Web Of Lies (The Lies Trilogy Book 1)

by J. G. Sumner

  “I just found out recently that you were my brother,” I say. “After talking to Parker today, we started putting some pieces together. It became very clear what Edward was doing and why. Jonathan destroyed his world and he wanted revenge. Parker and I felt we needed to tell you so that no more damage could be done. We need to be strong, come together, and fight this. The three of us have been close our entire lives. It’s only been in the last year that things have changed.”

  “Do you ladies mind if I have a few minutes alone with Porter?” I ask Suzanne and Parker.

  I guide Porter outside on his patio. While I don’t know if his house is bugged, I do know there’s a better chance at having some privacy out here.

  “This is very awkward.” I look at Porter as my brother and no longer as my brother-in-law or best friend. “I know some of the things you’ve done lately, and I forgive you. We are all victims here and I could never hold it against you. I have a brother. I never thought I’d have a sibling. I’ve been an only child my entire life and now I have you. Even though we’ve spent the majority of our lives together, I feel like we missed out on so much. I don’t want us to spend another minute fighting or holding resentment toward one another.”

  Porter nods. “I agree. There are many things I need to process and wrap my brain around, but we do need to start over.”

  I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the next secret I need to share. “There’s something else I have to tell you…”

  Porter’s shoulders drop. “I don’t know how much more I can take today. Thoughts are swimming through my mind and I haven’t had a chance to process them.”

  “You need to hear this.” I pause knowing that right now, I’m banking that I can trust Porter. I’m praying he doesn’t use this information to hurt me. “Our father is still alive.”

  He stares at me in disbelief.

  “He faked his death. There isn’t anyone in that grave. Dad is alive and well. He’s in hiding.”

  “I would say I don’t believe you, but so many other crazy things have happened tonight, I have no choice.”

  I pull the burner phone from my pocket and dial the pre-programmed number. Jonathan answers it immediately. I’m sure he’s been waiting by the phone since Parker and I talked to him earlier. We told Jonathon that the call would be a possibility if we felt it might be safe.

  “Yeah, he’s right here.” I hand the phone to Porter.

  He reluctantly takes it. “Hello?”

  I don’t want Porter to feel like I’m intruding, so I head back inside. Suzanne stares at me with probing eyes, trying to figure out what’s going on. Parker and I agreed we wouldn’t tell her Jonathan was alive. The less people who know the better chance we have of keeping him hidden. Until we know exactly what Edward has been up to, there is no other option.

  Tears form in Suzanne’s eyes. “Is he okay? God, I should’ve told him years ago. What kind of mother am I that I would keep a secret like this? He had every right to know who his biological father was.”

  I’m so sick of all the lies. Between all of the people in this room, we’ve spun a web of lies that has done nothing but destroy the people we love the most. So far I’ve sheltered my children from this, but for how long?

  I’ve been living my own lie with Beth. I’ve been having an affair for over a year. All the while I’ve been sleeping in the same bed as my wife. I’ve been deceiving everyone. I’ve hurt those closest to me. I’m no better than the rest of them. Once we’re done preserving ourselves, I’m going to have to figure out how to pick up the pieces and heal the wounds.

  The sliding glass door opens and we all turn to Porter. He hands me the phone.

  “Mom, if you don’t mind, I need to spend some time with Parker and Trent. We have some things to discuss.”

  Suzanne is crippled with fear. “Are we okay?”

  “I have a lot to process. I’ll give you a call in the morning. Meanwhile, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell Da—I mean Edward that I know. I need some time to figure out how I want to handle this.”

  “Sure thing, honey. How about we have brunch in the morning?” Suzanne is practically waiting on pins and needles hoping he’ll say yes, desperate not to lose her connection with him.

  “Let me sleep on it and I’ll give you a call in the morning.”

