I turned to lock eyes with her, fire running through my veins.
“A photographer asked me about it after the game. I said you are not married. I look like a fool now.”
She hung her head. “I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I just sold my company to Vanessa and I’m donating as much as my attorney allows me to charity and giving as much as I’m allowed to my mom. I’ve offered Hugh half of everything many times, but he won’t take it. I’m hoping that when he sees our shared assets getting lower and lower, he’ll realize I’m willing to give away everything if that’s what it takes.”
I looked away again, so pissed off I could hardly see straight. My life had taken a nosedive off a cliff in a matter of an hour.
“You lied to me.”
“I guess if lying by omission is a thing…then yes, I did.” Her voice broke with emotion. “I’m ashamed, Lars. Ashamed of everything Hugh has done to me and ashamed I married him.”
The anguish in her tone tore at my heart. I’d fallen in love with her, and a part of me wanted so badly to protect and comfort her.
I couldn’t, though. My mother had raised me to be honest and hardworking. She loathed deceit, and I did, too. I liked to think that if my father could see the man I’d become, he’d be proud of me. But a man who’d carried on a relationship with another man’s wife was nothing to be proud of.
“I cannot do this, Sheridan,” I said, my heart cracking in two as I looked down at the floor.
“What do you mean? You can’t do what? Our relationship?”
She was crying, and I knew I’d break if I looked at her. I was back under the pile of rocks, but this time, the rocks were larger and heavier. The weight was oppressive, like I couldn’t escape.
“I cannot be with someone who is not honest with me.”
I unlocked the front door and threw it open, wanting to bolt but waiting to see if she had anything left to say.
“Fine,” she finally said, her voice tearful. “I’ll never be with a man who doesn’t want me again. Fuck you for making me believe you were better than that.”
Without another word, I slammed the door behind me, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. This was a kind of betrayal I’d never experienced. All I wanted was to be alone.
Tonight.
Tomorrow.
Forever.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sheridan
* * *
With a heavy sigh, I turned away from the bathroom mirror after a brief glance. I didn’t look like a woman who’d ever made a living on my looks. My skin was a wreck and dark circles drew attention to my puffy eyes. Was there enough concealer in the world to cover up the devastation on my face?
I didn’t know how I was going to get through the first day of Vanessa owning the company. It felt like I’d been carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders with everything going on with Hugh, but I’d had Lars’s massive shoulders to lean on. Now I had no one.
On top of everything else, Thanksgiving was in two days, and I was coming up short on things to be thankful for at the moment.
God, this sucked.
I managed to make myself presentable and walked to work, since the fresh air was supposed to be good for me. I hadn’t felt so lost and alone in more than two years, since the night when the accountant I’d hired had told me how much money Hugh had been funneling out of our joint accounts. My suspicions about his financial dishonesty confirmed, I’d gone home early and caught him with a petite blond who’d been giving him a golden shower. I’d been mortified, humiliated, and heartbroken to know that my husband was that much of an asshole. I hadn’t even liked Hugh anymore at that point though. This time around was much worse because I was still crazy in love with Lars.
Not anymore, I told myself firmly as I walked into the building.
“Ms. Lee.” One of the security guards at the front desk was staring at me. “Good, um, morning.”
“Good morning, Chet.” I frowned at the weird look on his face but got on the elevator.
I really didn’t want to be here today but Vanessa and I needed to show a united front so the staff wouldn’t panic, so I had to be here for at least half a day. Maybe I’d cut out early and head over to my mom’s when I was done. I could pack a bag and spend the weekend there, let her spoil me a little after I told her about Lars.
“Hey.” Vanessa was standing there when I got off the elevator, her brows lowered with concern.
“Hi.”
“I don’t want you to get upset. Just go home and let me handle everything.”