Web Of Lies (The Lies Trilogy Book 1)

by J. G. Sumner

  “I agree,” Parker states. “Let’s get this all out in the open. There are so many unknowns. I for one would like to find out what happened to my trust fund and why my father was so hell bent on destroying my marriage.”

  “All right. I’ll make the call to Jonathon, and Porter, you call Edward. Let’s all meet at your house at about five this evening. We’ll tell them it’s a dinner.”

  “I like that.” Parker smiles and gets up for a glass of water.

  “I’m going to head out to get my house ready. Let me know if anything comes up. Why don’t you plan to get over there about four? That way we can all be ready when the parents arrive.” Porter stands and heads for the door.

  “Sounds good. We’ll see you there.” I give Porter a fist bump. It’s almost like nothing ever happened between us. I like that and hope it continues after tonight. Who knows? Everything could change in a few hours.

  I pour another cup of coffee. The wheels are starting to turn a little faster in my head. Thoughts are coming clearly and I’m no longer as sluggish as I was a few minutes before.

  “I called Beth’s mom. She said you stayed around for a while so she could go home and get some sleep.”

  This isn’t an innocent question from Parker. This is her attempt to probe me for answers. She wants to know what’s going on between Beth and me.

  “Yeah. She looked exhausted. Beth was sleeping so I offered to hang back for a little bit. I actually fell asleep in the chair. I was surprised how late it was when I woke up.” I open the pantry in search of a bagel or some other breakfast product to eat.

  “She said Beth was doing better. She’s more awake today.”

  I start to wonder where this is going. Does Parker know Beth is pregnant? And if she does, is she trying to get me to come out and say it?

  “That’s good. The nurse said that she would be fatigued for a couple of days. Apparently the idiot who drugged her used enough to drug an elephant. She’s lucky to be alive.”

  “I offered to pay her medical bills,” Parker says after a long beat, but Dianne said they were already covered. Someone else is paying for them. Do you know who that could be?”

  I turn around and face Parker, as baffled as she is. “Really? Who would do that? I didn’t think they had anyone very close to them.”

  “Me either. I thought we were pretty close. She told me the dad died early on and never met Beth. I figured Dianne had been struggling because she worked three jobs to make ends meet. Maybe she met someone at one of my events who offered to help with the costs.”

  “I don’t know. Whoever is paying for it is very generous. I honestly think we should be responsible since it happened in our house.”

  Parker nods. “I agree. Dianne says we’ve been more than generous and she doesn’t hold us responsible for what happened. She is a nice a lady. I guess that’s one good thing that came out of all of this. I have made a good friend. Also, I told Dianne we won’t be needing Beth’s services any longer. As much as we appreciate everything she’s done with the boys, I think it’s time to part ways. I’ve also told her that I believe Beth has a crush and that she’s been hitting on you. She agreed to keep Beth away.”

  I don’t say anything. What can I say?

  “I do think it’s for the best. Especially if we have any chance of working things out between us.” Parker stands in front of me, trying to read my expression. I don’t give her one.

  “If that’s what you want, then fine.”

  “It shouldn’t be about what I want. It should be about what we want. Don’t you want to try and repair our relationship? Or are you that involved with Beth?”

  I remain silent.

  “Answer me, dammit! I have the right to know. You owe me that much.”

  “I don’t know. It’s complicated. I love both of you for very different reasons.”

  My words are like a knife straight through Parker’s heart. The dam breaks and tears fall. “You love her? How can you love her? She’s barely eighteen. You and I have been together for twenty years. We have three children together. Isn’t that worth fighting for?”

  “You left me alone for over a year, Parker. You wouldn’t have sex with me, there was no emotional connection. You didn’t want me. There was someone who was around every day who thought I was the most amazing person in the world. She worshiped the ground I walked on. She listened to me and cared. Feelings developed. I didn’t plan for it to happen, but it did.”

  “Did you sleep with her?”

  Fuck! I knew this was going to go there.

  “Parker, do you really want to have this conversation? Do you want to know all the gory details of my relationship with Beth? How about we save that and not put each other through any more pain?”

  “You did! You had sex with her. Was it while the two of you were in the Caymans? How could you do this?” Parker grabs my coffee mug and throws it across the room. “You’re such a slimeball. She’s a child.”

  “And what does that make you? Her pimp? You’re the one who brought her in this house with the very intention of trying to get us closer and get information from me. You’re no saint here either.”

  Crap! I did what I didn’t want to do; I let my anger get the best of me and said things I shouldn’t have.

  Parker covers her face with her hand and continues to sob. I put my arms around her.

  “Don’t touch me!” she yells, shoving my arms away.

  “Come on, I don’t want to fight about this. We have bigger fish to fry right now.” I put my arms around her again and kiss the top of her head.

  Parker leans into me, crying a little harder. “Please tell me we can fix this. Please tell me everything is going to be okay.”

  “Everything is going to work out the way it’s supposed to. We have to believe that.” I rub my hand up and down her back. I wish I could give her more. I wish I had all the answers, but I don’t. I got my mistress pregnant. When Parker finds out, there’s no going back. Even if I did want us to get back together, the likelihood of her wanting to would be slim to none.

