“Who are you to tell me anything about my sister? You know nothing about her.”
“I know more than you think. I know she has a soft heart, and despite all you’ve done against Abraham and Isaac, she still thinks you’re one of the good guys. If you do what you’re planning to do, you’ll break her heart. She’ll never look at you the same again.”
“Let me worry about my sister,” Michael said. He tapped Alan in the chest again. “You stay away from her. I wonder what she’ll think of you when she finds out our initial plans for Abraham. My guess is that she’ll drop you so fast you won’t know what hit you.”
“Your threats don’t work with me, Michael. I’m going to come clean with Deborah because I care about her.”
A trickle of fear rolled up Michael’s spine. “I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t care what you believe. I’m going to tell her and she’s going to tell your mother. Our plan is over.”
“Good,” Michael said, though he wished he could have kept Alan on his side until they lowered the boom on Abraham. “I don’t need you anyway. I’ve been given another path to get what I want.”
“You’re so much like Abraham that it’s no wonder you two don’t get along. The funny thing is, you probably wouldn’t have gotten along any better if he’d been there for you from day one. You’re too much alike.”
“I don’t have to listen to this,” Michael said, hating the comparisons of him and Abraham. He was nothing like the man. “You take care of your business and I’ll take care of mine. And when the doctors confirm that I’m a match, I want a meeting with Abraham and Saralyn in the MEEG boardroom. I want to take them down on their turf.” Then he turned and stalked away.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Deborah hadn’t known what to expect when Alan offered to drive her home from the hospital, but she’d never expected this news. “I don’t believe you,” she said.
Sitting next to her on her mother’s living room couch, Alan tugged her hand into his. “Yes, you do,” he said. “I have no reason to lie.”
She pulled her hand away. “You’ve been lying since we met,” she said. “Lies of omission. Was your interest in me part of your and Michael’s plan?”
He shook his head, but she didn’t believe him. How could she? “Your brother is very protective of you. He warned me not to start anything with you. He didn’t want you to get hurt when you found out our plans. I tried to abide by his wishes, but I was drawn to you despite myself.”
Under other conditions, Alan’s words would have melted her heart. Under the present conditions, they only made her sad for what could have been between them. “That makes no sense,” she said, focusing on his comment about Michael and ignoring his words about their relationship. “If he knew the plan would hurt me, why would he follow through with it?”
“You know the answer to that, Deborah. Michael’s need to hurt Abraham is much greater than his need to protect your heart. To be fair, he did say you’d forgive him in time. He trusts the love he has with you and your mother that much.”
Deborah’s heart ached. How could her beloved brother plan to use her this way? And dear sweet Alan, she never would have expected him of such deceit. She wouldn’t have thought it was in his character. “So why are you telling me now?” she wanted to know.
“Because if there is to be any hope of a future between us, you had to hear it from me. And I do want a future with you, Deborah. I haven’t thought much about the future since Alisha died, but I think it’s time. It’s been a long while since I’ve been in a serious relationship, and as we both know, I’m old enough to be your father, but if you’re willing to take a chance on me, I promise to give you and this relationship all I have.”
Deborah wanted to believe him, thought maybe there could be something between them, but she couldn’t be sure. “I don’t know,” she said.
He stood and looked down at her, his eyes full of sadness and regret. “I understand,” he said. “It’s my loss, really.”
She wanted to tell him that it wasn’t a loss yet, but she couldn’t force the words through her lips. She stood, her manners forcing her to escort him out, and as she did, the front door opened and a harried Michael entered the house.
He saw her first. “Is Josette here?” he asked. “Did you give her a ride from the hospital?” When Alan stepped around her and made himself visible, he added, “What are you doing here?”
Alan didn’t bother to respond. He looked down at Deborah. “I really am sorry,” he said. “More than you know.” Then he headed out of the room, past Michael, and out of the house.
When he was gone, Michael asked again, “Is Josette here?”
Deborah stared at her brother as if he were a stranger. “No, she’s not,” she said. “The last time I saw her, she was going into Isaac’s room at the hospital.”
Michael marched past her to the living room and sat on the couch. “Where could she be?” he asked himself.
Deborah leaned against the doorjamb, remembering her conversation with Josette. “She did it, didn’t she? She left you.”
Michael looked up at her. “You’re talking crazy. You know Josette, she’ll be back.”
Despite everything she’d just learned about Michael from Alan, Deborah’s heart ached for him and his loss. He’d lost his father through no fault of his own, but the loss of his wife lay squarely at his feet. “This time is different, Michael. She’s not coming back.”
He eyed her skeptically. “How do you know so much? Did she tell you where she was going?”
As she looked at her big brother, her protector, her longtime best friend, she could only shake her head at what his life had become. “She just told me she wouldn’t live with a man she didn’t trust and who didn’t trust her. I didn’t understand fully at first, but I do now. You really should have told her that Abraham was our father before you married her. It shook her foundation and the foundation of your marriage when she found out. She feels as though you never trusted her and as a result she has nothing to stand on in the marriage. Without trust, what is there?”
Michael jumped up out of his seat. “Not you, too,” he said. “I didn’t tell her because it wasn’t important.”
