by Nella Tyler
I really wanted to call Samantha, but didn't want to have to go over the whole story right now. I was too raw, too emotional. To be honest, I had an idea that not only would she be shocked, but once again, she would tell me to run. But how did one run from family? How did one separate Dad the father from the man who had built a massive empire in real estate and through the stock market? How did you do that? I had no idea. Unfortunately, the same conundrum applied to Luke.
What did I think I was going to accomplish? That I would, or could, change Luke? Turn him into something that I wanted him to be? I had read enough magazines and psychology books to know that it was very difficult to change human behavior and the dangers of trying to change a partner into something that you wanted them to be. I know I wouldn't appreciate it if Luke tried to change me, mold me into what he wanted me to be, so why should he feel any different?
The problem was, he was doing something illegal. He was doing something that could land him in jail and ruin his life forever. He might think it was none of my business, but it was. Essentially, I was guilty by association. Didn't I have an obligation to society? To myself? I had never broken the law in my life! I didn't even have a speeding ticket! Now, through no actions of my own, I had knowledge of a massive – Luke’s words – insider trading ring? How far and wide did it reach? Was it limited domestically or was it international?
I dragged my butt out of bed, feeling as though I had been run over by a truck. I stumbled into the bathroom and gazed into the mirror. Dark circles marred my eyes and I had a shocked expression on my face, an expression that I equated to deer in the headlights. I scowled at my reflection. “Damn you, Luke. Damn you, Dad. You guys did this to me. I don't deserve this!”
I jumped into the shower, took my time, and then got dressed. It felt strange to not be going to Luke's house to work, but that certainly wasn't going to happen anytime soon, at least not, until this mess got straightened out. In fact, whether it did or not, maybe it would just be best for me to focus on putting in more applications at the school districts. Perhaps it would be a good idea to distance myself from Luke for a while.
I left the house about eight-thirty and slowly drove to my parent’s house. I could find my way in the dark in the middle of a rainstorm, so my drive was pretty much automatic while my thoughts were filled with dread, uncertainty, and an increasingly growing sense of resentment and anger.
I pulled onto our street, lined with massive magnolia trees in full bloom. The aroma and the sight was beautiful and normally would've lifted my spirits and made me laugh out loud. Interspersed with magnolias were ancient cypress trees, many of their limbs draped in dusty-colored grayish-green moss. The shrubbery after the spring rains was now lush and thick; the air filled not only with the scent of magnolia, but jasmine and trumpet vines, hibiscus flowers, and a myriad of other aromas from plants I couldn't identify.
I pulled into the driveway of my parent’s estate, my palms clammy with nervousness. I had never felt anything but enthusiasm and joy approaching my parent’s house. Another reason to damn Luke. The driveway itself was nearly two hundred yards long, a gently winding path that headed deeper into the woods until the car emerged in a gorgeous meadow.
My parents’ mansion was set near the rear of a meadow, surrounded by the lushness of Raleigh's deciduous and annual trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. A deep sense of nostalgia swept through me as I drove up to the front steps. The house, built in traditional colonial style, had just received a fresh coat of off-white paint this past spring. A wraparound veranda, two dormered windows, and white painted brick on the bottom, planking on the second floor, gave the house a unique and old-fashioned appeal. It even had three columns holding up the wraparound, now half covered in trailing vines of yellow jasmine.
For the first time, I saw my house with a stranger's eyes. I had grown up privileged. I would always appreciate that. But if that house, this lifestyle had been gained from ill-gotten goods or illegal activities, I wanted nothing to do with it.
By the time I stepped out of my car, the front door had opened and my mother emerged with a smile.
"Molly, darling!" she exclaimed. "What a pleasant surprise! I didn't know you were going to stop by. If I had known, I would have prepared a batch of your favorite cookies."
I smiled at my mom, blinking back tears of love and affection. "Snickerdoodles." She laughed and wrapped her arms around me.
