Breaking Kate: The Acceptance Series

by Kelly, D.

  I know your father will take care of you, and even though there will be strings attached, I want you to let him until you graduate from school. I want you to take your college years and figure out what you truly want out of life and how you would spend it if money were never a problem for you. I urge you to keep this letter to yourself which is why I specifically hired this firm to take care of everything for you.

  In a trust account that you will have access to when you turn 25 years old is 25 million dollars. By the time you turn 25, the balance should be much larger the way the trust is set up with interest. My assumption is that you will have nearly 50 million dollars available to you on your 25th birthday, my love. Do good with it, save the world, save yourself, find your passion and happiness, and be amazing. Do with the money whatever makes you happy, but be smart and save for a rainy day, so that one day your children can receive an amazing gift from you as well—a secured financial future.

  My darling, I love you more than you will ever know. When you have a child of your own, you will understand the depths of my love. Happy Birthday, my beautiful Katie Grace. I will leave you now with one of my favorite quotes in hope that you take away from it what I did and don’t ever waste a precious moment. I don’t think there are truer words that have ever been spoken.

  “There are five things in life you can never get back. The stone after it is thrown, the word after it is said, the occasion after it is missed, time after it is gone, and a person after they die.”

  All of my love until one day we meet again,

  Mom

  I never told anyone other than Jess about the letter. It was personal and private and it gave me so much happiness and sadness at the same time. It was like I finally got to say goodbye to my mom. She was able to impart some wisdom on me and I don’t take any of it for granted. It did make me somewhat sad because it was a final goodbye, but her words are forever etched into my soul. I know with the money I can be a child psychologist and not worry about my dad and his wishes. I’ll be able to help as many kids as I want because I can practice for free. I plan on opening my own little non-profit organization and calling it Lila’s Place after my mom.

  Lila Kelly Moore, the most amazing woman I never got to fully know. When reading her letter, I knew without hesitation the love she spoke of is Michael. One day I will marry him; I know it to the depths of my soul. Right now, though, thinking about him while carrying everything into the house and putting it away is tying me up in knots. It’s only been about forty-five minutes since I left the hospital but I was hoping I would have heard some news by now.

  I pour myself a glass of water and sit on the couch. It still smells like paint in the condo, and everything in here is brand new. I really love this condo. It has two master bedrooms—one for myself and one for Jess. Both bedrooms have full bathrooms with big spa tubs and walk-in closets. Downstairs there is a living room, a dining area, kitchen, and another full bathroom. We picked out a big L-shaped couch in brown microfiber with reclining ends and a pull-out center—that way there are plenty of places for people to sleep if they come to visit.

  It’s late almost two a.m., and I’m anxious and tired. I was up at five this morning so I could be to work by seven. I went in early since it was my last day and only worked until noon so that Michael and I could enjoy one last day at the beach before school starts. Today was the only way we could make it work with all the moving and packing we have coming up in the next couple of weeks. I packed up my things at the office and had lunch with Grant after work. Thinking back on our conversation, nothing seemed out of place—we caught up on the usual stuff. He asked me if his son was going to make an honest woman out of me anytime soon. Laughing, I told him he would know better than I did, but I wasn’t worried because we have our whole lives ahead of us. Sitting here now, that time frame does not seem very long, especially after remembering my mom and seeing how Grant is so ill. I wish there was something I could be doing right now so I text Michael.

  Me: Any news yet? I love you and I’m here for you.

  No response. I didn’t think there would be. I start dozing off, curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. I get up and put the key under the mat on the porch and text him again. It’s almost four a.m.

  Me: I love you. I hope you’re okay. I left the key under the mat in case I fall asleep.

  I turn on the TV to some random infomercial and fall asleep. Hearing a noise, I jump up. I look at my phone and see that it’s 4:45 in the morning when the knob on the door turns. Finally! I get up and run to the door as Michael walks through. He looks awful—his piercing blue eyes look dull, his blonde hair is all messed up from running his hands through it all night, his cheeks are puffy and stained with tears, and his clothes are wrinkled from sitting in a chair all night. Oh god, my heart aches for him so much. My beautiful, loving boyfriend looks like a hollow, empty shell. I need him. I need to touch him, to hug him. He won’t even look at me; he just continues to stare down at the floor.

  “Michael, please say something. You’re scaring me, babe. How is your dad?”

  He reaches for me and hugs me tight, tighter than ever before. He’s sobbing, and I can feel his body shaking uncontrollably, completely racked with grief.

  “He’s gone, Katherine, he died an hour ago. He was driving drunk and hit the center divider going eighty miles per hour. The cop said he was surprised he wasn’t dead on the scene. The car was torn in half. Oh god, Katherine, how can he be gone?”

  Stunned, shocked, and devastated—all of these emotions are running through me as I watch the boy I love with all of my heart and soul cry like there’s no tomorrow. I grab his hand, lead him into the bedroom, take off his shoes, and have him lie down. I go into the kitchen to get him some water and try to calm myself a little bit. My sobs are almost worse than his, but I need to be here for him right now. Looking at him lying on the bed, he looks so small, so desolate. I get him to take a drink of water and lie down facing him. I just hold him and let him cry. There are no words, just utter sadness. As he eventually cries himself to sleep with me wrapped in his arms, I fall into a restless sleep.