She thought about the news Alan had just given her and how it made her feel. “Yes, it was important,” she said. “You romanced her and convinced her to build a life with you without really sharing yourself with her. Then you stood before God and shared vows with her, all the while knowing that you were hiding a big piece of who you were from her.”
“That’s a load of bull,” he said, running his hand across his head.
She sat down on the arm of the couch and watched her brother try to pace his troubles away. “Alan was telling the truth, wasn’t he? You planned to use me, Mama, and Josette in some crazy plan to usurp Abraham’s position at MEEG, didn’t you?”
He met her eyes with his own clear ones. “That was Alan’s plan. I went along for the ride.”
His callousness made her heart ache. “How could you, Michael?” she cried. “Even after Mama and I went to Abraham and made the case for you, you were going to use us to undermine him. He would have thought we were in on it.”
“Who cares what he would have thought?” he shot back. “We’d have what was rightfully ours as his heirs.”
She patted her chest. “I would have cared,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I want a relationship with him, Michael. I thought you knew that.”
His eyes flared with contempt. “You make me ashamed to be your brother when you spout that crap. That old man that you care so much about went back on the deal he made with you and Mama. He can’t be trusted. That old man ignored us until—”
“I don’t care how long it took,” she said. “Don’t you get it? He’s my father and I want him in my life. He can’t change the past, Michael, but he’s trying to do better now. You just won’t give him a chance.”
“He doesn’t deserve a chance,” he dec
lared.
She wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand. “And what do you deserve, Michael? What do you deserve for undermining your marriage to Josette with lies and half-truths? What do you deserve for sacrificing me and Mama on the altar of your vendetta? What do you deserve for exploiting your half brother’s illness for material gain and personal gratification? What do you deserve for seeking to destroy your unborn child’s grandfather? You’d better be careful about not giving second chances. It seems to me you’re going to be needing more than your share of them in the not so distant future.”
“I didn’t come here for this,” he said, turning on her. “I came looking for my wife.”
“Maybe if you had spent half as much time and energy on keeping her happy as you did plotting against Abraham, you’d know where she and her unborn child were. She’s gone, Michael, and I’m glad she is. You’re not ready to be a father. How can you be? You’re still a child angry with an absent parent. But you’re not a child, you’re a grown man, and the actions you take will have long-lasting ramifications. Please think before you do something more stupid and destructive than what you’ve already done.”
“If I wanted a sermon,” he said, “I’d go to church.” He headed for the door. When he reached it, he turned and said, “If Josette contacts you, tell her that I want her to come home.”
“I’ll think about it,” she said. Then she added, “I’m not going to tell Mama about all of this, Michael, because it will break her spirit. I’m praying that you have a change of heart while there’s still time. If you go through with this, I don’t know if you’ll ever get back what you lose in the process.”
Without another word, he turned and left the house the same way he’d entered. Deborah slumped down on the couch, trying to get her mind around all that had transpired that day. Several of her illusions had been shattered. The good news was that one illusion had been restored. She was no longer angry with her mother for keeping her relationship with Reverend Reeves a secret. There was no telling how Michael would have tried to exploit that connection to Abraham, and perhaps, in the process, ruined their mother’s chance for happiness. She loved her brother, but right now she saw him as a rabid animal, destroying everything in his path. She feared he’d destroy himself in the process.
Chapter Sixty-Eight
A couple of days later the hospital called Michael with the news that he was a match. About an hour after that Alan called to tell him that Saralyn and Abraham wanted to meet with him. As he strode down the hallway at MEEG on his way to the boardroom for the meeting, he felt empowered and vindicated. He was about to get everything he deserved, everything he’d been denied by the old man’s disinterest. But more important, the old man and the wicked stepmother were about to get a taste of what they deserved. Today was payback day all around.
Yes, he had the Martins exactly where he wanted them this morning. It was the Thomases who were giving him headaches. Deborah wasn’t speaking to him, and when she did, he wasn’t interested in hearing what she had to say. Josette had called last night and confirmed that she had left him, just as she’d said she would. She hadn’t told him where she was, but she did promise to update him regularly on her condition and the baby’s. He took that as a sign she would be back at his side very soon.
Michael glanced to his left at his previous partner in crime. Alan didn’t have much to say to him this morning. Since he no longer needed Alan, he didn’t really care whether they engaged in conversation or not. The man had never been anything more to him than a means to an end.
His heartbeat raced as they approached the doors to the boardroom. Alan opened the door for him and he entered, head held high. “Good morning,” he said, nodding first to Saralyn and then to Abraham. The two were seated on the far side of the conference table next to each other, the picture of solidarity. Saralyn wore a haughty expression that clearly showed what she thought of him. Abraham’s was more guarded, so he couldn’t read him.
Abraham gave a hearty “Good morning” in return, while Saralyn said nothing. She was there, but it was clear she didn’t want to be. It was also clear to him she wasn’t going to pretend that her attitude toward him had changed. He really didn’t care. He’d put her in her place before the meeting was over.