  The wind falls out of Suzanne’s sails. Any hope she had about moving forward with Porter tonight has dissipated. “Okay, honey.” She kisses him on the cheek and heads toward the door. Before she leaves, she takes another look back, obviously scared this might be the last time she ever sees him.

  Once the door closes behind Suzanne, we kind of all stand around in an awkward silence. Porter has just been bombarded with a large amount of information. As much as I don’t want to rush him along, time is of the essence. So much suffering could be prevented if we all work together.

  Porter sits down on the couch and puts his head between his knees, breathing rapidly. His aloof behavior when we walked through the door has changed into a man searching for a lifeline, someone who is trying to make sense out of everything as the tables have been turned on him. Everything he thought he knew is no more. I’d say that warrants a panic attack.

  Parker rushes to his side and rubs his back. They may have found out recently that they are only half siblings, but the love and the bond between them has not shifted or waned.

  I crouch down on the other side of him. “It’s okay, man. We’ll get through this. Everything is going to be okay.”

  Porter lifts his head. “You don’t understand. Everything has already been set into motion. I don’t know if there is a way we can stop it. So much damage and devastation are going to occur, and I had a hand in destroying my own family.”

  “Now that we all know the truth, we can right this wrong,” Parker says. “We can put our lives back together.”

  “It’s not that easy.” Porter lifts his head. “Trent, your entire existence is about to be erased from the world. Because your oldest son shares your name, his life is at stake as well. As for Jonathon, we already suspected he was alive. They are tracking him down and will find him. When that happens, he will be six feet under but not before they beat and torture him. Your mom is not in any better position. Edward did feel bad about her in the beginning. He thought she was deceived as much as he was. Then he found out that she’s known all along and she’s perpetuated the demise of my family.”

  “That’s a little harsh don’t you think? I wouldn’t say my mother was the cause of anything other than encouraging your mom to make poor financial decisions.”

  “Who told you that?” Porter looks at me quizzically.

  “Jonathon. He explained to me how this entire war got started.”

  “That’s not what I was told.”

  Porter and I search each other’s expressions for a few seconds. “Maybe we should compare notes and see if we can formulate some sort of truth out of all of this.”

  “Fine, I’ll go first,” Porter offers. “It’s my understanding our mothers were best friends since they met. They were from the same circle of friends. Penelope had been dating Edward for a couple of months. She was very smitten with Edward, but he didn’t feel the same. He and my mother had been dating secretly without Penny knowing. When she found out, she became livid. Instead of ending her friendship with my mother, she remained close and formulated a plan to get back at her. That’s when Penny latched on to Jonathon. He was Edwards’s best friend and it was her attempt to make him jealous. Instead, she actually fell in love with him.

  “It wasn’t good enough that she had a new man and was deeply in love, she still resented my mom for taking Edward from her. She made sure she was the first one to get married and pregnant. The competition between them continued. Even though they both seemed to have everything they wanted, it was never enough for Penny. She set out to destroy Edward and my mom’s relationship.

  “At one point Edward took her aside and told her to knock it off.
She refused unless he broke up with my mom and came back to her. Obviously that didn’t happen. Penny grew more and more angry as time went by. She began to spend more time around my grandparents’ house. Penny had been close to them since they were dating and always maintained a relationship. My understanding is your mother was looking for some dirt on Edward. Instead, she found out about a huge scandal involving Edward’s father. Apparently he’d been having an affair with a much younger woman. Edward strongly believes that this meddling is what caused my grandfather to pass away. He was very stressed out and he suffered a heart attack. At any rate, Edward never forgave her.”

  I’m dumbfounded by this bit of information. It doesn’t sound like my mother at all. “I’ve got to say, I’ve obviously known my mother my entire life and have never found her the least bit vindictive. She’s always loved my dad. I can’t ever imagine the things that Edward is accusing her of.”

