Chapter 23. You Weren’t Ready for the Truth
CHAPTER 23
You Weren’t Ready for the Truth
Everyone was still in high spirits when dinner rolled around. The restaurant was full of chatter and laughter, and people I didn’t know came up and congratulated me on our win. Alec had been grinning from ear to ear the whole evening, playing the perfect boyfriend role, hamming it up for everyone to see.
Completely, blissfully unaware that I was still reeling from my earlier revelation.
Halfway through dinner, Jacqui stood up and clinked a fork on her glass, sending a quiet hush throughout the room.
“Thank you all for being here tonight,” she began, looking every inch the successful, awe-inspiring businesswoman that she was. “This has been such a wonderful day, and I trust we’ve all enjoyed this chance to get to know our colleagues a little better.”
A smattering of applause went around the room.
“I’d also like to welcome our newest business partners, Alec Mackenzie and Rob Carmichael, from Mackenzie Constructions.” She motioned for the two to stand up, then raised her glass in a toast. “Gentlemen, we’re honored to have you with us. We have lots of exciting things on the horizon, and I look forward to a long and fruitful partnership. Welcome aboard.”
Murmurs of “welcome aboard” echoed around us. As Jacqui continued her speech, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, my eyes narrowing when I saw my mother’s number flashing on the screen. I hadn’t bothered to call her back after that night, because I wasn’t exactly keen to find out what she wanted. Knowing her, whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
I rejected the call, but another soon followed. It would take more than one rejection to deter Veronica Pang, and another call vibrated immediately after. I declined that one, too, and the next one after that, before finally turning the phone off.
Alec glanced at me. “Don’t you need to get that?”
“It’s not important.”
He raised his eyebrows at my clipped tone. “Is everything okay?”
I clenched my jaw. “That was my mother.”
His eyes widened, and he looked like he was about to say something but thought better of it. Without another word, he returned his attention to Jacqui, who was now announcing the employee recognition awards. I followed his lead and pushed the calls out of my mind, respectfully clapping whenever Jacqui called out a name and handed out the awards. All the while, my conscience nagged at me, whispering worries and doubts, making guilt rise a thousandfold inside my heart. My parents might be manipulative and overbearing, but they were still my family. What if she or my dad was sick, or in trouble? Eric would have told me if they were, wouldn’t he? Or what if she was calling about Eric?
My upbringing and years of being under her shadow sneakily crept their way back into my brain. My guilty conscience rapped me in the head, nagging and berating me for being such an ungrateful, inconsiderate daughter and sister.
And it emerged victorious.
Sighing, I leaned over to whisper to Alec, “I’m going to call her back.”
He turned to me, his eyes searching mine. “You want me to come with you?”
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine.”
Getting up, I walked out of the restaurant and found a quiet spot near the deserted pool. I turned my phone back on, then took a deep breath to compose myself before pressing her number. Two seconds later, the call connected.
“Why didn’t you answer my calls?”
I let out a long breath and braced myself. Here we go.
“I had never, not even once, received any calls from you since you left home. And now, when I’m being the bigger person, picking up the phone to call you first , you rejected them? Is that how I raised you?”
The temptation to toss my phone into the pool was so, so great.
“Obviously you’ve forgotten about your poor, old, aging parents. Very disappointed in you, Ellie. Very disappointed.”
Anger bubbled up behind my rib cage. That’s it. The old Ellie would probably have swallowed the barrage of insults and guilt trips without thinking twice. But the newly updated, vastly improved, Ellie 2.0 wouldn’t take this lying down.
“In case you’ve forgotten, you were the one—”
But she cut me off. “Are you in Port Benedict? With that man who nearly killed you?”
I could feel blood rushing to leave my face. How did she know?
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You are, aren’t you?” She spat out the question, her voice full of contempt. “Eric wouldn’t say anything. I found out on my own, no thanks to you.”
My mind raced, trying to connect the dots, figuring out where or how she could possibly have heard about it. Alec had been careful to post pictures only on Facebook, where Jacqui had her only account, and our family members were excluded every single time. Eric and Naomi were the only people who knew where I was, and I knew they would not say anything.
