Chapter 11 - Corinne Finally Asked to See AlistairCorinne's attorney requested the meeting.
Rachel initially advised against it.
“Nothing requires you to speak with her.”
“I know.”
“She may be trying to influence your statement.”
“I know.”
“She may apologize.”
Alistair looked at her.
“That sounds less dangerous.”
“Apologies can be manipulative too.”
He almost smiled.
“You really are a lawyer.”
“Unfortunately.”
Alistair agreed to one supervised conversation.
No children.
No private home.
Conference room.
Rachel present.
Corinne arrived wearing a cream sweater and dark trousers.
No makeup beyond the minimum.
For the first time in years, Alistair saw her without polish.
She looked older.
Smaller.
He felt nothing comforting about that.
Corinne sat.
“Ali.”
“Don't.”
She stopped.
He hated the nickname in her mouth.
Elise had called him that.
Corinne learned it later.
“Alistair.”
He waited.
She looked toward Rachel.
“Can we speak alone?”
“No.”
Corinne's jaw tightened.
“You think I'm dangerous?”
“I know you're dishonest.”
She flinched.
“I never wanted Theo seriously hurt.”
Alistair stared.
“That is your opening?”
She closed her eyes.
“The bathroom thing got out of control.”
“The bathroom thing.”
“I was trying to discipline him.”
“By humiliating an eight-year-old?”
“He was screaming at me.”
“He was crying.”
“He knows how to manipulate people.”
Alistair felt anger rise.
Rachel placed a hand near his arm.
Not touching.
Just reminding.
Corinne saw it.
“You've already decided I'm a monster.”
“No.”
That surprised her.
“I think you're worse than a monster.”
Her face changed.
“A monster wouldn't have choices.”
Silence.
“You did.”
Corinne looked down.
Alistair continued.
“You chose every time.”
“Alistair—”
“You chose to take Elise's letters.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“You chose to tell Theo his mother would hate him.”
“I was angry.”
“You chose to tell Willa I wanted them gone.”
“I thought—”
“You chose to fake signatures.”
“Malcolm did that.”
“You watched.”
Corinne said nothing.
“You chose to arrange travel.”
“I thought Stone Ridge could help.”
“Help who?”
Silence.
“The children?”
She looked away.
“Or you?”
Corinne wiped her face.
“I was drowning.”
Alistair stared.
“In what?”
“Our marriage.”
He almost laughed.
“You never told me.”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“Every time I said I couldn't live with Elise in the house.”
His expression hardened.
“Elise wasn't in the house.”
“Yes, she was.”
Corinne's voice rose.
“Every photograph. Every tradition. Every time Willa said, ‘Mom used to do it this way.’ Every time Theo asked you to tell him a story about her.”
Alistair stared.
“They're her children.”
“I know!”
“Then what did you expect?”
“To matter too.”
The words broke something open.
Not sympathy.
Understanding.
Corinne had mistaken being loved differently for being loved less.
“You mattered.”
“Not like she did.”
“No.”
Corinne stopped.
Alistair continued.
“She was their mother.”
Tears rolled down Corinne's face.
“You could never replace that.”
“I know now.”
“You knew then.”
She looked down.
“Part of me did.”
Alistair sat back.
“Why Stone Ridge?”
Corinne breathed slowly.
“I wanted time.”
“A six-month residential placement is time?”
“I wanted the house quiet.”
There it was.
Honest and ugly.
“I wanted us.”
Alistair stared.
“You wanted me after you sent my children away?”
“I thought once you saw how much calmer everything was—”
He almost stood.
Rachel gave him a warning look.
Alistair remained seated.
“Finish.”
Corinne cried.
“I thought you'd realize how much conflict they brought.”
“They're children.”
“I know.”
“No, Corinne.”
His voice shook.
“They were grieving children when you entered their lives.”
“I tried.”
“Until they wouldn't become yours.”
Corinne covered her face.
Alistair waited.
Then:
“What about the money?”
She lowered her hands.
“What?”
“Malcolm's commissions.”
She went still.
“The trust reimbursements.”
Silence.
“Your investment in his company.”
Corinne looked toward her lawyer.
There.
Confirmation.
“Answer only if counsel advises,” Rachel said calmly.
Corinne's attorney whispered to her.
Corinne finally said:
“Malcolm owed me money.”
“And sending my children away helped him repay you.”
“Yes.”
The word came almost inaudibly.
Alistair felt physically sick.
“Did you ever once look at those numbers and think this is wrong?”
“I told myself the children needed the program.”
“Because you built reports saying they did.”
“I believed it.”
“You believed Theo had serious behavioral problems?”
“Yes.”
“Before or after you taught him to be afraid of you?”
Corinne flinched.
She had no answer.
Alistair took a breath.
“What was the incident file for?”
Corinne stared.
He continued.
“You expected me to be angry.”
“Yes.”
“You wanted to record it.”
“I wanted protection.”
“From what?”
“You.”
“Have I ever hurt you?”
“No.”
“Threatened you?”
“No.”
“Stopped you leaving?”
“No.”
“Then what exactly were you protecting yourself from?”
Corinne began crying again.
“The moment you chose them.”
Alistair went silent.
That was it.
Not fear of violence.
Fear of losing.
“You knew I would choose my children.”
“Yes.”
“And you needed evidence that choosing them meant something was wrong with me.”
Corinne closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
Alistair stood.
The meeting was over.
Then Corinne said:
“There was one thing Malcolm didn't tell you.”
He stopped.
Rachel looked at him.
Corinne continued.
“Stone Ridge wasn't supposed to be six months.”
Alistair slowly turned.
“What?”
“That was the paperwork you saw.”
His blood went cold.
“How long?”
Corinne looked down.
“A year.”
He stared.
“And after that?”
She whispered:
“Another school.”
Alistair stopped breathing.
“You planned to keep them away indefinitely.”
May you like
Corinne didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
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