  I wake up to the sun shining through the windows. Michael is perched on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. I stretch and sit next to him, reaching out to hold his hand, but he pulls away from me.

  “Katherine, I couldn’t talk last night. I needed you—at least the girl I thought you were—the girl my parents loved as their own. Right now I am so angry at you, at my dad, at your dad, at the whole fucking universe! I can’t believe he drove drunk! All those lectures through high school about drinking and driving and that’s how he dies! My mom’s convinced it’s your fault, your dad’s fault, and I’m trying so hard to not believe that, but I have to hear it from you. Yesterday, at lunch, did you talk to my dad about the Thompson takeover being completed?”

  My head is spinning. Why is he blaming me? He’s talking like I don’t love him or his family. What’s going on? I can hear the heartbreak in his voice, see it on his face. His anger is fueled by his broken heart. I have no clue what I can do to make this better for him.

  “Michael, I don’t understand. Why are you talking like this? Like I did something? I loved your dad. I love you, I love your mom; you’re my family. What is going on?”

  Through gritted teeth and tears he asks me again, “Did you talk to my dad about the Thompson takeover being complete?”

  “Your dad asked me what I had been up to besides not getting you to make an honest woman out of me yet. I told him how happy I was that summer was over, that I was tired of pushing papers, and how I was grateful to have the nightmare paperwork of the Thompson takeover completed. He asked me what I meant about the takeover being completed, and I told him that the paperwork had been finalized and I was finally able to clear the files off my desk. That’s nothing out of the ordinary for the office, Michael. I deal with files all day long, making sure all the appropriate documents are there and that all the signature spaces a
re signed. When they’re all complete, I file them away.”

  “Is there any particular reason you mentioned that file to him specifically?”

  I really don’t understand why he’s asking these questions.

  “No, other than it was an ongoing project from the beginning of summer until now. It was nice to feel like I got the biggest project filed away before leaving since yesterday was my last day. After my lunch with Grant, I went straight to you. I never went back to the office because I had packed up my desk before going to lunch with your dad. Please, Michael, tell me what this is all about.”

  He takes a deep breath as he continues to wring his hands through his hair. “My mom thinks you knew and didn’t say anything until it was over on purpose. She said your dad had a lot to gain from the Thompson takeover and that he must have filled you in on what a delicate situation it was. God, Katherine, I don’t know what to think, but if you didn’t know, your dad still did, which means your family did this to us.”

  “I don’t know all the details but what I do know is my dad was a silent partner in Thompson Industries. He helped fund them when they were a small startup firm; this was before he was even a partner with your dad. It’s no secret that your dad holds forty percent of the shares and my dad owns forty percent, and for either of them to be fired, the board of directors has to agree. My dad never knew about the Thompson Industries takeover. Your dad went to the board and said that my dad being a silent partner in Thompson was in violation of his non-compete clause in his contract. He convinced them that they had no other choice but to let him go since they were dissolving Thompson Industries after taking it over. They had the board meeting yesterday during your lunch. When my dad got back to work, his office was packed up and a check paying him out the diluted portion of all that was left of his shares in Thompson was given to him. Five hundred thousand dollars, that’s it. Since the board agreed to fire him for breach of contract he did not even get a severance package from his own damn company. To keep them both honest, it was in their original agreement that if either of them were ever fired for a moral or ethical breach that they agreed to sell their stock in the company back at the price they paid for it when they started the company. My dad received another check for two million dollars. A man who started the day being owner of two multi-million dollar corporations is now reduced to two and a half million dollars.

  “Want to know what the kicker is, Katherine? My dad did disclose he was an owner in Thompson; it was in the original contract. He went home yesterday to get it and it was missing. Remember why we moved? Why we just bought this behemoth of a house? The one my parents spent five million dollars on? Because we were robbed. Remember how strange it was that someone was able to get past the security system and get in? The place was a mess but nothing was missing. My dad was sure yesterday that you or your dad broke in and replaced the original agreement with the fake one that didn’t disclose the partnership in Thompson. Great thinking by the way; do it months ahead of time so no one would be the wiser. The money he got won’t even pay off the house, cars, pay for my school or anything. Your father cancelled everything yesterday; the company-paid life insurance is gone so now there is no life insurance payout. We are screwed and it’s all thanks to you and him! So, Katherine, how much did you know? How long were you leading me on to get the information you needed?”

  It feels like someone has kicked me in the chest. I can’t breathe, I can’t think, this can’t be happening.

  “Michael, I swear I didn’t know anything about this. I am not him! I would never take advantage of your family, of anyone, ever. I don’t need my dad’s approval or his money! I have my own. I get it when I turn twenty-five. My mom made me swear never to tell anyone, he doesn’t even know.”

  I am sobbing so hard and can’t stop. It’s is utterly ridiculous that he would even begin to think I would have something to do with this. Michael gets up and goes to his bag I brought in from the beach last night.