Who else could have tipped her off?
“Who told you? And what do you want, Mom?”
“Do you know how damaging it would be to have our family name associated with someone like him? Someone from a dishonorable family, whose father is a criminal?”
“His dad may have abandoned them, but he’s not a criminal,” I said. “His mother had to work hard to provide for the children on her own. Alec even had to move here for a job to support his mom and sisters financially. They’re a hardworking, honest family.”
Her reply was a sneering laugh. “Is that what he told you? That he moved away for a job? Oh, darling, he’s not being honest. He’s a liar, just like his dad.”
What did she mean by that? My mind went into a tailspin. What am I missing?
“Nothing good could come from socializing with him and his family. If people—our business partners, the media—found out that a member of our family is fraternizing with someone like him, it’s going to be a catastrophe.”
“Stop exaggerating.”
“I’m not. This is serious.” She sounded offended. “Eric and George’s new brewery just launched, and they can’t afford any negative press associated with it.”
I scoffed. “Of course. The business comes first, second, third, and last. The rest of us are only an afterthought.”
“It has to come first. How do you think we could give you and Eric the best education money can buy? Afford all your medication? Your dad and I started from nothing, and we had to work our tails off when we founded the business. Everything that you and Eric had growing up, the private schools, the overseas trips, it was because we worked so hard and sacrificed so much. To give you two a good life. To guarantee a lasting legacy for our family.”
“I don’t want a legacy. I just wanted a normal family.”
But my mother was unstoppable, on a roll.
“I won’t let you ruin everything that we’ve worked so hard for, over him. So if you have even an ounce of empathy in your body, you’re going to leave that man and fly back home first thing tomorrow morning. You hear me?”
My backbone was screaming bloody murder, wanting to get a word in, to remind her I was an adult. I didn’t have to put up with her controlling and manipulative ways anymore. She needed to stop, and it was way past overdue.
“No. Who I see, or what I do, is none of your business. It’s time you stopped running my life. If you have an ounce of empathy for your daughter, back off and leave me alone.”
I hung up, my body shaking with anger. My phone vibrated again, but I switched it off with a snarl and shoved it back into my pocket.
The night was crystal-clear, with stars dotting the brilliant evening sky. I started walking, aimlessly, and found myself in the lush, darkened garden. The full moon cast shadows over the trees as I wandered along the jogging path, trying to calm myself down.
But the more I thought about her call, her words playing on repeat, the angrier I became. My brain raced, trying to figure out what had just happened. How did she find out where I was? Did Alec make a mistake, not omitting our families from his posts?
But more importantly, what did she mean about Alec being a liar?
Switching my phone back on, I sent rapid-fire text messages to Eric and Naomi, asking if they knew how she’d found out.
I needed some answers. Now.
Turning around, I rushed back toward the main building. I slipped into the restaurant, where the dinner was already winding down. Rob was chatting with a few people at the bar, but Alec was nowhere to be seen. I found him in the lobby, frowning at his phone. Gritting my teeth, I quickened my stride, marching toward him with purpose.
“Hey.”
He looked up. “There you are. I’ve been trying to call you. How did it go?” Noticing my sour face, his frown deepened. “Not good?”
“Somehow my mother worked out where I am.”
He blanched. “What? We were careful with our posts, and Eric wouldn’t say anything.”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. She said it’s not Eric.”
“Who else knew? Would Naomi have said something?”
“I trust her. Maybe you did something wrong with your posts.” My tone was accusing.
“I didn’t.” Alec scrolled through his phone and held up one of his posts for my inspection, showing that it was set to Friends except… “See?”
My phone pinged, and it was my brother, surprised to hear about the phone call. I racked my brain, trying to walk back the past few weeks.
Then it hit me. Something Jacqui had said about a press release.
I scrolled frantically through my phone, then waved it in his face when I found what I was looking for. “The GPG press release, announcing the acquisition. They used the photo from the dinner to accompany the article.”
Alec took the phone, his eyes scanning the post, his face turning grim. He had his arms around me in the picture, both of us beaming at the camera. It was proudly displayed on all Goodwin Property Group’s social media accounts for the entire universe to see. There was a short write-up about Alec and his company, calling him a “prominent, award-winning residential developer on the rise.”
