distant by nature, but I used to be there for him too. I went to his games, spent time with him, and we were close—affectionate, even. Like Maddison, he loved being around me. That was one of the perks of working from home.
Now, all that’s left between us is distance. I know Joshua blames me for what happened to his sister and his mother. I just don’t know how to be his father again.
I’m one of the most renowned architects in the country. Some of the city’s most iconic buildings bear my signature, and even movie stars have sought me out since my early breakthrough.
At one point, I managed to balance it all—I truly loved what I did.But that passion disappeared the moment I realized my personal life was built on lies. And not long after that, I lost the two most precious things I had.
My phone started ringing nonstop. Being the perpetually irritated man I am, I was seconds away from throwing it against the wall, but I stopped when I saw who was calling.
“I need to talk to you in person, Colin,” said James Sullivan, one of the city’s most powerful businessmen—and, oddly enough, one of the few people I actually consider a friend.
Weird, right? Me, with friends.Truth is, I do have a few, though I’ve become a man with… limited feelings.
“Is this about the project?”I asked, already guessing the answer.
“Yes—and a few other things.”
“James…”
“Meet me at Vero Italian Restaurant at one p.m., one week from today.”
“In seven days?”
