Chapter 16 - Everyone Has AdviceValerie Reed loved her son fiercely.

That became a problem within minutes.

"You do not stay in a house with somebody who humiliates you like that."

"Mom."

"I'm serious."

Taylor stood near the nursery door, pale.

Marcus lowered his voice.

"Not in front of her."

Valerie looked at Taylor.

"She did it in front of you for nine months."

"Mom."

The firmness stopped her.

Marcus walked downstairs with Valerie.

In the kitchen, she crossed her arms.

"Tell me I'm misunderstanding."

"You're not."

"And Nicole knew?"

"Yes."

Valerie laughed bitterly.

"Whole family made a fool out of mine."

"Stop."

Her eyes widened.

Marcus continued.

"I feel betrayed. I am angry. But nobody made our family a fool."

"You announced that baby with another man's name."

"And I am dealing with it."

"You should leave."

Marcus stared at her.

"That's my decision."

"I'm your mother."

"Exactly."

Valerie went silent.

Marcus understood the irony.

Taylor's mother had hidden information because she believed she knew what Taylor could handle.

Nicole had done the same.

Now Valerie was trying to decide Marcus's response.

"I need you to support me without taking control," Marcus said.

Valerie's expression softened.

"I'm scared for you."

"I know."

"How do you trust her?"

"I don't right now."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Parenting my son."

Valerie nodded reluctantly.

"And figuring out what I want."

Her eyes filled.

"You deserved better."

"Maybe."

"No maybe."

Marcus looked toward the staircase.

"Taylor deserved better from her mother too. That didn't mean her mother never loved her."

Valerie frowned.

"What does Denise have to do with this?"

"More than you know."

Marcus explained only what was necessary.

Valerie sat slowly.

"Lord."

"Exactly."

She rubbed her forehead.

"So everybody lied to everybody."

"Pretty much."

"And you're changing the baby's name?"

"Miles."

Valerie repeated it.

"Miles Reed."

She smiled despite herself.

"I like it."

Marcus smiled faintly.

"You don't get a vote either."

Valerie laughed.

"Fair."

Before leaving, Valerie spoke privately to Taylor.

Marcus stayed away.

Later, Taylor told him what she said.

"She told me she doesn't forgive me."

Marcus frowned.

"That wasn't necessary."

"I told her I understood."

"What else?"

"She said she will never speak badly about me in front of Miles."

Marcus nodded.

"That's necessary."

Taylor's expression softened.

"She loves you."

"So does Nicole love you."

"Love makes people stupid."

"Apparently."

They both smiled.

The moment passed.

That evening Taylor received a call from the scholarship committee.

The annual Andre Bell Memorial event was three weeks away.

Taylor had been scheduled to deliver the opening remarks.

She sat staring at the email.

"You going?" Marcus asked.

"I don't know."

"Would you have gone if I never found the photograph?"

"Yes."

"Then don't cancel because of me."

Taylor shook her head.

"I don't think I should speak."

"Why?"

"Because I've turned the memorial into something unhealthy."

Marcus considered it.

"That doesn't mean the scholarship is unhealthy."

"No."

"Talk to your therapist."

She nodded.

"You would be okay with me going?"

Marcus sighed.

"I'm not going to give you permission to remember somebody."

Taylor looked down.

"I keep asking you to manage my guilt."

He noticed the insight.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

Marcus nodded.

Two days later, Taylor decided to attend but not speak.

She asked another committee member to deliver the remarks.

Marcus did not attend.

He spent the afternoon with Miles—still legally Andre—at home.

When Taylor returned, she seemed exhausted.

"How was it?"

"Hard."

"Why?"

"Andre's old professor spoke."

Marcus waited.

"He told a story about Andre failing an exam."

Marcus smiled slightly.

"Not very memorial-like."

"That's why I liked it."

Taylor removed her coat.

"He said Andre argued with the grade for forty minutes and was completely wrong."

Marcus laughed.

Taylor laughed too.

"He sounded so annoyed remembering it."

Then she began crying.

Marcus became quiet.

"It was the first memorial where Andre sounded like a person instead of a saint."

Marcus nodded.

"How'd that feel?"

"Like losing him again."

She looked at Marcus.

"But differently."

"How?"

"I lost the perfect version."

Marcus understood.

Taylor sat down.

"And I think I needed to."

The baby cried through the monitor.

Marcus stood.

"I've got him."

Taylor looked grateful.

Halfway upstairs, his phone rang.

Aisha.

"Hey."

"Marcus, I got your email about the account review."

His body tensed.

"And?"

"You asked me to flag anything unusual."

"Yes."

"There was a lien search attached to your home purchase file."

Marcus frowned.

"So?"

"Nothing is currently wrong with your title."

"Then what's unusual?"

Aisha paused.

"The original property Taylor wanted to buy before your house was not this property."

Marcus stopped on the staircase.

"What?"

"There are emails in the closing archive referencing a different address."

"Whose address?"

Aisha read it.

Marcus recognized the street immediately.

Evelyn Bell's street.

Andre's childhood home.

Marcus stared upward.

May you like

92 The Girl They Called Broke Was a Billionaire’s Daughter—But Her Fathe...

91 A Cruel Hotel Manager Fired a Receptionist for Defending a Poor Old G...

90 On Christmas Eve, My Daughter-in-Law Stole $12,000 From My Card—Then...

Apparently, before buying a home with Marcus, Taylor had tried to buy Andre's mother's house.

And she had never mentioned it.