And the proverbial nail in the coffin was the caption.
Alec Mackenzie, CEO of Mackenzie Constructions, and his partner, Ellie Pang.
My heart—and my stomach—crashed to the ground.
“That’s got to be it.” Alec handed me my phone back. “She could have set a Google alert on your name and got notified when the article was posted.”
“She said something else.” My mind jumped back to the conversation with my mother. “About your father being a criminal. Said you’re lying about why you moved here.”
Blood drained from his face, and I was taken aback by his horrified look.
“What was she talking about, Alec? What aren’t you telling me?”
His jaw clenched. “That’s a private family matter. It’s not her story to tell.”
I gaped at him. “So she was right?”
“It’s none of your business. Or hers.” He turned around, walking away from me. “It’s late. I’m going to bed.”
“Don’t you walk away from me. We’re not done here, and you’ve got some explaining to do. Did you really leave home because of a job offer? Why did she call you a liar?”
Alec didn’t reply and kept walking.
“Why did you really leave?” My head felt light, and I could feel the beginning dizziness of a hypo, but I brushed it aside and marched after him, because I was too fired up. “What happened with your dad?”
He only quickened his pace as we speed-walked on the quiet, dimly lit garden path.
“Alec. Stop ignoring me.” My legs were a bit shaky, but I pushed on, moving faster to keep up with him.
He came to an abrupt halt in front of our room, turning around to face me. “You want to know the truth? Yes, my father is a criminal. He had an affair, had a second family with another set of children, nicely tucked away in some small town in God knows where. Whenever we thought he was on a business trip, he actually went to see his second family.”
“You told me that. That makes him the worst father in the world, but not a criminal.”
“Well, he’s both. Because to support that second wife and set of sons, he stole money from his employer.” Alec turned around to slide the key card, then pushed the door open. “He embezzled close to three million dollars over six years and went to prison because of it. The company he worked for paid off a lot of people to keep it hush-hush, so it didn’t make the news. Nine years, Ellie. He was in prison for nine fucking years .”
A soft gasp escaped me. My heart was beating faster, although not from his words. My pump vibrated, likely sending me a gentle warning that I was about to go low and that I should be eating some carbs to avoid that from happening.
Alec stalked across the room to the other end, stopping in front of the sliding patio door. “They let him off early a few years ago for good behavior. So yes, your mother was right.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He glanced at me, looking exhausted. “Because I was ashamed. And I didn’t need your pity, or anyone else’s. That look on your face right now? I never wanted to see that. Even Eric didn’t know. All I told him was that my dad had left us and started a new family.”
I ignored the light-headedness that was knocking louder, making itself known. “But how did my mother know about the embezzlement?”
“Your mother knows a lot of powerful people.”
“Have you seen your dad since he was released?”
“No.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, his eyes watching the darkness outside. “He’s probably living with his second family, or maybe even an entirely new family. We did just fine without him, and we don’t need him coming back into our lives.”
I was sweating, and my pump vibrated again, giving me another warning that I was about to crash. “And why did you move away?”
He was still staring out into the darkness. After what felt like forever, he sighed and finally said, “Because of you.”
My legs wobbled, like they were about to crumble and send me toppling to the ground. The dizziness was now unbearable, and I shook my head, trying to center myself back into the present. But nothing helped.
I knew what was happening. My blood glucose level was dropping rapidly.
Taking a few tentative steps toward the armchair, I slumped down and closed my eyes. Alec was still talking, but I wasn’t listening. My hypo kit was in my bag by the door, but if I tried to get up and walk over to get it, I’d probably collapse after a few steps.
The alarm on my pump beeped loudly this time, followed by my CGM app, both sending me urgent pleas to look after myself.
“Ellie?” Alec must have heard the beeping, because he turned to look at me, alertness snapping into his face. He marched over and knelt in front of me. “Are you having a hypo?”
My head was spinning, so I could only nod and point at my bag. “I need sugar.”
