34. Chapter 34
T hirteen years ago.
June 03, 1998
10:24 pm
David pulled up to his half-million-dollar home. He was proud to say his family had one of the biggest estates in the city, potentially even the county. He came from old southern money, his great-grandparents owning acres of orange groves and the Gallagher estate had been passed down through the generations. They had been pillars in the community for decades, their name carrying weight as if they were royalty.
And because of that weight, no one bothered to dig deep into his financial records. Though he was into real estate by trade, no one knew he was also laundering money through some of his properties. People suspected, but no one cared enough to look.
Plus, he was now the beloved Mayor.
However, his family didn’t share that same sentiment. Not that he cared much, he didn’t love them either. Especially his wife.
When they had first begun dating, he truly believed Morgan would make the perfect politician’s wife. Eventually, though, he became bored of her. And now he’d grown to hate her as she constantly held Nicole and Ryan over his head.
Unfortunately, having a mistress would be distasteful to the public, so he hid Nicole and Ryan away, his own precious secret. One that could destroy his name, his reputation.
But he couldn’t end things with Nicole, even if Ryan hated him and Morgan threatened to divorce him. It was different with her. Sure, he had loved Morgan once, but the love he had for Nicole was incomparable. They were soulmates, they were each other’s missing half.
When they were together, the world stopped. They laughed together, they had fun together, they understood each other. Nicole was kind and gentle and drop dead gorgeous. Not in a typical way, but she had an exotic beauty about her that was mesmerizing. And she was a seductress. That’s what had initially drawn him to her.
They had seen each other at the ribbon cutting of the restaurant she was waitressing in. He had seen her from across the room as he spoke to a few other councilmen. Their eyes had locked and she had smiled seductively. He had immediately needed to claim her, but held himself firm. He had a wife at home who loved him and who was stunningly beautiful.
Yet, he couldn’t help but stare at this woman who had kept her eyes on him, almost daring him to talk to her.
So, he had.
Before leaving, he had stopped her as she put away dishes on the shelf in the back. “Ma’am, I’m City Councilman Gallagher.” He had extended his hand to her to which she had eyed coyly and had kept stacking dishes, saying nothing to him.
At first he had been confused. No one had ever ignored him before, especially when he told them he was a councilman. He hadn’t realized it at the time, but it had all been sport for her. A clever game of cat and mouse in which he would eventually win.
He had gone to that pizzeria once a week for three months before she ever spoke a word to him. Eventually, they had found themselves meeting behind the restaurant on her break to talk, which had then led to rendezvous meetings in his car.
Once he realized how special Nicole was, he didn’t want to settle for wild and passionate car sex, he had wanted her to feel special.
She was special.
She gave him something Morgan didn't: Nicole made him feel alive.
Though they had to hide their relationship, he would take her on work trips or they would meet up at a hotel for a long night together where she’d hurry home in the early morning hours. Of course, Morgan eventually began suspecting he was having an affair, but she had never confronted him, so he had kept seeing Nicole.
But when he became mayor, he and Nicole had to be even more careful about seeing each other. That’s when they had their first fight.
She was angry they had to be so secretive. She had cried and he had felt awful, but he didn’t have a choice. She had paced around the hotel room, not bothering to cover her naked body. He had wanted to claim her again, just as he had a few moments ago, but had contained himself. She was upset and it was his fault.
“I hate being your dirty little secret. Don’t I mean more to you?!” She had started sobbing again.
He had somehow managed to calm her down and convince her things were better that way.
A few weeks later, she had found out she was pregnant. He had been ecstatic to be having a child with the woman he loved so much yet was terrified of what would come of it. He knew his secret life may be coming to an end.
He thought he would pick Nicole if it ever came to that. But when Morgan made him choose, he had chosen himself and his reputation. He had promised to take care of Nicole and Ryan, but he knew he had to stop seeing her.
Nicole had screamed at him as she pounded his chest with her fists, two-month-old Ryan screaming in his bassinet as he felt his mother’s angst.
Her words still echoed in his mind, “I hate you, David Gallagher! I wish you were dead! I hate you!”
She had smacked him then, and tried to slam the door in his face. Fire had burned through his body at her outburst, and he had shoved her inside her home and into the wall. He had put his hand around her neck and started to squeeze. She had clawed at his grip but he didn’t flinch or let go.
His nose had touched hers as he snarled, “Don’t you ever disrespect me like that again. You knew this wasn’t going to be anything but a secret. It’s not my fault you’re a whore.”
His words had stabbed like a knife, just as he intended. She had cried even harder as she fought him off of her. He had kissed her one last time, a kiss even she didn’t protest.