"So what brings you here so early in the morning and in the middle of the week, no less?"
Together we stepped through the doorway as she talked a mile a minute. "It seems as if I haven't seen you in ages! You've been keeping yourself busy, haven't you? Have you heard anything about your school applications?"
I was just about to answer when my father stepped through a doorway a short distance down the hallway. His office.
"Honey, I need to have a private talk with Molly," he said.
I watched the frown form on my mother's brow as she glanced between my father and me. "Oh? Is there something wrong?"
"Everything's fine," he assured her. "Maybe after our talk, Molly can spend some time with you to catch up."
I put a brave face on. "I'm not sure if I can stick around, Mom," I told her, placing a hand affectionately on her shoulder. "I have several appointments today, but if you want to make those snickerdoodles, I promise I'll come back for a batch."
"I have a meeting with the ladies group at the country club in just a little while." She glanced down at her watch and then at her husband. "Oh my goodness, I'm running late already!"
My dad smiled indulgently at her and the love in his eyes for his aging wife brought a thick swell of emotion in my throat. I swallowed heavily. What about me? Did he feel that way about me, too?
She turned to me. "Next time you decide to stop by, honey, you give me a head’s up, okay? As chairman of the committee, I can't back out this morning, so I'm sorry I can't stay-"
"No worries, Mom," I assured her. I gave her a hug, relishing the scent of her light perfume, and then gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll catch you the next time. Maybe we can go do some shopping, go out and have a lunch, maybe at the Arboretum. What do you say?"
"Sounds wonderful," she said, glancing at her husband. "I guess this means you have Molly all to yourself for the morning," she said. "I've got to get going!" She gave me a kiss on the cheek and then quickly disappeared upstairs.
I turned to my dad, still standing outside of his office. He looked at me, an inscrutable expression on his face. Then, with a sigh, he gestured for me to enter his domain. I did, automatically heading for one of the comfortable leather chairs that sat in front of his massive mahogany desk.
I had always loved it here, in my father's office. It smelled good: of old books, furniture polish, and when the windows were open, all the wonderful scents of the woods behind the house, along with the flowers and the trees. In fact, other than my bedroom, this was my favorite room in the house. It had always given me a sense of protection, of knowing that no matter what, my father was always there, working, and available, even as I had pestered him as a child.
As I sat down in the leather chair, my father rounded the desk and sat down in his. It gave a little squeak. He placed his elbows on the dark green desk blotter and steepled his fingers under his chin. I had his full attention. He waited for me to speak.
Nervous, I blurted out the first words that I could think of. "It's certainly strange that I have to make an appointment to see my own father," I commented.
He laughed gently. "Well, it is business hours, after all," he said. "What else did you expect?"
His comment took me aback. Even though I sensed that he, too, was joking, I caught the defensive tone in his voice. He was on guard, as if he wasn't quite sure what or how much I knew. I didn't think his response was funny.
"That's convenient, Dad, because what I want to talk to you about certainly isn't dinner conversation."
His arms left the desk. He leaned back in hi
s chair, his eyes riveted to mine. My stomach did a somersault. I had never been afraid of my father. I had never been afraid to discuss anything with him. Suddenly, I felt like a little girl who was in trouble for breaking a valuable object. The way he looked at me now was inscrutable. Was it a warning? Encouragement to speak my mind? I just didn't know. It put me off balance, made me feel self-conscious.
"I don't have much time, Molly," he finally said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "I have another appointment coming in thirty minutes. What did you need to talk to me about that we couldn't discuss over the phone?"
I swallowed. This was it. I had never been so afraid to open my mouth.
Leaning back in his chair, his hands resting lightly in his lap, fingers crossed, he looked at me. Did I see concern on his face? Did I see an inkling of worry? Or was that slight smile that I saw on his lips a smirk? No, it couldn't be. It was encouragement. I couldn't get the words out. He noted my internal struggle. Tilting his head slightly to one side, he spoke.
