Chapter 7
The Dinner and the Truth
School was out. Tracy parked in her usual spot and stepped out of the car. She noticed Thomas’s sedan parked a short distance away. He sat in the driver’s seat wearing a baseball cap pulled low, shadowing most of his face.
Liam ran to her, hugging her leg. Thomas’s eyes followed the boy’s every move before meeting Tracy’s gaze. He merely smiled and nodded in greeting, then started the engine.
Tracy’s eyes filled with mixed feelings. She realized that even though Thomas was longing to reclaim his son, he respected her enough not to approach Liam without her permission. She decided to give him a chance to be close to Liam before she vanished again.
She told Liam to get in the car and wait, then stepped toward Thomas and tapped on his window.
“Are you free tonight? Come over for dinner. I want… Liam to have a proper meal with you. Seven o’clock.”
Thomas was surprised, then a warm smile broke through.
“I’ll be there.”
He glanced around.
“I haven’t seen Jack picking Liam lately.”
“Oh… he’s busy at the hospital.” Tracy avoided his gaze and walked away quickly. Thomas watched her go, his gut telling him something was wrong.
That evening the apartment felt bleaker than usual. Thomas noticed the emptiness the moment he stepped inside.
“I can buy you some furniture.”
“No. We’re fine.”
Later they sat around the small table for an unusually cozy dinner. Liam chattered happily about school. Thomas listened intently, occasionally serving the boy more food. Tracy watched them, her eyes heavy with sadness. This was a farewell dinner.
“Uncle Tom, will you come play tomorrow?”
Every time Liam called him Uncle, Thomas flinched.
“You bet, Champ.”
Tracy looked down at her plate to hide her feelings. Thomas noticed the shift.
Dinner ended. Tracy sent Liam back to his room. Suddenly a crash sounded, followed by Liam’s sharp cry.
“Mommy!”
Thomas and Tracy bolted from the living room.
In Liam’s room chaos reigned. The boy had fallen. A heavy cardboard box had toppled onto his leg. Behind the wardrobe, now exposed, were stacks of other boxes, taped shut and ready to go.
Thomas rushed in, lifting the box off. He scooped Liam up. The boy’s shin was scraped and bleeding.
“It’s okay. Just a scratch.”
He carried Liam to the living room sofa. Tracy rushed over with a bandage. Thomas returned to Liam’s room to clean up the mess. His eyes locked onto the fallen box.
Written in black marker on the side: BOOKS – MONTREAL.
Thomas froze. He looked at Liam’s desk. Tracy’s phone sat there. The screen lit up with a new message.
Sender: Jack. Train tickets to Montreal are booked. Tomorrow at 8 PM. I’ll pick you up.
Thomas gripped the phone tight. Rage flared in his chest.
He walked out, tossing her phone onto the sofa cushion.
“Montreal?”
Tracy jumped. She looked at Thomas, then at Liam.
“Go play in your room, baby.”
Liam limped quickly into his room.
“Why?” Thomas’s voice was low. “We just started over. I promised I would fix this. Why don’t you trust me?”
“Because you can’t fix it! You’re married, Thomas! And… she is carrying your child!”
Thomas was struck dumb.
“What?”
“Don’t pretend! Selena showed me the ultrasound. I’m not a homewrecker!”
Thomas grabbed Tracy’s wrist, pulling her toward the door.
“Outside! Now!”
On the empty sidewalk he turned on her.
“You listened to her bullshit and you just believed it? You didn’t even ask me?”
“She’s your wife! She has the proof! Why would she lie about that?”
Suddenly a car screeched to a halt at the curb. Jack jumped out. Seeing Thomas gripping Tracy’s arm and shouting, he saw red.
WHAM. Jack punched Thomas square in the jaw.
Thomas stumbled back, lip split open. He balled his fist to retaliate, but Tracy screamed, stepping between them.
“Stop! Thomas, don’t!”
“You have the nerve to show your face here?” Jack pointed at him. “You have a wife, a kid on the way, and you still come here to torture Tracy? I was wrong to help you. You’re a piece of shit!”
Thomas wiped the blood from his lip. He looked at Jack, then at Tracy.
“You were wrong to trust me?” He started to laugh. A bitter, scornful laugh. “It’s the other way around. I thought you were a decent man. Turns out you’re just a lapdog.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Thomas ignored Jack. He locked eyes with Tracy.
“And about the pregnancy… Selena can’t be pregnant. Not with my child. I haven’t touched her for God knows how long. If she’s pregnant, it sure as hell isn’t mine.”
Tracy and Jack were stunned into silence. The truth hung heavy in the air.
“She tricked you. And you fall for it.”
“But…” Jack began.
“But what? And you, Jack… Help me understand something!” Thomas leaned in. “How long have you been working for David Lloyd?”
Jack frowned. Confusion was written all over his face.
“Who?”
“David Lloyd, Lloyd Corp’s COO.”