She had welcomed it, knowing it would be their last.
He had left her crying that day, as she screamed his name, distraught.
He had continued to support her and Ryan, even when the twins were born. Though he loved his girls, or rather tolerated them, he was heartbroken that the only son he had would always be a secret. He wanted a boy to carry on the Gallagher legacy and Morgan couldn’t even give him that.
Of course, it was Nicole who would give him what he longed for. She was, after all, the one who knew him in the most intricate ways; their bodies completely in sync, even in creating a life together.
As fate would have it, they would meet again. He had been at a hotel out of town on business and she happened to be there with her boyfriend. They hadn’t seen each other in five years and he wasn’t prepared for the rage that had filled him upon seeing her kiss another man.
Nicole had found herself in his hotel room, though, destiny drawing them together once again. They had spent the rest of the trip entangled under the sheets. He had even missed all of his meetings for that one last fling.
Over the years, they would find themselves in the same place at the same time, fate beckoning them together and they would fall in love all over again. Always believing it would be the last time they would see each other.
That had been a few years ago, and they had continued their affair on and off ever since. She just didn't know about Hannah…his recent ex-girlfriend.
He sounded like a pig but he didn’t care. Morgan understood. She might have claimed to leave if he was with Nicole , but she laid her ego aside and understood he was a man with needs she couldn't fill and allowed him to do so in whatever way he wanted.
Hannah was never anything serious, though she thought so. She was simply a means to an end. Initially, he had thought things would be fine, that she would never expect him to be anything more than a fling. But she quickly became too needy and had believed that he’d leave Morgan for her.
Yeah, right.
If he hadn’t left Morgan for Nicole, he wouldn’t leave her for anyone else.
So, he had called things off and started seeing Nicole exclusively.
Hannah hadn’t liked that. She had started sending Morgan death threats and it was causing a rift in his already broken marriage. She had even talked about going public with the affair, but if she knew what was good for her, she would keep her mouth shut.
Honestly, though, he was becoming slightly afraid of her. She would show up at his office unannounced, threatening him. Eli caught her following Morgan and the twins, a gun in her glove box.
David had quickly realized the woman was a lunatic. He took out a restraining order and paid her off in return for her silence. Not like it did any good. She was still lurking in the shadows, even after all this time.
He sighed as he climbed out of his car and slammed the door. He had just left Nicole’s, coming home to a woman he no longer loved. He wished he could have stayed with his mistress, but Morgan was getting suspicious again.
He unlocked the door and let himself in.
Morgan was coming down the stairs, suitcases in tow. Heat radiated from her.
She knew.
She always said she’d leave him, but he didn’t think she would go through with it. Though, now that the girls were going off on their own in a few weeks, there would be nothing left for her here.
He slowly walked toward her. “Morgan…”
She stopped and forcefully put her hand up. “Don’t, David. Don't even speak to me.”
“Morgan, let me explain.”
She walked back up the stairs to retrieve another suitcase. “Explain what? That even after I let you sleep around on me, dirty our wedding vows, you still couldn’t stay away from Nicole? I let you cheat on me with whoever you wanted and you still couldn’t respect me enough to stop seeing her.”
“How did you even find out?” David caught up to her on the top floor where she knelt down to close her last suitcase.
“Are you serious? I’m leaving and you're worried about how I found out?” She stood up again and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Lauren told me. She said she saw you two together and then it all made sense: you running late again, staying at the office after-hours, late-night phone calls in the den, unnecessary business trips.
“You know, most men would give anything to have a wife that would let them have affairs anytime they wanted. But not you. Not the great David Gallagher.”
“Lauren told you?” he mustered.
She forcefully zipped the luggage closed. “Poor girl didn’t even realize what she was telling me. She mentioned a meeting from this week and low and behold, Nicole’s name came flowing from her lips.”
He felt betrayed by Lauren, though it wasn't her fault. She was still young and he hadn't thought to tell her to keep certain matters private. “Lauren is just a receptionist. She must have confused the names on my calendar,” David pleaded.
“I hate you,” she hissed.
She stood up to leave but David blocked her. “Morgan, please. Think about the girls.”
She choked out a laugh. “Do you hear yourself? Maybe you should have thought about that before having an affair and a child with a woman who isn’t your wife.” Morgan got in his face, her anger burning like a fire he could almost touch. “And let’s forgo lying. You’re not worried about the girls, you're only worried about your reputation.”
She pushed past him and he grabbed her upper arm. “You can’t leave me. You promised to love me forever, to stay by my side.”
“Guess we’re both liars then,” Morgan said.