"Molly, since when have you ever been afraid or hesitant to talk to me about anything?" He nodded in encouragement. "Whatever is stuck in your craw, get it out."
So, I did. I started from the beginning, my frustration at not being able to find a teaching job. I lifted my hand when he began to speak, knowing that he was going to tell me that if I had just allowed him to pull a few strings, I would have had a solid teaching position to go into for the new school year. I once again explained that I wanted to do it on my own. I wanted to earn my teaching placement and experience life on my own.
I paused for a few seconds, and he remained quiet, knowing that I had more to say. "You know that I took the job as a maid for Luke Benning."
He nodded, not even pretending innocence.
"I realize that it's not exactly the type of job that either of us wanted for me, but it served to fill my idle time, and it made me feel useful. My earnings, no matter how small, made me feel as if I was gaining experience, much-needed experience. It doesn't matter whether I got a job as a waitress, a maid, or a nanny, or anything else, Dad, it was an effort for me to give it a try."
He said nothing, and I pressed on. "If I'm going to be a teacher, regardless of the age group I'm assigned, I need to learn how to deal with people. There is no question that I grew up sheltered and pampered, and I appreciate that. At the same time, I realize now, as a young adult, that I need to expose myself to a variety of experiences." I frowned. "And that goes for my choice in boyfriends, too."
Again he said nothing, as if he was going to force me to say everything that was on my mind. I didn't hold anything back – some of the details, yes – but not the important stuff. "I like working for Luke, Dad," I said, and then frowned. "Imagine my surprise when he came back from a meeting one morning and I realized that his meeting was with you." My father shifted in his chair, but otherwise didn't divulge any emotion. "Imagine my even greater surprise when he told me that you had given him an ultimatum – either quit seeing me or lose the benefit of his business relationship with you."
My father’s silence was beginning to annoy me. I grew angry. "I discovered, quite to my surprise and shock, that Luke has been involved with…shall we just say less than legal methods when it comes to stock market dealings, selling and trading. In fact, I called him on it. He gave me a song and dance, told me that he would stop, and foolishly, I believed it."
Again, my father had nothing to say. I pushed on. "Despite my anger and disappointment in Luke, I also realized at the same time that I had begun to develop feelings for him." This, at least, got a reaction of emotion from my father. He scowled. "Let me make this quick because I know you have another meeting scheduled, and I certainly don't want to take up any more time than absolutely necessary.” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my voice. The thought that he was timing my visit not only irritated me, but made me feel small and unimportant to him. “So, let me be blunt…what it boils down to, Dad, is that when I demanded that Luke get away from the people feeding him information regarding insider trading, and literally gave him an ultimatum of my own, can you imagine what he told me?"
My father shrugged, a gesture that in the past would have made me smile, but at the moment infuriated me.
"I couldn't even begin to imagine."
With tears in my eyes and my voice trembling with emotion, I asked him right out. "He told me that you were the cornerstone of the insider training ring that he has been caught up in." My father said nothing, but continued to stare at me, unblinking. I snapped. "Is it true?" I demanded.
He remained silent.
"So that's what I wanted to talk to you about today, Dad," I said, growing angrier by the second. "First, I want to know if you're involved in insider trading. Second, I want to know why you gave Luke an ultimatum about seeing me.” To my surprise, right this instant, I felt that the latter was the more important topic to discuss. “What gives you the right to get involved in my relationships? What gives you the right to think that you can control my life and micromanage everything I do?"
His scowl deepened, but I pushed on. "I'm an adult, Dad, and I have a right to see who I want to see, when I want to see them, and where I want to see them. I don't appreciate being followed! I don't appreciate anyone reporting back to you exactly what I'm doing or with whom!"
His hands slammed down on the desk so forcefully that I jumped, startled. He leaned forward in his chair, his expression angry.
"Don't forget who you're talking to, young lady!"