  “Michael, please tell me you believe me. I would never break into your house or give my dad the code. I didn’t go to lunch with your dad to trick him; I went because it’s what we do. I loved Grant. He was more of a father to me than my own ever was. If this is true, I don’t even want to know him. I love you! Please tell me you believe me.”

  Michael looks at me with nothing but contempt and pure anger in his eyes.

  “My dad knew I had this. He knew I was going to give it to you last night, but maybe his accident was his way of letting me know I can’t trust you. I can’t be a part of your family and you definitely can’t be a part of ours. Joseph Moore did this with your help or without it—his blood courses through your veins, it’s in your soul—and one day, you will turn into a traitorous bitch because of it.”

  He throws a ring box at me, and I look down at it with trepidation as the tears fall from my eyes. While I continue to stare at the box he whispers, “It took me so long to find a ring that is almost as beautiful as you.”

  I slowly open the box, and as I do, the inside lights up showcasing a gorgeous diamond flanked by two emeralds on each side and tiny diamonds wrapping all the way around the band. It is absolutely the most exquisite ring I have ever seen—it quite literally takes my breath away. I close the box and take a deep breath, afraid to look at him; I can’t bear to see the pain, anger, and betrayal in his eyes.

  “Michael, you’re angry right now, and you have every right to be. Please listen to me, hear me. I did not do this. I had no knowledge that any of this was happening. You know me, Michael Matthews. You know my heart down to the depths of my soul, and deep down you know I am telling you the God’s honest truth. I’m going to go home, pack my stuff, and move in here today. When my dad gets back from the Bahamas, I’m going to confront him to find out what is going on. Believe in me, baby, please believe in us. I couldn’t love anyone in the world more than I love you.”

  I’m a mess—a complete sobbing, hysterical mess. My dad has wrecked any chance I had at happiness. How could he do this to them? They are the most decent, honest family I have ever known and he has destroyed them.

  Shaking his head, Michael snatches the ring back from my hand and puts it in his bag. “I loved you more than anything in the world, Katherine, but time won’t change this. Even if you didn’t know—and I’m not convinced that you’re innocent in this—your dad did. I can never be a part of his world, or his family, and that means I can’t be with you. Please don’t contact me again and don’t even think about trying to come to the funeral; you and your father are not welcome.” He grabs his bag and walks out the door, never looking back. I flop myself back on the bed and cry until there are no more tears.

  Chapter 1 - Michael 3 years later

  Las Vegas, also known as Sin City, is my current job location for the next few days. How could anyone not love a city whose entire motto is ‘what happens here, stays here’? I’m staying at the MGM Grand this time around. When I come with the guys they like to stay at the newest hotels, but I like the MGM. It’s not that old, and you just can’t beat a hotel where there’s a bartender who not only knows your name, but also remembers your drink order no matter how long it’s been since your last visit.

  I checked in late last night after work and crashed as soon as I got here. Today is Friday and I don’t have to be back at the site until tomorrow. I spent most of the day at the pool relaxing. Vegas in January is usually freezing, but today it was actually hovering around seventy-three, and that was nice enough for me to babe watch from a pool side cabana. I need a new distraction—someone who can keep my mind off of Katherine.

  It’s been almost four years, but lately I’ve been thinking about her daily. Hell, I have always thought about her daily, but now she haunts my mind every waking second of the day. I wish I was lucky enough to avoid her in my sleep, but it’s even worse then. My dreams are filled with visions of her laughing and of us making love; those dreams are the best because I can actually feel the emotion in them. Before the
dream ends, it is always the same—the dream morphs into the day we broke up, the day I left her shattered in pieces, then all that happiness evaporates into a gut-searing pain. I wake up in a cold fucking sweat Every. Single. Night. Lately, the dreams are getting even more vivid and they seem to last a lot longer. I wonder how many times I can relive seeing the heartbreak in her eyes and feel the pain crushing through my soul.

  It really doesn’t help that tomorrow is her birthday, but that’s why I volunteered to come out here this weekend—so that I would be sure to stay far away from Los Angeles. I know, without a doubt, if I had stayed home I would’ve gone to Connor’s party and gotten drunk. Anytime an emotional anniversary comes up it seems like Connor is having a party that weekend. As much as I tell myself I won’t drink, I always do, to the point of oblivion. Well, up until six months ago that is. Up until I fucked Vanessa right under Daniel’s nose. To be fair, I would’ve never been with her on a good day sober or drunk. She’s a grade A bitch, and I still wonder if she didn’t slip something in my drink that night because even drunk, I have never not known who I was fucking.

  The best thing that came out of that night was Daniel finally breaking up with her. It killed us all to see how much she continually used him for his money. I get that she comes from trailer trash, drug addict parents who are barely conscious of what day it is, but she didn’t have to be vindictive and act like life owes her something. I grew up privileged, but I left it all behind and built myself up from the bottom after Katherine and I broke up. Leaving was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but it was the best thing that could’ve happened to me and helped me grow into the man I was meant to be.