  “Well let’s be honest, I never expected Edward to use up our trust funds. There’s obviously more to this story than we’re aware of. I suspect it’s going to take us to get to the bottom of it and stop all of this feuding. The deception is hurting everyone. I don’t think any of us want that.” Melancholy takes over Porter’s face and posture. I think it’s sinking in, the impact of this web of lies. He knew Jonathon, but never as a father figure, only a friend of the family. He’s missed out on that time.

  “What should we do now?” Parker asks. “We need to formulate a plan to get to find out what’s really going on.”

  My phone rings. I dig in my pocket to retrieve it. “It’s the security company,” I announce to Parker. I answer the phone, hoping that they’ve been able to get their men out there on such short notice.

  “Hello?”

  “Mr. Davis?”

  “This is me.”

  “Sir, I’m calling to let you know there has been an incident at your house. Someone broke in. The kids are fine and are under watch. The nanny wasn’t so lucky. We found her tied to a chair. As soon as we released her she collapsed and we had to call for help. She’s at the local hospital.”

  My heart sinks. I should have known better than to stick Beth in that situation. These people are looking to get dirt on me and they’re willing to hurt anyone to get it.

  Parker looks at me with concern, silently pleading for any information about the safety of our children. I nod to let her know they are fine.

  “How did this happen?”

  “Sir, it’s our suspicion that the perpetrator broke in before we arrived. When we got there, I sent my men around the perimeter. One of them was looking in the window and saw what was going on. Unfortunately the perpetrator got away, but we have a good description of him.”

  “Okay, call the police. I have a camera system. I’m sure there is some sort of video of the man we can provide. We’ll be there shortly.” I hang up the phone with a renewed sense of urgency and explain the situation to Parker and Porter.

  “This is partially my fault,” Porter says in despair. “Edward suspected the two of you were having an affair. He wanted to use the affair to ruin your family name and reputation. You wouldn’t be able to practice law, you’d lose custody of the boys, and Parker would get a hefty amount of money while you sat in jail for sleeping with a minor. We’ve been trying to get the information from Beth for weeks, but she hasn’t cracked. We had some guys tracking her for a while and they were supposed to scare her tonight. I didn’t think she would be going to your house and putting the kids in jeopardy. I’m so sorry.”

  As livid as I am right now, it’s not totally Porter’s fault. He was fed some shitty information and got tangled in the web. All I care about now is checking on Beth to make sure she’s okay and catching the guy who did this to her.

  “Porter, take Parker to the house and wait for the police. Parker, give them access to the security footage. I’m going to the hospital to check on Beth and try to decrease any liability we may have. This could end up being a financial nightmare if she or her mother decide to sue us.”

  Deep down, I know that Beth would never do such a thing. I just don’t want Porter and Parker to see how much Beth means to me. I haven’t fessed up to the affair, and I have no intention of doing so now.

  Chapter 28

  Parker

  Porter drives us to the house. The car has been silent since we got in, our moods somber. There is so much to process. So many lies, mistakes, and hurt. Each one of us has played a hand in it. Instead of the poker hand we were playing, it’s almost like Russian Roulette. Someone isn’t going to have a happy ending. My only hope is to save as many as possible. More importantly, my children have to come first.

  “What’s your take on everything?” Porter asks.

  “I don’t know. There are definitely two very different sides to this story. The thing I’m having a hard time with is that they don’t seem to make sense. The cheating and whatnot, I don’t know. I can see how it would make someone angry, but to hold a grudge for this many years? To try and destroy your best friend’s family? I’m just not buying it.”

  “I have the same feeling. Neither of our parents are telling the truth. There’s something they’re hiding and we need to get it out of them.”

  I nod, completely in agreement, but my thoughts are focused elsewhere. “Why did you allow Beth to get hurt? I mean, I don’t like what she’s done to my family, but she’s a victim in all of this too. Why would you go after an underage girl? She’s innocent.”

  “Innocent? I don’t think so. You and I both know that she’s screwing your husband and wants to take over your life. I hardly call that innocent.”