“I’ve never heard that name in my life. Listen, Thomas. I’m a doctor. I don’t follow corporate news.”
Thomas pulled out his phone, bringing up the yearbook photo. He shoved it in Jack’s face.
“What about this Dave Kowaski?”
Jack stared at the photo. His eyes went wide.
“Davey? Yeah, I know him. We grew up on the same block. He’s my friend. Best friends, actually. Until uni. Then we drifted a bit.” He looked stunned. “And why do you have a picture of me and Davey? He’s… nobody. He sells insurance in Manchester.”
Thomas smirked.
“Your Davey is David Lloyd. And he’s not selling insurance. He’s managing a billion-dollar empire.”
“What? No. That’s impossible. Davey is an orphan. He lived with his aunt. He was broke half the time.”
“Exactly. My family paid for his everything. But he stayed here. He didn’t come to England until he was twenty-five, to work for my father. That was when I met him. That was when he changed his name to David Lloyd.”
Jack stood there, numb. Pieces of the past began to fall apart.
“He lies.”
“Yes. About a lot of things, I assume.” Thomas’s voice dropped. “So tell me, Jack. How did Davey introduce you to Tracy?”
Jack stumbled back, leaning against his car.
“Four years ago. He called me. Literally out of the blue. Crying. Begging. He said he had a friend. A girl he cared about like a sister. And she was in trouble, pregnant, alone, and running from an abusive ex-boyfriend.”
Thomas closed his eyes. Rage swelled in his chest.
“Let me guess. He asked you to protect her and keep him updated?”
Jack looked at Thomas. Horror flooded his eyes as the truth hit him.
“You’re the abusive ex?”
“You think?”
“But you’re not… Jesus Christ… What have I done?”
Thomas put his phone away.
“You weren’t protecting her, Jack. You were his surveillance camera.”
Jack bowed his head. He felt sick because he had helped destroy a family without even knowing it.
“I’m just a pawn in his game.”
“He was the one who reached out when I was desperate,” Tracy said. “How can a human being be that cruel?”
“He did it to me too. I thought he truly saw me as his little brother, that he stood by me through the darkest days of my life.” Thomas paused. “I believed he had saved me. But he didn’t. He didn’t save me, he didn’t save you. He manipulated all of us.”
He turned to Jack. His eyes sharpened.
“Jack. When was the last time you spoke to Dave? What exactly did you tell him?”
Jack forced himself to focus.
“About three hours ago. I texted him to let him know I was taking Tracy to Montreal tomorrow night.”
Thomas gritted his teeth.
“If he knew I stopped you, he wouldn’t sit still. Dave is always one step ahead.”
“So what do we do?” Tracy asked.
“We need leverage. Before he makes a move. As for Selena… I will deal with her personally.”
“I’ll help,” Jack said.
Thomas nodded, acknowledging the offer. A heavy silence hung over them.
Suddenly Thomas swayed. He clutched his head, letting out a low groan. Tracy rushed to catch him. Thomas leaned his weight onto her shoulder, slumping against her.
Jack stepped forward to help, then stopped. He saw the way Tracy wrapped her arm around Thomas’s waist, the way she pressed her cheek anxiously against his forehead. It wasn’t the concern of a nurse. She loved him. He was the third wheel.
“He needs rest. And you too, Tracy. I’ll head home. Goodnight!”
“Good night, Jack.”
Jack nodded a silent goodbye and walked toward his apartment. Tracy helped Thomas toward the stairs. Thomas held onto her tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her familiar scent. His hand squeezed her waist gently, pulling her closer than necessary.
Tracy paused. She pressed her palm to his chest. She felt his breathing… it was too steady. She pushed him away slightly, narrowing her eyes.
“You’re faking it, aren’t you?”
Thomas let go. He stood up straight, steady on his feet. A mischievous grin spread across his face.
Tracy blinked. A memory rushed back like a slow-motion film.
Four years earlier. Thomas’s house in Boston. Fire crackling in the hearth. Tracy, seventeen, lay on the sofa in a thin silk slip dress with a plunging neckline, showing off her curves. Her eyes were closed, feigning deep sleep, but her breathing was rapid.
Thomas entered. He loosened his tie, looking at the girl on the couch. He sighed, shaking his head with a small smile, then bent down to scoop her up.
Tracy shifted in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deliberately pressing her firm chest against his solid torso. Her face nuzzled into his neck, her lips brushing against his skin.
Thomas froze for a beat. The heat from her body transferred to his, burning his rationality. He knew she was pretending. But he wanted to savor this sweet, torturous moment. He carried her upstairs to her room without exposing her clumsy little act.
Back on the porch, Thomas looked at Tracy, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he saw a blush creep up her cheeks.
“You were a much better actor than me.”
Tracy smacked his shoulder lightly, embarrassed, and turned to unlock the door. They entered the apartment.
Jack watched through his window as their silhouettes disappeared behind the door. His heart ached.
While somewhere, Dave already knew he had been exposed.
— End of Chapter 7 —