She tried to pull her arm away, but David gripped her arm tighter.
She yelped, “Let go! You’re hurting me!”
“No, you’re not leaving. You don’t get to walk out on this marriage. I didn’t leave you for Nicole, you don’t get to leave me now.”
Morgan spit at him as she tore her arm from his grasp. “Well guess what, you can have your whore and her bastard son.”
David shoved her away, appalled that she dared to disrespect him and tarnish Nicole.
Before he realized what he’d done, Morgan’s screams echoed through the house. A thud and the cracking of bones reached his ears.
His heart raced as he ran down the stairs. “Morgan!”
Blood pooled around her head. It was bright, and the smell of iron immediately invaded his nostrils. He wanted to vomit, but somehow managed to keep the contents of his stomach in place.
He knelt beside her body. “Morgan! Wake up. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
She didn’t move or make a noise. Shock flooded him.
He had just killed his wife.
And if he didn’t do something, he would find himself locked in a jail cell for the rest of his life.
He climbed to his feet and quickly made his way to his car and began driving around aimlessly. He called Eli. Washington would fix it, the man owed David.
After twenty minutes of driving, he pulled into his driveway to see that Eli hadn’t arrived yet. His palms sweating, David gripped the steering wheel and debated staying in the car or going inside.
David calmly climbed out of his car once again and walked up to his home. He froze when he noticed Sara lying in the grass. His heartbeat quickened as panic filled his body.
How much had she witnessed? How long had she been home?
She wasn’t moving, so he quietly walked to where she was laying in the yard, only a few feet from the front door. He bent down and felt she was still breathing.
If he didn’t need to cover up his own murderous act, he’d wish she was dead with all the foolishness she’d put him through over the years. But he wasn’t that lucky, she was just unconscious. And she reeked of vomit.
He stood up again and ran a hand through his hair as he tried to figure out what to do about his worsening situation.
He attempted to wake her up several times, wanting to know if she knew his secret. But she didn’t stir.
And then it dawned on him: Sara might not be dead, but he could still get rid of her for good.
He looked around again and when he didn’t see anyone coming, he scooped Sara up under her arms and dragged her into the house where he laid her next to Morgan. When Eli showed up, Sara would become a murderer and he would be the grieving widower.
“You lying bastard! I hate you!” Sara lunged for David, but Trey grabbed her and dragged her away. She fell into him and wailed her fists into his chest, the emotional toll of the last thirteen years surfacing.
Hailey erupted with her own rage. “She was just a kid and you took her life from her. Did you know she almost died twice in prison?”
“I’m aware…and a little disappointed to see she’s still breathing.”
Sara lifted her head abruptly to look at David. Hailey saw the hate in her sister’s eyes, could feel the resentment and bitterness that seeped into even the most hidden places of her heart. A chill found its way down Hailey’s spine.
Hailey felt like she would be sick.
Hailey walked closer to his bed, her voice just above a whisper, “You’re a monster. What you did to Sara-”
“Oh, stop with the self-righteous anger, Hailey. You deserted your sister, too, so don’t act like you’re beyond betraying her. And your mother was going to ruin everything. All I did was love her and give her the best of everything, and what does she do? She tries to leave me. She throws it all in my face like I’m not the sole reason she was who she was. She should have kissed the damn ground I walked on, but instead she’s buried under it. She shouldn’t have crossed me.”
He had some nerve, as if their life was an amazing fairy tale. He was a horrible father and an even more horrendous husband.
“You’re unbelievable.” Hailey snorted, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you have the audacity to act like the victim after all you’ve done.”
“It was an accident, Sunshine. I didn’t mean to push her. And Sara was just the easiest scapegoat. It wasn’t right, but it’s the truth. She would have destroyed our family if I hadn’t done it. I did it for us .”
“Don’t call me that!” Hailey yelled. His ability to effortlessly switch personas was jarring, going from monster to martyr as it suited his needs. He was a narcissist. And at this point, she wondered if she was staring into the eyes of a psychopath.
“Strangulation will be hard to pass as an accident,” Trey mocked.
David tilted his head. “What are you talking about?”
Hailey wanted to scream. She was sick of his deception and manipulation. Even after being caught, he still peddled his narrative. She wondered if he truly believed the lies he told.
Hailey said, “Don’t act like you don't know what Trey is talking about. We saw the original M.E.’s report. We know she was strangled. Stop lying.”
David’s face paled. For the first time in his life, David Gallagher was telling the truth. He didn’t know about the strangulation.
And if he didn’t know about it, he wasn’t the one who killed Morgan.
And from the look on his face, he didn’t know who had.