Chapter 6 - THE HUSBAND WHO WASN'T THERE
Lucas slept in the guest room.
Not because Emma ordered him.
Because he did not know what right he had to the bed.
The next morning he brought her phone back.
Margaret had kept it in her study.
Emma checked the messages.
Three from Lucas.
All after he saw the bruises.
None before.
She looked at him.
“You were busy.”
He did not defend himself.
“Yes.”
“That’s not an excuse.”
“No.”
“I told you something was wrong.”
“Yes.”
“You let your mother translate me.”
Lucas sat across from her.
“I thought she was helping.”
“Because she has always helped you.”
“Yes.”
Emma looked down.
“That is the problem.”
Lucas understood.
Margaret had been solving things for him since his father died.
School crises.
Board fights.
Scandals.
Debt.
If Margaret said a problem was contained, Lucas moved to the next emergency.
He had treated his marriage the same way.
Richard became worse.
Lucas’s outside counsel reviewed the digital-signature authority.
Richard had some legal argument.
The authorization allowed “related emergency healthcare and family continuity instruments.”
Broad.
But not unlimited.
Using it to sign away custodial rights looked indefensible.
Unless Lucas had verbally approved.
Richard claimed he had.
Lucas said he had not.
Then Richard produced an email from Lucas:
Do whatever is needed so Emma and the baby are protected if I’m unreachable.
Lucas stared.
He had written it.
After the fainting episode.
Richard said:
“I relied on your instruction.”
Lucas wanted to punch him.
Instead he asked:
“Why didn’t you send me the final documents?”
Richard answered:
“Margaret said you did not have time.”
Again.
May you like
Everyone used Lucas’s absence.
Including Lucas.
