Wife's Bitter Revenge Against Neglectful CEO Husband-Chapter 162: Wyla Faces the Past
We compromised. Wyla drove us to a quiet diner, where Alec grabbed a table near the door while Wyla and I gravitated to a deserted corner to the back of the place. We ordered burgers and shakes.
"You’re freaking me out a little," Wyla said as she picked at her chipped nail polish.
In all other regards, Wyla was so pulled together that the chipped nail polish surprised me. I’m not sure why. No one was perfect, and Wyla had a blue-collar job. It must be hard to keep pristine nails.
"Don’t be. What I’m about to tell you, no one knows but me, and I won’t tell anyone without your permission."
Wyla nodded. "Okay. So, what is it?"
"You’ve met Alec, right? Nice guy. Ethical, hardworking, the owner of my heart, but his life isn’t perfect. His dad is Eugene Crest. Eugene will be my father-in-law one day soon, and crazy as it sounds, I like him."
"Why is that crazy? Shouldn’t you like your in-laws?"
"Because he is also the mob boss who runs this city. Maybe the entire state. He’s committed or ordered or condoned more crimes than there are stars in the sky. By all rights, I should be advocating for his arrest, but he said something once that made a lot of sense.
"I don’t remember his exact words, but in essence, if you create a void, something even worse might fill the space. While Eugene is not a good guy, he has a set of ethics that are a lot higher than those of many of his enemies. He is good at juggling right and wrong, and he keeps a tight rein on the criminal element in the area.
"He can’t make bad guys into good guys, but he does limit the damage."
"What does this have to do with me?" Wyla asked, her gaze anywhere but on me.
"Eugene wasn’t always a mob boss. He started as a loan shark, and Wyla, he had a partner. Your dad."
Wyla nodded. "That kind of tracks with some arguments my parents had. Mom called Dad a thug and a leg breaker. Dad reminded her that his business paid our bills."
"One day, your dad walked away, Wyla. Do you remember that?"
Tears welled in Wyla’s eyes. "Then you know I wasn’t a little kid when my parents died. I was a teenager."
"I know, but you didn’t exactly lie to me. You just alluded to it. I assumed you were a little kid, but I knew better when Jake helped me put the pieces together."
"So, you’re dumping me because I lied or because my dad was a gangster?"
"Neither. You were still a kid when you lost your parents, and you can’t be held responsible for what your dad did."
Wyla cried for real now. I handed her some paper napkins.
Wyla sobbed. "But I am guilty. Dad killed a man—one of his men—to protect me. It was my fault. I was in love with some crazy, good-looking bad boy who thought I was older than I actually was. If I hadn’t been there, sleeping with some guy who was way too old for me, none of it would have happened. He wouldn’t have shot that guy. He wouldn’t have been so ashamed of me that he couldn’t even look at me anymore, and he wouldn’t have run away.
"That pissed off my mom. She bought a gun. The next thing I knew, we were moving out of our home. We chased Dad over five states before we caught up with him. And she killed him and herself in the process.
"It was all my fault. I lost everything. Everything because I was young and stupid."
I moved from my side of the table to Wyla’s. I wrapped my arms around her, giving Wyla all the comfort I had to offer.
"Sh, Wyla. It’s not your fault. You never could have predicted what happened."
"I’ll never fall in love again. I’ll never let another man betray me again. He tried to share me with his friends. I fought him, but he just laughed, and then my dad showed up. He saved me. My dad saved me only to die because I destroyed our family."
"No, honey. You said it yourself. Your mom and dad argued before that day. They already had problems, and Wyla, your mom must have had mental issues to do what she did, especially with her child in the car.
"It was a cocktail of reasons why your life turned out the way it did. There was plenty of blame to go around, but Wyla, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that you’re alive and well now. Wyla, I’m so sorry I upset you. I am so sorry. I’d take all the pain away if I could."
"No, it’s okay, Teela. I’ve never told anyone before. Not even my mom. I needed to. I needed to say it. And I needed someone to say it wasn’t my fault. At least not all of it, but Teela, what does this have to do with now? Why are you telling me this?"
The waitress brought our food. We took a few minutes to enjoy some of the creamy chocolate milkshakes topped with loads of whipped cream and a bright red cherry. Mostly, I was giving Wyla time to calm down.
I glanced over my shoulder to see Alec watching us, concerned etched on his face. I gave me a reassuring smile. I’d fill him in later. Right now, it was all about Wyla.
The burger looked good. It smelled even better, but my appetite was tamped down by raw emotions and exhaustion, plus it just seemed wrong to eat in front of Wyla right now when she could barely sip on the shake.
"Eugene asked me to find your dad, and if not your dad, then you and your mother. He’s never forgotten that his business was built as a partnership. All these years, he has set aside your dad’s profits to pay out to him. Since your father is deceased, those profits are yours now if you want them."
"But it is dirty money, Teela. I couldn’t!"
"You could, or you could refuse it." I shrugged. "You could also take the money and put it to good use to care for your foster family or donate it to charity. You could start your own business. Think about it before you make a decision, but either way, would you consider meeting with Eugene? He’d like some closure. Your dad was a good friend."
"Are you sure he won’t blame me?"
"I’ve seen him with Alec. Beneath it all, Eugene is devoted to Alec. He would understand your dad’s devotion to you. I suspect he will want to adopt you and be the father figure you no longer have."
"I’m not sure I can go that far."
I smiled. "You don’t have to. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I didn’t do any of this to force you into a role you don’t want to take."
Wyla nibbled at a French fry. "How does this play into working for you? Is it an either or situation?"
"Not at all. The job as my personal assistant is yours if you want it. It always was, but I wanted you to see the big picture before you decide. After all, if you accept Eugene’s generous offer, you won’t technically have to work for the rest of your life."
"Oh, I’d have to work. If I don’t stay busy, I eat everything in sight and balloon up to the size of a full-grown gorilla."
"You could go to school or do volunteer work. There are lots of options, Wyla. Take your time and think about it."
"Teela, are you trying to talk me out of working for you?"
"Not at all. I’m just trying to be a good friend and make sure you consider all your options."
"Alright, I’ll give it some thought, but usually I go with my gut, which tells me to leave the money with Mr. Crest and hitch my wagon to yours. I’d feel better about where the money I earn comes from. Do you feel me?"
"I do."
"So, what is Mr. Crest like? Mob boss sounds so scary."
"Why don’t you ask Alec? He knows him better than me." I signaled Alec to join us now that the messy part of the evening was over.
"You called?" Alec asked.
"You can join us if you like."
"Is it safe? Things looked pretty intense over here," Alec said as he sat beside me and stole fries off my plate.
"I’m sure. I don’t think you two have officially met. Alec Crest, meet Wyla, my new personal assistant. You may have known her as a child by the name of Hillary Blanchard."
"Blanchard? As in Marrison Blanchard’s daughter? Does Dad know?"
"Not yet. He will."
"I remember you, Wyla. You wouldn’t play with me. You said I was weird."
Wyla giggled. "Was that you? I’m sorry. I had no idea. To my credit, as I recall, you wanted to dig up an ant hill and move it to the other side of the yard so it wouldn’t get stomped on."
Alec tilted his head, a smile on his face. "I don’t recall that part."
"Of course you wouldn’t!"