He took a seat across from them while Alan went around the table and sat next to Abraham. Michael had considered bringing his lawyer with him, but he didn’t think he needed him since he held all the cards in this poker game. It was merely a matter of watching his opponents fold.
Alan cleared his throat. “Since we all know why we’re here this morning, I suggest we forgo the formalities and get right to the matter at hand.” His eyes met Michael’s. “The floor is yours, Mr. Thomas.”
Michael knew Alan’s introductory statement was meant to shame him, but he felt no shame. He unbuttoned the buttons of his suit jacket and opened the portfolio he’d brought with him. “First, I’d like to thank you two for meeting with me this morning. I know you both have a pressing personal matter on your mind. Let me say up front, I don’t intend for us to be here very long.”
“Oh, please,” Saralyn muttered. She glanced at Abraham. “Do we really have to sit through this?”
“Yes, you do,” Michael said, his voice tight, before Abraham could answer. He hated Saralyn Martin about as much as she hated him. “Second, I want to be clear that the parameters of the deal I’m about to put forth are not up for negotiation. As we speak, my attorneys are drawing up the necessary contracts. They’ll be ready for Alan’s review and yours by the time we end this meeting.”
Though he wasn’t thirsty, Michael poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher near him and drank a swallow. He wanted to prolong the anxiety he knew Abraham and Saralyn were feeling. “I have only five requests,” he began, looking down unnecessarily at his portfolio. “First, I want a permanent seat on the MEEG board of directors with full and equal voting rights. Do you agree to this request?”
“We agree,” Alan said, speaking for his clients.
Michael shook his head. “I want to hear it from them. Individually.”
Saralyn’s lips turned into a snarl. “You are a petty little man, Michael Thomas. You will never be the man my son is.”
Michael grinned at her because he knew it would anger her. Then he turned cruel. “You may never know the man your son can be if you don’t answer the question.”
“There’s no need for that,” Abraham said. “We wouldn’t be here if we weren’t ready to accept you terms. Let’s get on with it. I agree.”
Michael looked at Saralyn. “I agree,” she muttered.
“Good. Now on to number two. I want you to honor the current stipulation in the MEEG bylaws that awards a board seat to the spouse of a Martin heir upon the birth of the first child to their union.”
“I agree,” they both said.
With that agreement, Michael had just guaranteed Josette a seat as soon as she gave birth to their child. “Good. Now on to number three. I want MEEG to purchase Thomas Management as a fully owned subsidiary, with me, Michael Thomas, as permanent CEO. I will have full control of the subsidiary along with full access to the resources of all the other MEEG holdings. The purchase price will be two times the offer Mrs. Martin made for me and my sister to get out of your lives, half in cash, half in MEEG stock. Do you agree to this request?”
Alan leaned over and whispered something in Abraham’s ear. Though Abraham listened intently, he never took his eyes off Michael, who remained erect in his chair. Finally, the old man was seeing that Michael was as much the businessman as he himself was.
When Alan was finished, Abraham turned and whispered something to Saralyn. “I agree,” they both said.
Michael grinned again. “Good,” he said. “See, I told you this wasn’t going to take long. Let’s move on to number four. I want a stipulation in the corporate bylaws that requires equal distribution and assignment of MEEG shares among Abraham’s three children, meaning first
that shares cannot be given to one sibling without being given to the others, and second, shares cannot be sold to one sibling unless the same offer is made to the other siblings. Do you agree with this request?”
Abraham looked at Alan, who nodded. “I agree,” Abraham said. Saralyn repeated the phrase.
Michael thought the meeting was going pretty well. He had just ensured that Isaac would never own more shares of MEEG than he would. In fact, he would own more since he would have the shares from the sale of Thomas Management. This meeting was going very well. “Now for my fifth and final request. Since you’ve been so gracious with my previous requests, I’m going to be gracious with this one and give you an option. I want Saralyn Martin removed from the MEEG board of directors—”
Saralyn jumped up from her chair. “You little miscreant. Who are you—”
Abraham tugged on her arm and pulled her back down. He leaned over to her, rubbed her shoulders and whispered in her ear. Then he looked back at Michael, his eyes full of fire. Michael was glad to know he’d finally gotten a rise out of the man. “Go on,” Abraham said. “Let’s finish this.”
Michael nodded. “As I was saying, I want Saralyn Martin removed from the board or Leah Thomas added to the board. The choice is yours.”
Without consulting with Saralyn, Abraham said, “We’ll add Leah.”
Michael closed his portfolio. “That concludes my business this morning. Does anyone have anything else?”
Saralyn stood. “I can’t take any more of this,” she said. “I’m going to see my son.” With those words, she left the boardroom, slamming the door behind her.
Abraham turned to Alan. “You’ve got all that, right?”
Alan nodded.
“Then give me a few minutes alone with my son.”
After Alan left the room and they were alone, Abraham said with a smile, “You’re full of surprises, Michael.”
Having gotten what he wanted, it didn’t matter to him what Abraham thought. He was a bit disappointed, though, that the old man didn’t look like he’d lost. He wanted to wipe that smile off his face. “What’s life without surprises?”
Sins of the Father Page 27
