He didn’t take his seat. This would only take a moment. “I told Fin the truth about us. I told her how we make our money and how we spend it. I intended to ask her to marry me.”
“He has great-grandma Amelia Archer’s ring,” said Mom. He shushed her with a glance.
“Fin was upset, confused, which was to be expected. What I didn’t expect was for her to clean my bank account out and run.”
“What?” said Zeke, loud enough that Sherin jumped and Tresna swore.
He held a hand up to prevent further interruptions, and the buzz in the room went silent. “It’s my fault. I allowed Fin access to my accounts, and she took advantage of it. I thought she trusted me. I thought she was in love with me, and that she would come to forgive my duplicity and see that what we do has its own justice. I was prepared to give this up for her. I was wrong. I don’t know how far back her con game started, but it finishes
now. My resignation is effective immediately.”
Zeke shot to his feet. “No. You can track the money.”
“Sit down, Zeke. The money isn’t the important thing. I was conned. I’m not fit to head the firm. I let an untrustworthy outsider have information and access that could’ve pulled us all down. It’s a lucky break Fin only wanted to punish me.”
Zeke thumped a hand on the table, but he had no words.
“I hate being right about this when I was wrong about Fin.” His stomach rioted, and his head thumped. “I have loved being at the head of this company, even when it felt like too much work, even when you gave me a hard time and our commitments were an albatross around my neck. I’ve always believed in what we do, and why we do it, but my bad judgment in this, my arrogance, put us all in danger. I’ve acted like a mark, and that’s not something I can forgive myself for, nor should you. I can’t lead you anymore without further abusing your faith in me.”
“You’re being hasty,” said Zeke. “It only looks bad now because it’s fresh.”
“Fin will regret it and make amends,” said Rory.
It had taken Rory six months to do that. “Fin doesn’t get the same consideration you got,” he said. “She’s not family.” Never would be.
“We should sleep on this,” said Halsey, but Cal could see he was torn between what was right and what was family.
“There’s nothing more to think about. I’ve violated the privilege of being CEO of Sherwood. I’m stepping down and handing over to Zeke.”
Still standing, Zeke looked at Dad. “Put a stop to this.”
Cal had known this would be a shock, but it was the only way to square things with the people he loved the most. “Am I not within my rights to quit?”
“You are,” said Dad. “I wish this was different.”
“All those in favor of Cal quitting,” said Mom.
“It’s not open to a vote,” he said, as every hand stayed down. “I appreciate your loyalty, but it’s a decision I’m entitled to make, and I’ve made it.” He looked at Zeke. “As next in line, Sherwood is yours.”
Zeke braced both hands on the table. “I don’t want this.”
“What will you do?” asked Sherin. Goddamn, Cal had to turn away, her face glistened with tears. He’d not slept, he couldn’t look at food, but whiskey was his new best friend. The friend that hung on long after they should’ve known you were bad together and going to get into serious trouble.
But there wasn’t much more trouble he could get into once he separated from the family. He’d sell up: art, furniture, stocks. Meanwhile, he barely had enough scratch to buy a burger without credit, but he wasn’t destitute, except in the way that mattered most. He no longer knew how he was supposed to navigate in the world when he was the one being fooled, or how he was supposed to feel about Fin when all he could do was ache for her.
He’d gotten it all so wrong. He’d known it was dangerous to soften, to let himself fall in love with her, but he’d done it anyway, and it had wrecked her to know the truth of them was built on deception.
He’d been careless and heartless, mistaking Fin’s joy for boundless acceptance and her new confidence for unshakeable resolve. Then he’d made her feel humiliated, insecure, and threatened as he traded truth for a promise of forever—gilt and diamond for stark reality—and that dishonor, more than anything, seared him bloody.
“Might be time to look at getting a regular job.”
Saying that was blasphemy, and he should’ve been more careful. The room erupted. He held both hands up, palms out to quiet them. “I need to take some time to figure how I got it so wrong.”
“You didn’t get it wrong, Cal. Fin is a bi—”
“Don’t complete that sentence, Tresna. I used Fin. She found a way to use me back. She’s tipped the money into her own charity. She didn’t keep a cent for herself. She did to me everything I taught her that we do to others. I don’t see how I can complain about that. I was wrong to challenge the outsiders rule. When you don’t come from this world, it’s impossible to understand how it works. It’s like being born into a different religion or a different skin, and I’m asking you now to be tolerant of that for me and for Fin.”
While they digested that, he moved to the center of the table where Mom sat and put Grandma Amelia’s ring in front of her. She snatched his arm. “You’re not to spend too long looking for answers, Cal. Everyone is a fool for love.”