Chapter 16 - Thirty Percent
Marcus had intended to transfer thirty percent of Carter Ridge Holdings to Nia’s company after refinancing.
Nia read the draft agreement three times.
It did not redeem him.
It made the betrayal stranger.
He had stolen her participation in order to manufacture a surprise ownership interest later.
When she confronted him at the next attorney meeting, Marcus looked embarrassed.
“It was supposed to be forty percent originally.”
Nia stared.
“That is your response?”
“I’m explaining.”
“Please do.”
“Lauren’s option required ten. Mom needed fifteen temporarily because of the financing structure. I was going to give your company thirty, then increase it after we stabilized.”
“Without asking me.”
“Yes.”
“You really do not understand consent.”
Marcus lowered his head.
“I understand it now.”
Nia ignored the phrase.
“Why hide something supposedly beneficial?”
“Because Westhaven meant something to you.”
“Exactly.”
“I wanted to give it back to you.”
“You cannot give somebody back a dream after secretly buying it with their money.”
“I see that.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
Nia leaned closer.
“You still think the tragedy is that your plan failed.”
Marcus looked at her.
“The tragedy is that you believed a good ending would excuse a dishonest road.”
He went quiet.
Daniel shifted papers.
Tessa allowed the silence.
Marcus finally said, “That’s fair.”
Nia sat back.
Something loosened inside her.
Not forgiveness.
Recognition.
Marcus had loved outcomes more than processes.
If he could eventually replace the money, the secret transfers were acceptable.
If he could eventually end the affair, the ongoing deception was survivable.
If he could eventually give Nia equity, taking her plans without permission was temporary.
He believed destination could cleanse method.
That belief had destroyed them.
The settlement discussions continued.
Westhaven had modest equity because it had been purchased below market, but unfinished renovations and debt reduced its immediate value.
Carter Ridge Construction was more complicated.
Denise’s parcels created substantial underlying value.
Marcus offered to relinquish any claim to Nia’s design business and provide Nia a larger share of the brokerage account.
Tessa advised patience.
“First offers are information, not endings.”
Nia nodded.
Afterward Denise approached her in the parking garage.
“I heard Lauren gave you the recording.”
Nia stopped.
“Yes.”
“I’m ashamed.”
“You should be.”
Denise accepted it.
“I told myself one closing wouldn’t matter.”
“It mattered.”
“Yes.”
“You delayed my right to make decisions about my own marriage because you wanted a property deal completed.”
“Yes.”
Nia looked at her.
“Do you still believe marriage should have been preserved?”
Denise took a long breath.
“I believe marriage can survive betrayal.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“No.”
Denise’s eyes filled.
“I don’t believe yours had to.”
The answer surprised Nia.
Denise continued.
“I confused preserving marriage with preserving goodness.”
Nia said nothing.
“A marriage can exist and still be sick,” Denise said. “Mine did for years.”
“And you wanted mine to look like yours.”
“I wanted your leaving not to mean my staying had been a mistake.”
Nia looked away.
“Was it?”
Denise surprised her again.
“Some years, yes.”
The garage hummed around them.
Denise wiped one cheek.
“Arthur changed near the end. He became kinder. More honest. We had good years again.”
“I’m glad.”
“But those good years don’t make the earlier ones righteous.”
Nia met her eyes.
That distinction mattered.
Denise reached into her purse.
She removed her gold cross necklace.
Nia stiffened.
“I’m not giving this to you.”
“Good.”
Denise smiled sadly.
“I’m showing you something.”
She turned it over.
Tiny scratches covered the back.
“Every time Arthur cheated, I held this so tightly it cut my palm.”
Nia looked at the cross.
“For years I thought those marks meant faith carried me.”
Denise closed her fingers around it.
“Now I think faith carried me despite what I allowed people to tell me.”
Nia did not know what to say.
Denise put the necklace away.
“I stepped down from the marriage ministry.”
Nia looked at her.
“You did?”
“Yes.”
“Because of me?”
“Because I realized I had no business telling women what endurance should cost them.”
That was a consequence Denise had chosen herself.
Nia respected it.
Respect did not erase anger.
Both could exist.
That evening Nia returned to her apartment.
The boxes were nearly gone.
She placed Westhaven’s brass key on her desk.
Beside it sat a copy of the thirty-percent draft.
For weeks she had imagined Westhaven as stolen.
Now she saw the deeper truth.
Marcus had tried to love her through control.
Denise had tried to love Marcus through protection.
Lauren had tried to love Marcus through belief.
Everyone kept calling their choices love.
Nia picked up the key.
Maybe love was not measured by what you were willing to do for someone.
Maybe it was measured by what you refused to do to them.
Her phone buzzed.
Tessa.
“Nia, we received an offer.”
“For settlement?”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
Tessa paused.
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“Marcus is offering you Westhaven.”
Nia stared at the brass key in her hand.
