Chapter 13 - The One Thing Morgan Wasn’t Lying AboutPierce hated the page.
Not because it was false.
Because one line was true.
His temper.
Five years earlier, Pierce had received a call telling him the small construction company founded by his father was being sold outside the family after a legal dispute.
Pierce had spent years believing he might someday return and run it.
Instead, the company vanished in one phone call.
He hung up.
Walked into the garage.
And punched the wall.
Once.
Hard enough to fracture two bones in his hand.
Morgan found him sitting on the floor afterward.
He had been ashamed.
She had been frightened.
He never did it again.
Never threatened her.
Never hit a person.
But he remembered Morgan’s face.
“You wrote about the garage.”
They sat at the kitchen table after Ava went to sleep.
Morgan nodded.
“Yes.”
“Did you believe I might hurt you?”
“No.”
“Then why include it?”
She looked uncomfortable.
“Because my lawyer asked whether you had ever shown physical anger.”
“And?”
“I said yes.”
“Once.”
“Yes.”
“Five years ago.”
“Yes.”
Pierce looked away.
Morgan continued.
“I shouldn’t have circled it like that.”
“That isn’t the question.”
She looked at him.
“Were you afraid that night?”
“Yes.”
Pierce nodded.
He wanted to defend himself.
Context.
Grief.
A wall, not a person.
One isolated event.
All true.
Still, she had been afraid.
“I’m sorry.”
Morgan stared.
“For what?”
“For making you afraid.”
Her eyes filled.
Pierce continued.
“That does not excuse your affair.”
“I know.”
“And I’m not accepting the story you were preparing that I’m dangerous.”
“I know.”
“But that night was wrong.”
Morgan started crying.
“I used it.”
“Yes.”
“I took one of the worst moments of your life and saved it in case I needed it against you.”
Pierce said nothing.
“I’m sorry.”
He believed her.
Again, believing an apology did not repair trust.
“Were there other moments?”
Morgan thought.
“You yelled sometimes.”
“So did you.”
“Yes.”
“Did I threaten you?”
“No.”
“Block doors?”
“No.”
“Break things?”
“Never after the garage.”
“Scare Ava?”
“No.”
Pierce nodded.
“Then the record needs to say that too.”
“I already told my lawyer.”
“Good.”
Morgan looked at him.
“You’re handling this differently than I expected.”
“How?”
“I thought you’d try to destroy me.”
Pierce laughed sadly.
“You were already halfway gone before I knew there was a fight.”
She looked down.
“I know.”
He continued.
“I’m angry enough to do stupid things.”
“That scares me.”
“It should.”
Morgan looked up.
Pierce clarified.
“Not because I’m going to hurt you.”
Her shoulders relaxed.
“Because anger makes revenge feel like fairness.”
Morgan stared.
Pierce had thought about posting the full truth.
Sending photographs to Sierra’s clients.
Telling Morgan’s parents every detail.
Calling the landlord of the planned apartment.
Informing everyone at Sierra’s gym.
Each idea gave him a brief flash of satisfaction.
Then he imagined Ava ten years later finding screenshots online.
No.
“I’m going to let lawyers handle money.”
Morgan nodded.
“Elaine handles Ava.”
“Yes.”
“And we handle whatever is left between us.”
Morgan’s lips trembled.
“Is anything left?”
Pierce did not answer.
That silence hurt both of them.
The next day, Callum Lang contacted Pierce through an attorney.
He admitted opening the fraudulent furniture account.
Sierra had not known.
Callum claimed he did it because Grant Mercer demanded proof Sierra had a plan to sell her condo and stabilize finances.
He also admitted taking the cabin photograph.
Why?
“To show Sierra she was risking everything for Morgan.”
Pierce found the explanation disgusting.
Callum had photographed Ava too.
The attorney assured them all copies would be surrendered.
Morgan wanted charges pursued.
Sierra begged her not to.
That request ended any remaining bond between them.
“You want me to protect your brother?”
Morgan asked over the phone.
“He was trying to help me.”
“He stole my identity.”
“I know.”
“He created debt in my name.”
“I know.”
“He photographed my child without my knowledge.”
Silence.
Morgan’s voice hardened.
“And you still want me to think about what happens to him?”
Sierra started crying.
“He’s my brother.”
Morgan closed her eyes.
There it was.
The same logic.
Family justified everything.
Morgan whispered:
“And Pierce was my husband.”
Sierra had no answer.
Morgan ended the call.
The identity-theft case moved forward.
Pierce stayed out of it except where joint finances were affected.
Two weeks passed.
Pierce moved into a furnished apartment ten minutes away.
Not Nolan’s guest room.
Not a hotel.
A place with a bedroom for Ava.
Morgan cried when he told her.
“So this is real.”
He looked at her.
“Yes.”
“Are we separated?”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“What do we tell Ava?”
“The truth she can understand.”
That evening they sat with her together.
Pierce said:
“Daddy is going to sleep at another house sometimes.”
Ava immediately started crying.
Morgan pulled her close.
“Is it because I told?”
“No.”
Both parents answered simultaneously.
Ava looked between them.
Pierce continued.
“This is because Mommy and Daddy have grown-up problems.”
“Can you fix them?”
Pierce’s throat tightened.
“I don’t know.”
Ava looked at Morgan.
“Can you?”
Morgan cried.
“I’m trying to fix what I can.”
Ava hugged Bunny.
Then she asked:
“Will Coach Sierra live here now?”
Morgan closed her eyes.
“No.”
“Why?”
Morgan looked at Pierce.
Then answered:
“Because I made choices before I understood what they would cost.”
Ava frowned.
She did not understand.
She did not need to.
That night, after Pierce put her to bed, Ava whispered:
“Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
“Your new house has closets?”
He smiled sadly.
“Yes.”
“Can you leave mine open?”
May you like
Pierce’s chest tightened.
“Always.”
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