I was startled by the vehemence in his voice. I had never seen my father so angry. His face flushed red, and I saw the throbbing of the vein in his temple. He was outraged!
"First of all, young lady, I am disappointed. How could you think such a thing of me? I deny any accusation that I'm actively involved in insider trading. In fact, I deny all your accusations except one."
I stared at him, wide-eyed with apprehension. Was he telling the truth? Had Luke been lying to me? Oh God, had I just falsely accused my father of one of the most abhorred crimes in the financial industry? My father stood, pushing his chair back and placing his hands on his desk, leaning his body toward me. I had to look up to meet his angry gaze.
"I absolutely refute any claims of dealing in the stock exchange or in trading, selling, or being the cornerstone of anything that has to do with insider trading! However, I do not deny that I don't want you seeing Luke Benning!"
“But why?" I asked, my voice a choked whisper.
"The answer is right in front of your face, if you could just get past his looks," he snapped. “Molly, you've always had a good head on your shoulders, but I'm disappointed in you. You're not using the common sense that God gave you, nor are you relying on the upbringing that your mother and I have tried to give you.”
I felt confused, torn. Was he telling the truth? What the hell? "I don't understand," I cried, warm tears swimming in my eyes. My heart thudded dully in my chest. My stomach felt like it had a rock in it.
"The reason I don't want you to see Luke Benning is because his entire family is, and always has been, crooked. Well, except his grandfather. To be blunt, I didn't want you getting mixed up in all of it."
The disappointment I saw in his eyes crushed me. "Dad, I'm…"
He cut me off. "I know you've slept with him," he said bluntly. “I know that you've developed feelings for him, which was what I was trying to avoid all along. I know you're a grown woman, Molly, but you can be so naïve sometimes. You can't let a pretty face influence you like that!"
"Dad-"
"Don't try to deny it," he snapped. "Why Luke Benning? You tell me that. You've had relationships before and they never worked out. Why?" He waved his hand. "Never mind, I don't want to know, but I will tell you one thing. Because of your stubborn headedness and your attraction to Benning, you've now gotten mixed up with this whole sad and sorry business. I'm telling you, you'd better back away now or you may find yourself in trouble."
Chapter 4
I was confused, now more than ever. What could I believe? Who to believe? Of course, I wanted to believe my father, but if he really were involved in insider trading, in any capacity, would he admit it to me, his daughter? It was doubtful. If he wasn’t, then why would Luke say such a thing if it weren't true? At the time he had been given the ultimatum by my dad, he hadn't known exactly who I was. What would he gain by lying to me about my father's involvement?
I had already asked Luke to extricate himself from the situation before he even told me my father was involved. When it came to my relationship with Luke, my own ultimatum had not involved my father in any way. It had involved only Luke. Again, I quickly ran through our previous conversations in my mind. He had nothing to gain by continuing to accuse my father. In fact, in doing so, he could very well risk losing my affection for him.
After several moments of thought, with my father staring angrily at me, I realized, with a sinking feeling and a great surge of disappointment coupled with nausea, that Luke was right. My father must be involved.
"Okay, I'll believe you, Dad," I lied. I wanted to believe him, but I was still processing information. I needed to try to keep the peace, so he would continue to answer my questions. "But at the same time, how do you know Luke’s father was dirty?"
"I've been in this business for decades," he grumbled, waving a hand as if sweeping away a negligible problem. "His father hovered around the edges of the investment world, always trying to make a quick buck, taking the easy way out. Now, his grandfather, he was different. Luke's grandfather made his money the honest way, through hard work, smarts, and a solid investment strategy. Luke's father, on the contrary, was nothing but a lazy bastard."
While I did have to realize that my father would more than likely have come across Luke's father on occasion, his knowledge about the family was still a curiosity. Then again, every circle had its gossip and rumors, including those in the finance industry.
"I'll tell you one thing, Molly, that when you've been in the business as long as I have, I can almost tell just by looking at people."