Chapter 12: The Cost of Confession
Adrian survived.
He was charged with murder, kidnapping, attempted murder, fraud, blackmail and dozens of financial crimes.
The evidence found at the lake house connected him to crimes spanning more than a decade.
Samuel Cole was taken to the hospital.
His injuries were serious, but he was alive.
Margaret was treated for dehydration and a fractured wrist.
Nathan had bruised ribs.
Vanessa had a cut above her eye and a marriage that no longer existed.
Three days after the factory rescue, she sat across from Nathan in a police interview room.
Her lawyer had advised her not to speak.
She ignored him.
“I’m confessing to everything.”
Nathan studied her.
“The theft?”
“The theft. The false documents. The fake medical records. The pregnancy.”
“A fake pregnancy is not necessarily a crime.”
“The money connected to it is.”
She slid a document toward him.
It was a complete list of every account she had accessed and every dollar she had moved.
“I can help recover most of it.”
“Most?”
“Adrian spent some.”
Nathan looked at the document.
“Why are you doing this?”
Vanessa gave him a tired smile.
“Because you were right.”
“About what?”
“I never chose you over Adrian. I chose survival over both of you.”
Nathan said nothing.
“I kept telling myself I was trapped,” she continued. “Sometimes I was. But not every time. There were moments when I could have told you the truth.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because the truth would cost me the life I wanted.”
Nathan looked at her.
“And the lie cost me mine.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“I know.”
He looked away.
For weeks, he had imagined becoming a father.
He had painted the nursery.
Built a crib.
Whispered goodnight to a silicone stomach.
The humiliation hurt.
But the grief was worse.
Even though the baby had never existed, Nathan’s love had.
That made the loss real to him.
“I named him,” he said.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
“Oliver.”
“I remember.”
“No, you don’t get to remember him like I do.”
She flinched.
Nathan’s voice trembled.
“You knew there was no child. I believed there was a person coming into this world. I imagined his face. His first steps. His first day at school.”
Vanessa cried silently.
“You killed a future in my mind.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It isn’t enough.”
“I know.”
The honesty of that answer was the only thing he could accept from her.
Nathan stood.
“My lawyer will file for divorce tomorrow.”
Vanessa nodded.
“I won’t fight it.”
“I don’t want the house.”
“It was yours before me.”
“I don’t want anything connected to this marriage.”
Nathan moved toward the door.
Vanessa called his name.
He stopped but did not turn.
“I did love you.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
“Maybe you did.”
He looked back at her.
“But you loved being safe more than you loved being honest.”
May you like
Then he left.
Vanessa remained in the interview room and signed the confession.
