Page 106 of Pick Six
“I’m proud of you. Not hitting him back. I’m impressed.” Tobias grins at me.
“No way in hell am I doing anything that’s gonna fuck up my chance to be with her.”
“Wise.” Tobias’s eyes zero in on the cut. “He got you good though.”
“Yeah well, a cost I’m willing to pay.”
FIFTY-TWO
Harper
“What’sthis I hear about you quitting?” Drew’s dad, Marcus is standing at the doorway to my office. He’s still in his suit and he must have come straight from his office to the museum for the board meeting that starts in twenty minutes.
“I put in my two-weeks notice today.”
“They’re going to have a hard time replacing you. Are you sure you have to leave? Is it a pay issue or something the board could help with?” Marcus frowns a little as he looks at me. We’d had a relatively good relationship. He’d been a decent father-in-law even if his wife was a nightmare, and I’d been initially really thrilled to have him and his business acumen on the board. But I’d done my best to steer clear of him post-divorce since I have no idea what Drew’s told him.
“Drew didn’t talk to you?”
“No. I wasn’t aware you and Drew talked to each other much anymore, since the divorce I mean.”
I let out a little choked sound. He’d been making threats without even warning his dad about what he was doing. I take a deep breath, because I have no idea how he’ll react. Since Alex is in the clear though, and I’ve quit, I really have nothing to lose at this point. And I highly suspect Drew’s been very selective in telling him about us, our divorce and everything since then.
“Drew is part of the reason I quit.”
His brow furrows deeper, and I stand, motioning for him to come in and have a seat before I shut the door. He sits down across from me, and I sit back down in my chair, straightening the papers on my desk while I gather my courage before I speak.
“I don’t know what Drew has and hasn’t told you about the divorce, but seeing as things are about to go very differently than he planned, and I doubt he’s going to react well to that… I’d like to give you my side of things.” I glance up at him, and he looks concerned but nods for me to go on.
“Drew and I got a divorce because he was cheating on me. Multiple times with more than one woman, although there did seem to be one in particular who he was pursuing a relationship with despite the fact he was married. There’s another very long story, but I ended up dating Alexander—well after the divorce was finalized. I know they’re friends, and it’s not ideal, but I actually knew Alex before Drew. Again, another long story. Drew’s furious about it and has been threatening Alex’s career and my own. He told me he’d convince you to bring false embezzlement charges against the museum to create confusion before the vote, and that you’d work to make sure I’m blamed or fired for it. He’s also threatened Alex, wanting to frame him for an assault, one that not only he didn’t commit, but he actually was trying to help me at the time. The only way Drew said he would back down was if Alex and I agreed to quit seeing each other, and I’d agree to try to work things out with Drew.”
Marcus looks horrified, and I’m guessing Drew hadn’t discussed any of this with him based on how distressed he looks.
“I loved Drew, a lot at one time. Obviously, I married him. But what he’s done, I can’t forgive him for. I don’t want to drag you into the details of our marriage, but I’ve moved on. I thought he had too. I’m not sure why he’s doing this, or what delusion is making him think it’s possible this could all work out well. I think he needs help, and I don’t mean that flippantly.”
“I don’t know what to say. I’ve obviously gotten a very different story from Drew, but nothing close to any of this. I had no idea he had plans like this, or that he’d invoked my name in the plot. I love my son, but I did think of you as a daughter I never had, Harper. I would never participate in something that would harm you or your career that way.”
“I didn’t think you would. But you do have a reputation for being ruthless, and I had no idea what Drew was or wasn’t telling you. Or what you might have believed.”
“I hope this isn’t why you’re quitting.”
“It is. I honestly hope Drew doesn’t try to follow through with any of it, but I’ve told him I quit the museum, and I’ve joined another nonprofit. Hopefully, he understands that hurting the institution can’t hurt me anymore, and he leaves innocent people and the community out of his personal vendetta.”
“I’ll do what I can to make sure he does just that.” Marcus looks pained and disappointed, and I can’t blame him.
“I haven’t told anyone in management at the museum about this. I don’t want anyone’s nerves to be frazzled more than they already are. I’ve just told them I’m taking this new opportunity because I want to explore something different and I’m excited about the prospect of being able to help from the outside.”
“I understand.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll do what I can, hopefully, to get Drew to see reason.”
“I appreciate it.”
With that, Marcus leaves the room and I’m left sitting at my desk, staring at the walls—a calendar full of plans and meetings, a mockup for the exhibit we’d been working on, and a whole bunch of books I’d need to return to the archives now that I no longer needed them. I hadn’t been prepared for this much to change in my life, to lose my husband, my home, and my job in one snowballing avalanche. But when I think about a future, one with my friends and Alex, I finally feel hopeful for the first time in a long time.
FIFTY-THREE