  “Yeah, but we put her in the position to do so. We can’t expect anything different. Trent should’ve kept his eyes on his family instead of letting them stray. Besides, we don’t know that they actually slept together.” As much as I want to hate Beth, I feel bad for her. She’s set up to get her heart broken. This whole thing is bringing me and Trent closer together. I’m confident we’re going to make it through this.

  “Are you hearing yourself? You’ve seen the pictures of them in the Caymans. She was naked and he was ogling her. Do you honestly think he handed her a robe and told her to get dressed? I’m single and I don’t think that I could do that. That girl is hot with a capital H!”

  I scoff at the fact that so many men are finding this underage girl to be so attractive. Those other men can have her, just not mine. I may have been willing to give up on Trent this morning, but no more. Finding out what’s been going on has made me want to fight for everything I have. I don’t give a rat’s ass about the money. What I care about is providing my family with a normal life free from the scandal and lies of our parents.

  “Come on, Parker. I was only kidding. Now that she’s eighteen I may take a second look, but I have no intention of going to jail over any woman.”

  I sock him in the arm. I know he’s kidding, but he can be such a pig sometimes.

  “What do you think about Dad? I mean Edward? How do you think we should approach him now that we know he’s not your father? I’d like to find out what he did with our trust funds.”

  “We need to talk to Trent. It’s not just our dad we have to confront, it’s all of our parents. We need to have a strategic plan in place to approach them at the right time. It’s going to make it that much more complicated since Jonathan and Penny are out of the country. We also need to think about how to keep the kids safe. They are the biggest pawns in this game and will be used against you and Trent.”

  I sigh, trying to hold back the tears my eyes so desperately want to spill. “Why did we ever go along with Dad’s stupid plan? Why would I ever agree to something like this? I feel like the biggest idiot. I have effectively destroyed my own life and the relationships I’ve built. What I wouldn’t give to go back a year and a half ago. My decisions would’ve been very different.”

  “Hindsight is twenty-twenty. Of course we wouldn’t have gone along with it knowing what we do now. The M
atthews’ have always had deep roots. We are one of the first American families. We’re bred differently, and we take care of our own. Edward instilled that in us from a very young age. There was no way we could say no to him. It would be going against our entire heritage. He would’ve disowned us.”

  “Right now, I’d like to disown him. He’s ruined my life.”

  Porter places his hand on my thigh. “We’ll get through this.” I promise.”

  If only I could be sure. Unfortunately, the only thing I am sure of is the uncertainty life has to offer. Lord knows I’ve had my share lately.

  We pull in the driveway. My heart races and the desire to hold my babies overcomes me. I sob as I run into the house past the security guards. Just as Trent said, they’re fast asleep in their beds. I gaze upon each of them for a few minutes. I’d love to hold them, but I don’t want to wake them. It’s been a long day for everyone. Satisfied they are okay, I head back downstairs, making a beeline to the kitchen. Before I can get there, the doorbell rings. I answer it, noting several police officers.

  “Good evening, ma’am. I’m Detective Castro. There was a phone call regarding a break-in and potential hostage situation. I spoke with your security team and it’s my understanding the premises are secure?”

  The detective is wearing street clothes, but has a badge on his shirt and shows me his identification. He looks to be of Hispanic origin and stands not much taller than me. His dark hair is neatly styled with a part on one side. Every hair is in place. His rugged jawline gives him a tough look.

  “Yes, please come in. I believe everything took place in the kitchen. I just got home and haven’t had a chance to look yet.”

  “It’s better that you didn’t. We don’t want to tamper with any potential evidence. Could you please escort me and my men in that direction?”

  “Absolutely.” I walk to the kitchen with the men behind me. Never once did I think I shouldn’t go in here. I guess it’s lucky I didn’t. I point to the closed door. Even though I’d like to see, I don’t follow the men in. I head to the office to watch on the surveillance system instead.