Chapter 0520
+25 BONUS
Minutes after Frederick received Marcus’s call, the man was knocking on his door. When Frederick opened it, he was greeted by the sight of his friend and colleague’s battered face.
“Marcus, what happened to you? Who did you fight with?”
“Can I come in?”
“Oh! Right! Come in, come in, my boy. When you called, I didn’t imagine you’d be in this sorry state.”
“Am I that bad?”
“Well, let’s just say your wife isn’t going to miss this.”
“Ah, Frederick… I don’t think I even have a wife anymore. Maybe I never did.”
“Marcus, don’t say stupid things. You have a wonderful woman, and remember, she’s pregnant. She might be irritable now, but that’s the pregnancy. Not all pregnancies are the same, and I imagine carrying twins isn’t easy.” “It’s not the pregnancy. It’s Peter. It’s always been him. He’s always been there. I was just a stand–in.” “Marcus… don’t be ridiculous. You’ve been married to Valerie for fifteen years. Marriage is something you build over time.”
“Frederick, how would you know? You’ve never been married.”
“No, I never got married–that was my choice. But I knew your parents and grandparents. Their lives weren’t perfect, with good times and bad, but they never blamed some outside person for their problems.”
“Well, this time, it is because of someone. Peter is alive. That’s the damn variable.”
Frederick felt pity for his friend. It was true that his parents and grandparents had their struggles, but none of them involved the shadow of an old love—at least, not as far as he knew.
“Frederick, what’s in the briefcase?”
“Marcus, I gave it to you months ago to review. That briefcase has complicated information. You should go through it. Along with the Peter situation, there are other things in there that will change how you see your family -and two others.”
“Why don’t you just give me a summary? What’s so secretive about that report that you won’t just tell me?”
“It’s a lot to unpack, and a lot of people are involved. Your family, the Prestons, and the Palmers are more interconnected than you can imagine. If you want the summary, I’ll give it to you, but first, let’s take care of those injuries.”
“They already looked at them at the hospital.
“Well, let me at least get you some pajamas so you can get out of those dirty clothes. Want to take a shower?”
“Yes. My whole body aches.”
“Should I assume Peter walked away worse off?”
“Hmmm…”
“Judging by your face, no. You’re losing your touch.”
“I wanted to kill him, Frederick. Believe me, for a moment, I really wanted to. But I couldn’t. Can you imagine if
1/2
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0520
Valerie found out I was capable of something like that? She’d never forgive me. She’d see me as a monster.”
Frederick looked at his friend’s anguished expression and sighed, shaking his head.
“As happy as I was when you committed to Valerie, as happy as I was when your first child was born, and now with the twins on the way, all I can say is, whatever happens, I’m grateful that woman crossed your path. She changed your life, Marcus. If this relationship can’t go on, at least be thankful for the marriage you built and how long it lasted.”
“But before you do something reckless, think it over with a clear head. Do you really want to go back to that empty life you had before your family? You know I’ll support you no matter what you decide, whether I like it or not.”
“Ah, Frederick… I don’t know what will become of this relationship. Camille’s been talking to me–and I suppose to Valerie too. What bothers me about Valerie is how lost she is in Peter’s memory. Knowing he’s alive distresses her, and it infuriates me because all that emotional weight ends up on my kids. They don’t deserve this.”
“Did you tell her that?”
“I did! That’s why I left the house. Before the argument got worse, I decided not to say more. Without thinking, I ended up at the hospital where Peter is taking care of Celeste, the teacher who saved my son. For some strange reason, I lost control, and that’s how he and I ended up fighting”
“I see…”
“Alright, my fifty–five–year–old ‘boy,‘ go take a shower. I’ll get you some clothes and make some coffee. You and I have a lot to talk about.”
[Bartz Mansion]
After watching her husband leave, Valerie felt shattered. She sat in the large chair and wept, her tears carrying a strange mix of confusion, remorse, and bitterness. Placing her hands over her belly, she whispered, “Forgive me, my children. Your father is right. The only ones I’m hurting with all this are you and him. That was never my intention. Please… forgive me.”
