Obsession Falls (The Haven Brothers #1)

“And he was good to me, for the most part. He gave me a comfortable life. And he certainly ensured a very comfortable life for me now that he’s gone.”

She stopped again and set her tea on the table. I didn’t know what to say.

“But there were temptations. Every man in power faces them. Most, if not all, succumb at some point.”

My eyes widened and a sick feeling spread through my stomach.

“He did succumb, for a time, at least.”

“Mom, what are you saying?”

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Your father had an affair.”

Maybe it shouldn’t have surprised me as much as it did, but her words sliced through my heart like a knife. I stared at her, dumbfounded. Heartbroken. Devastated.

“He what?”

“She was his secretary, if you can believe it. Some clichés exist because there is truth to them.”

“How did you find out?”

“He admitted it.”

“And you stayed with him?”

Her expression hardened. “You’ve never been in my shoes, so you have no room to judge me.”

“I’m not judging you, I just can’t imagine.”

“I had a young child and at the time, I hoped we’d have more. He confessed and made amends. We went to counseling. We decided it was in the best interest of the family if we made it work.”

“Why are you telling me this now?”

A spasm of pain crossed her features and she looked away. “I didn’t think I’d ever need to tell you. Especially after he passed away. I thought, well, it’s all over now. He was never perfect, but who is? He made his mistakes and I made mine and it’s all in the past.”

“But?”

She pressed her lips together for a long moment, as if steeling herself for what she was about to say. “They had a son.”

How I didn’t fall backward onto the kitchen floor, I had no idea. It felt like I’d just been hit in the face with a board. “What?”

“She got pregnant. He did the right thing. He supported them financially until the child was eighteen.”

“Did you know? From the beginning, did you know about all this?”

“Yes.”

Unable to keep still, I got up from the table. “Are you telling me I have a brother I never knew about?”

“Technically speaking, yes.”

“Technically?” It was hard to keep my voice from rising. “That’s not a technicality. Dad had a son, that makes him my brother. How old is he?”

“You were five when he was born.”

“Where did he live? Did I ever meet him?”

“He grew up in town. We took care to keep you apart, and with the age gap, you wouldn’t have crossed paths very often.”