  Parker hugs me back. It’s a good feeling, secure and comfortable. Something I’ve embraced for two decades. Our love was so strong and this entire family has been torn apart by stupid lies. I can’t wait to find out the truth. “Let’s go hang out with the boys for a little bit before we head on over to Porter’s.” I take Parker’s hand and lead her out of the kitchen.

  She wipes the tears from her eyes and forces a smile. This is a trying time for everyone involved, but I have a feeling we’re going to get through it. Call me an eternal optimist, but things seem to be looking up.

  ***

  We arrive at Porter’s house a little later than planned. It was hard for Parker and I to leave the kids after what happened the last time they were out of our sight. I thought about bringing them and hiding them in a room at Porter’s but that didn’t seem like a good idea. Besides, Tanner is unable to stay quiet for too long. He’s a busybody.

  “So this is it. The moment of truth when we find out what’s been going on in our lives.” Porter looks a little weary.

  Out of all of us, he’s the one whose life was most significantly impacted. I can’t imagine what it would be like to find out the man you’ve called Dad your entire life really wasn’t that person. Talk about identity crisis. I put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. “Are you going to be okay?”

  He nods. “I think so. I can’t imagine anything could be more surprising that what I’ve already learned.”

  “I agree.”

  Parker brings some trays of food out to the living room. I retrieve them from her and lay them out on the table. On her way out with more items, I notice the bags under her eyes and the worry consuming her face. I take the bowls out of her hand and set them down.

  “It’s going to be okay,” I say, putting my arms around her to try and reassure her.

  She remains silent. She’s like a robot going through the motions.

  The
doorbell rings and my stomach flutters. I remind myself to remain calm and try to sort through the bullshit without getting too flustered. Emotions are running high enough. There’s no need to add fuel to this fire.

  Porter wipes his palms on his jeans before answering the door.

  I breathe a sigh of relief when I find my parents standing there. This is going to help me ease into things. I don’t know if I wanted them to show up first, but now they’re here, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

  I kiss both of their cheeks, lingering a bit longer with Mom. I haven’t seen her in months.

  “I think it’s time the two of you stay around for a while. I’ve missed you. Life is too short to not be able to spend it together.”

  My mom smiles and her face lights up. It’s hard for me to believe that this woman standing before me, the one who looks sweet and innocent, could have caused so much trouble for our families.

  My father embraces Porter, who is a little standoffish at first then eases into the embrace. “Son, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

  “Please, come in and sit down.” I gesture for them to have a seat on the couch. As they moved past me, I notice they both look tanner and I wonder where they’ve been hiding out for these months. My guess is on a tropical island sipping fruity beverages.

  We all sit around my parents and it’s kind of an awkward moment. I decide to break the ice.

  “We’ve asked you to come here because we want to know what’s going on. What’s really going on. Porter’s gotten a different story from Edward and Suzanne than what you told me, Dad. We’d like to know exactly what we’re dealing with and how to protect ourselves.” I pause for a second. “We’ve also asked Edward and Suzanne to come here so we can all be in the same room for this discussion.”

  My father stands immediately. “Son, that’s not a good idea. They think I’m dead. It could blow our entire cover.”

  “Actually my dad, I mean Edward, knows you’re alive,” Porter says. “He just hasn’t been able to find you yet.”

  “I don’t think this is a good idea. We should do this another time. Come on, Penny.” My dad takes Mom’s hand and escorts her to the door. Just as he opens the door, they come face to face with Parker’s parents.

  The three of us immediately jump up to run interference if necessary. The four of them look at each other in surprise.

  “Now that we have everyone together, how about you all come in and sit down? It will be just like old times,” Porter announces with a slight bite in his voice.

  The four of them stand there frozen. I approach my mom and lead her back to the couch. “It’s time we got everything out in the open.”

  “Very clever. I assume you kids are proud of yourselves,” Edward snipes.

  “No, Dad, we just want all this fighting to end. This is the only way we knew to do it.” Parker closes the door behind Edward. “Would anyone care for something to drink?”

  My dad quickly raises his hand. “Scotch for me.”

  “I’m sorry, but we’re leaving the alcohol alone tonight. Hot heads and booze don’t mix. I’ll bring everyone some water.” Parker disappears into the kitchen, not giving them a choice of what to drink.

  Internally, I laugh. She cut them off at the pass. I love witty Parker.

  Jonathon comes up close and whispers in my ear, “I wish we would’ve talked about this first. I think you’re making a big mistake.”

  I nod, slightly concerned about my decision. However, knowledge is power and the more I have, the better decisions I can make. No more cryptic responses and lies. It may be a bad idea in my father’s eyes, but not in mine.

  “Shall we begin?” Porter asks when Parker brings out the drinks.

  “Sure. If you don’t mind, I’d like to go first,” I announce. “Mom, did you ever date Edward? Or for that matter, have you ever had a crush on him?”

  The surprised on her face tells me what I need to know before she even speaks. “No, Edward and I have never been an item. Nor has there even been a thought of it. Your father has been the love of my life since we met in college.”

