Chapter 5 - Lucas Finally Learned Who His Wife Was
Lucas came to Willow’s gallery three days later.
She was standing on a ladder adjusting a light when Helena whispered, “Problem.”
Willow looked down.
Lucas stood near the entrance.
No suit.
No driver.
No entourage.
He looked exhausted.
“Can we talk?”
Willow climbed down.
“You have five minutes.”
Helena stayed nearby.
Lucas glanced at her.
“Privately.”
“No.”
His jaw tightened, then relaxed.
“Fine.”
Willow crossed her arms.
“What?”
“The board suspended me.”
“I heard.”
“My father too.”
“I heard that as well.”
Lucas stared at her.
“You really don’t care?”
“I care about the employees.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
Willow looked at him.
“I just don’t care the way you want me to anymore.”
Lucas stepped closer.
“Willow, I was drunk.”
“You hit me.”
“I lost control.”
“You hit Amanda too.”
His face changed.
“That was different.”
Willow almost smiled.
“Men like you always say that.”
“She provoked me.”
“So did I?”
“That isn’t what I meant.”
“It is exactly what you meant.”
Lucas rubbed his face.
“I came here to apologize.”
“Then apologize.”
He hesitated.
Willow waited.
Lucas finally said, “I’m sorry you got hurt.”
Helena actually laughed.
Willow stared at him.
“That isn’t an apology.”
“I’m trying.”
“No, Lucas. You’re negotiating.”
His expression hardened.
“You have to understand what’s happening to me.”
“There it is.”
“What?”
“You.”
She stepped closer.
“You slapped me in front of six hundred people. You helped hide company losses. You lied to your board. And somehow this conversation is still about what’s happening to you.”
Lucas looked away.
“My father pressured me.”
“I know.”
“He said if I didn’t protect the company, thousands of families would lose their livelihoods.”
“So you moved money.”
“Yes.”
“And lied about it.”
“Yes.”
“And helped silence Amanda.”
Lucas said nothing.
Willow’s voice dropped.
“And when I stood up to your father, you hit me.”
“I was angry.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You were trained.”
Lucas looked at her.
“You spent your whole life watching your father punish anyone who challenged him.”
She pointed toward the door.
“And you became him.”
Lucas flinched.
“I’m not my father.”
“Then prove it.”
“How?”
“Tell the truth.”
He stared at her.
“To who?”
“Everyone.”
His face hardened.
“You want me to go to prison?”
“I want you to stop asking other people to pay for what you did.”
Lucas whispered, “You really hate me.”
Willow shook her head.
“That would require more energy than I’m willing to spend.”
He swallowed.
“What happened to us?”
Willow looked around the gallery.
At the sculptures.
The paintings.
The small place Lucas had spent years insulting.
“I disappeared.”
Lucas frowned.
“What?”
“When we got married, I slowly disappeared.”
She touched the edge of a frame.
“I stopped inviting Dad to dinners because your father made him uncomfortable.”
Lucas looked down.
“I stopped wearing clothes you thought looked cheap.”
Silence.
“I stopped showing pieces at the gallery because you said your friends didn’t understand them.”
Lucas whispered, “I thought I was helping.”
“You were editing me.”
He looked up.
Willow’s voice softened.
“I loved you once.”
Lucas’s eyes filled.
“Past tense?”
“Yes.”
That landed harder than anger.
Lucas stood silently for several seconds.
Then said, “If I cooperate with investigators, they’ll offer me a deal.”
“Maybe.”
“My father will never forgive me.”
Willow looked at him.
“You’re thirty-eight years old, Lucas.”
He gave a broken laugh.
“You sound like your father.”
“No.”
Willow smiled faintly.
“My father would’ve said it with more profanity.”
For the first time, Lucas almost smiled.
Then his expression collapsed again.
“I’m sorry.”
Willow studied him.
This time he continued.
“No excuses.”
His voice shook.
“I hit you. I humiliated you. I watched my father disrespect you because I was too weak to challenge him.”
Willow said nothing.
“I treated you like being married to me was some gift.”
He swallowed.
“It wasn’t.”
“No.”
“I’m sorry, Willow.”
She nodded.
“I believe you.”
His eyes lifted hopefully.
“But I’m still leaving.”
The hope disappeared.
Willow reached into a drawer.
She removed an envelope.
Divorce papers.
Lucas stared.
“You already filed?”
“Yesterday.”
He took the envelope.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
Lucas nodded slowly.
Then turned toward the door.
Before leaving, he stopped.
“Your dad really owns part of Sterling?”
Willow smiled.
“Apparently.”
Lucas shook his head.
“My father is going to hate that.”
May you like
“Then maybe something good came out of all this.”
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