Alec went to grab it, zipping it open as he walked back to me. Shivering, I took the bag from him, but my hands were shaking. Taking over, he pulled out a juice box and a bottle of glucose tablets. I pointed at the bottle, so he opened it and handed me several of the raspberry chewable tablets. He searched my bag, found my blood glucose meter, and pricked my finger.
“You don’t need to do that,” I said, closing my eyes. “I know I’m low.”
“Just to be sure, right?” Alec gently tapped the test strip on the tiny drop of blood. “Better safe than sorry.”
“How did you know?” I was still munching on the tablets as we waited for the result to appear. “How to use a blood glucose meter?”
“I’ve seen you do it when we were younger. And I might have looked up a video or two.”
My eyes flew open, and Ellie the Human Goldfish returned, sashaying back into the room with wide eyes and heart thumping louder than the ocean waves crashing outside. I couldn’t utter a single word, so I just stared at him in astonishment.
Although, really, after everything he’d done for me, should I really be surprised?
His attention went to the flashing red number and downward arrow on the meter. His brows drew together with concern. “Forty-five. That’s very low, isn’t it? Is there anything else we should do? Do you have a glucagon kit?”
Of course he knew about glucagon kits. “You really have been reading up, huh?” I let out a weak chuckle. “No, not yet. Now we wait.” I shuddered, and Alec hopped up, grabbed the comforter from the bed, and wrapped it around me.
“Fifteen minutes? Until your levels are back up?” At my raised eyebrows, he shrugged. “Eric used to set fifteen-minute timers for you all the time, remember? Then another fifteen if you were still low.”
This was grossly unfair. My heart didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of surviving this. How was I supposed to stay mad at him if he kept this up?
“How often do you have hypos? I haven’t seen you have one since you moved here.”
My pump and CGM app beeped again, reminding me that I was still low. Alec was watching me, obviously expecting some kind of verbal answer.
“I have mild ones maybe once, twice a week. But I’m always quick to treat it. This is probably from the swimming and all the games,” I finally said. “I should reduce my insulin intake whenever I do a lot of physical activities. But I was too hyped up with everything that happened today, and I miscalculated. It’s a silly mistake. I should’ve known better.”
He glanced at the timer on his phone. “Eight more minutes. How are you feeling?”
“Better.” My brain fog was starting to lift. “The glucose tablets are working their magic.”
We spent the next seven-and-a-half minutes sitting in companionable silence. He had dragged the other armchair and positioned it next to mine, alternating between checking the CGM app on my phone every few minutes, as we both watched the number slowly creep up, and watching the darkness outside, looking contemplative. When his timer went off, we did another finger prick, making sure I was back to normal.
“Eighty. Much better.” Alec showed me the glucose meter, then checked the number on the CGM app to confirm they corresponded. He let out a long, relieved breath, his shoulders visibly relaxing. “That was scary, Ellie. I thought we were going to have a repeat of ten years ago.”
“No, we weren’t. It was my fault, because I ignored the signs.” I reached for my bag again, where I always kept a small stash of low-GI snacks for after a hypo episode. Pulling out a mini packet of rice crackers, I waved it at him with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. “Would you like something to nibble on? Maybe it’ll take your mind off things.”
“Snacks are the last thing on my mind right now.”
“You sure? These are honey soy chicken flavored. They’re the best.”
He sighed. “I’m being serious. You just shaved ten years off my life.”
“Don’t worry. I’m used to it.”
“You don’t understand.” Alec got up and paced around the room. “You might be used to it, but I’m not. And it was a harsh wake-up call. I can’t live through another episode, like the one you had all those years ago. I can’t watch you being carried on a gurney into another ambulance again, because I cannot lose you, Ellie.” He stopped pacing and stared at me. “Do you understand me? I can’t lose you for the second time.”
I was supposed to finish my packet of crackers, but right now, nothing else seemed to matter. Right now, I should be bursting with happiness, jumping with glee, and shouting my joy from the mountaintops. Because Alec Mackenzie, my fake boyfriend, my longtime childhood crush, the guy I used to hate but was now in love with , was all but confessing his feelings for me.
The question was, What was I going to do about it?