  “How about you tell me how you met.”

  “Honey, you’ve heard the story a million times.”

  “Please, just so it’s clear for everyone.”

  Penny sighs heavily. “Jonathon and I met at a sorority mixer. My sorority was doing a fundraiser for the less fortunate. It was a luncheon with an auction. Your father came to the event. Our eyes met across the room and it was love at first sight. I’ve never looked at another man since.”

  “What about Suzanne? Was she there?”

  “You know she was. We were best friends and in the same sorority. She assisted with all of the planning and whatnot.”

  “What did she think of Dad?”

  “She thought he was very handsome. She said I was very lucky to have met him. She mentioned that she was a little jealous.”

  “So how did Suzanne and Edward meet?”

  “Honey, I’m starting to feel like one of your clients. Am I going to be cross-examined by Porter?” She chuckles.

  “Please, Mom. This is important.”

  “After Jonathon and I had been dating for a couple of months, he came up with the idea of introducing Suzanne to Edward. He thought they would make a great couple. Plus Edward was recently single. Obviously they hit it off, because we have beautiful Parker as a result.” Penny smiles at my wife.

  “Mom, is this true?” Porter asks.

  Suzanne nods.

  “So why did you cheat on Edward with my dad? Why have you kept it a secret all these years?”

  Tears weep from Suzanne’s eyes. “I don’t know why it happened. I’d been drinking a lot. Hardly ever sober. Looking back on it now, I might’ve had a problem. My father had recently passed away and I wasn’t coping very well. Edward tried to make me happy, but nothing was working.

  “The night we went out it was to celebrate my birthday. We were all having such a lovely time. It was the first time I had smiled in months. Unfortunately, the night was cut short early because Penny was tired and wanted to go home and Edward wasn’t feeling well. He was so happy to see me smiling that he begged Jonathon to stay out with me. Needless to say, we had a lot more to drink. I don’t remember everything that happened, I only remember waking up next to Jonathon in the morning. It’s definitely not one of my prouder moments. However, it did bring me you, Porter. And for that I will be eternally grateful.

  “As for the secret, it never was one. Not from Edward. We had been having problems conceiving. We found out early on that Edward had a low sperm count and we probably couldn’t conceive naturally. So when I got pregnant, I immediately suspected it was because of that night. When I was far enough along, we had a paternity test done. At first Edward was mad. It almost ended our marriage. However, his parents didn’t want there to be a family scandal and so they made sure we stayed together. Over time he learned to forgive me.”

  “So you’ve known all of this time and never once did you say anything to me? You never thought I should know who my real father is? Unbelievable!” Porter is losing his cool. He has every right to, but there is so much we still have to learn. I put my hand on his shoulder as a silent reminder to calm down. “Edward, I’d like to know why you’ve been trying to ruin me. Why would you want your daughter to end up in a divorce? Why did my dad go into hiding because of you?”

  Edward looks over at my dad. “Would you like to share this or do you want me to?”

  “Go ahead.” Jonathon waves Edward on.

  “As you know, your father and I have always been in business together. We’ve made a very successful living at it. Like the two of you, we wanted to have a business outside of what our parents had. We wanted to make our own way, so to speak. However, we certainly didn’t go as drastic as you children did. We still had an image to uphold. There is no way our parents would’ve allowed us to live the simple existence you have chosen. It was expected that we would live around
the rest of the family in the country.

  “Anyway, we got involved with several different ventures. The more we started investing in that were successful, the riskier the chances we took. One in particular became more than we had bargained for, an investment in an underground casino. The mistake we made was hiding behind Davis-Matthews enterprises to pay for it.

  “At first it was exciting. The money started rolling in. We had inexperienced gamblers come in and spend all of their money. It became our Friday night hangout, kind of like a gentleman’s club. After a couple of years, we got some legitimate players in. It became more of a high end sort of gaming. Word got out to some of the major casino owners, many of whom had connections with the mafia. They started raiding our clubs and tearing things up. Eventually they demanded a cut of our profits in exchange for allowing our operations to function.

  “Time went by, and the money we made was less and their demands more. We tried to close down the clubs, but the mafia bosses were bringing in too much income. We became aware very quickly that we were in over our heads and there wasn’t a way out. We were losing money faster than we were making it at Davis-Matthews. We found out there were some shady dealings going on, which was why we were taking a significant loss. When we tried to dissolve our interests in the club and give it away to the mafia, we were met with a billion dollar price tag. That’s what they wanted for us to walk away and remove Davis-Matthews from any and all affiliation.

  “Long story short, I was willing to pay them to get them to leave us alone. Jonathon felt that if we paid they would only continue to extort us for more money. That’s when he liquidated his assets in Davis-Matthews and disappeared. We made it look as though hostility and disagreement transpired between us. In a way, it had. We couldn’t come to an agreement about what to do.

  “I emptied our bank accounts, including Porter’s and Parker’s trust funds to pay them off. I’ve also been in the process of selling the company in order to finish paying them. Unfortunately, your father is right. There continue to be demands and it looks as though they are trying to bankrupt us.”