Honte

Chapter Twelve

"How you could do this? To me, to dad?! HOW COULD YOU?!"

"Henry, please..."

"This is shameful!"

"Henry..."

"Just... just tell me why. Why you kept this. Why these... lies even happened."

"Henry, please... it was a mistake!"

I awoke with a start and crept right outside my bedroom to find my mom and Rachel with their ears pressed to the door at the end of the hall.

"How did he even find out?" whispered Aunt Emma.

"Forget that," Rachel replied. "This is going to be terrible for Warren, no doubt, but this will be great for us, Em. This is the leverage we need against James. Warren's friendship is priceless to him."

I gingerly closed my door just as Henry stormed out of the corner room, Beth rushing after him.

"Henry, please! I'm so sorry. Please, Henry! Listen to me!"

"No! NO! You all lie. YOU ALL LIE, all of YOU! Everyone lies!" Henry cried, running off.

Beth fell to the floor in tears. "This can't be happening."

"Oh, Beth," Rachel said comfortingly, hugging her tight. "This will get better, honey."

"It will, honey, it will," Aunt Emma said.

'What happened?' I thought to myself, picking up my phone to find 20+ messages from Tristan in the group chat. He sent over everything: from documents, to damning images, to the reason behind Henry's breakdown: they had discovered that Henry was James and Beth Coddington's son, and not Beth's son with Warren.

I shuddered at the revelation. Tristan's text made me worry even more. "Nat, please call Henry as soon as you get this. He was horrible last night. Please check up on him". I immediately tried to call him but got no answer. I kept trying the rest of the day, but it was too late.

That night, someone had ransacked James' office and stolen the box Henry and Tristan had found. By the next morning, Henry's car was gone, and the photos Tristan shared over IM appeared on Warren Coddington's desk. Rachel Evermore was at the house, showing Uncle Tomas photos of the documents about Anderson that she had received from a blocked number.

Henry was gone, and everything was now out in the open.

"Did you know about this, Naty?" Uncle Tomas asked, showing me the photos.

I shook my head. "Henry hasn't spoken to me in days, he hasn't even called. I have no idea how he got a hold of those."

"I do," Tristan appeared in the living room with Ava, Desanna and Robert.

"Sorrel?"

"We... were at my dad's office when we saw that," Tristan said. "We took photos."

Rachel looked surprised. "You broke into your dad's office?"

"For Rob," Tristan said, casting a dark look at Rachel. "You... both of you, hurt him."

Rachel sighed.

"Forget it," Desanna said. "Mom, Tristan overheard James is planning to expedite his plan against dad. He's going to do it tomorrow," she said. "She's going to expose him on live TV!"

Rachel gasped. "We need to do something. Now. Dessy, call your father, call Rob." She turned to Uncle Tomas. "We need to tell him. It's the only way."

Tristan, Ava and myself stayed upstairs as Rob, Dessy, Rachel, Aunt Emma and Uncle Tomas prepared for Anderson's arrival. Anderson arrived in time for an elaborate lunch, which ended with expensive coffee and Rachel going straight to business.

"Honey, James is going to expose you," she said, her coffee cup in hand. "This is why we called you."

"What?"

"He's going to talk about the divorce."

"What? What're you talking about?"

"My divorce!" Rachel cried, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "I... I've been planning divorce proceedings," she said. Anderson gasped.

"What? Why?!"

"I... I know everything!" she yelled, throwing her cup at the wall. It shattered into a thousand pieces. "You, and all your girls... Marie Duchamp, the St. Claire girl... Cathy... fucking... Sorrel!" she cried. "I'm tired, Anderson! I've been tired for the past ten years!"

Desanna began to cry, clutching Rob's hand.

"I want it to be over," she said. "I want us... to be over."

"Rache, honey..." Anderson said quietly, his hand outstretched. He tried to hold her, but she pushed him away.

"Enough!" she cried.

"But I am going to hold on," she said quietly. "For this family. For my children. For the Evermore name." she took his face in her hands. "Just a little more. But the moment I hear of one more fling, one more night in Marseilles, I won't be back, Anderson. I'm giving you one... last chance."

Anderson began to bawl, wrapping Rachel in a tight hug as Rob and Desanna joined in, tears in their eyes. We headed back downstairs just as the family shared a late lunch.

"Naty," Rachel said. "I owe you an apology. I was driving the car that hit you that night," she said. "And I'm so sorry." She began to cry again.

"It's... okay," I said, sitting between her and Desanna. "Are you guys okay now?"

"I guess," replied Anderson. "But what about James?"

"We'll have to stop him tonight," Rachel said. "Any ideas?"

That evening, the Evermores invited James, Celeste and Tristan over for dinner. As Dessy and Rob kept Celeste occupied with Tristan's help, Anderson and Rachel shared whiskey with James in his study.

"Dinner was great," remarked James, as he admired the antique globe in Anderson's office. "You've definitely still got it, Rache."

"Thank you," she said. "As I'm sure we've still got you."

"Excuse me?"

"We know about the plan James," Anderson said, his expression turning dark. "Exposing my divorce, really? How could you?"

"How could I?! How could YOU! You've got some nerve talking down to me, Evermore," James snapped. "After that deal with Faust, you're lucky we're still partners."

"Like you were going to keep that going," Anderson snapped. "You were gonna take me out eventually, weren't you?"

James was shocked. "You broke into my office, didn't you? How did you know that?"

"Let's just say your son told all," Rachel smirked. "No, not Tristan, sweetie. You know who we're talking about."

"Just imagine how broken Celeste would be," Anderson said. "Years of a perfect marriage... gone."

"I know how much she loves you, James," Rachel said. "It would kill her to know everything."

James relented. "Don't hurt her. I've done that enough myself."