Chapter Thirty Seven - The Sullivans

Pretend to be his brother?

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Alec lied to me again?

No! He wouldn't.

Not after he said there weren't anymore secrets between us.

Was that a lie too?

I clenched my jaw in anger and just then, Walter's gaze fell on me, his eyes growing wide.

"Scarlet...," He got up from his spot.

"Is it true?" I asked him.

"I can ex-"

"Is it true, Walter?" I snapped.

"Yes," He sighed. "But I can-"

"Save it," I snapped and reached for my bag.

"Wait. I can explain," He spoke but I was already walking up to the exit.

"Scarlet, wait. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," Nicole followed me outside to the parking lot.

"I don't blame you, Nicole," I muttered nonchalantly while getting into the car. "Or Walter for that matter."

"Please, Scarlet," Walter appeared next to her. "Alec has his reasons."

"Oh yeah? He can shove them-" I stopped mid sentence, took in a deep breath and started the engine.

Ignoring whatever they were saying, I started driving towards the house.

I couldn't believe it. Alec was nothing but a liar.

I didn't want to over think but I couldn't help but wonder if everything was a lie. If all those things he had said to me, about loving me and always protecting me were a lie.

Was he even in love with me?

Why, Alec, why?

I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat and focused on the road ahead, quickly reaching the apartment.

Without wasting another minute, I went up to my previous room, opened the closet door and started throwing all my clothes in a suitcase.

I've had enough.

I'll see him when he learns to be honest with me.

I shut the suitcase once I had filled it with everything that it could hold and dragged it downstairs.

Just when I was crossing the living room, the elevators opened right infront of me and Alec sprinted out in a frantic manner.

His eyes locked with mine and I saw it in his eyes. The regret, anger and fear all at the same time.

He knew.

"Scarlet, I can explain."

I let out a laugh. "By explain, you mean feed me with more lies?"

I decided to walk past him but he was fast in blocking my way.

"What are you doing with that suitcase? Where are you going?" His eyes grew wide.

I exhaled.

Maybe I overreacted with the suitcase.

"Are you leaving me?" He asked in a voice so low that I immediately regretted my decision.

"Um..I just-"

"I'm sorry. I really am. Please don't leave me," He begged.

I bit my lip in thought. "You lied, Alec."

He looked away for a moment. He seemed guilty.

"After everything that happened, I thought we were finally...," I trailed off.

Say something, Alec.

He stayed quiet.

Sighing, I walked past him and he didn't stop me this time.

"Maybe it's time," I heard him mutter.

I turned around in confusion.

To my surprise, all the previous guilt had washed off his face as he stared at me with anger, not sure if it was directed towards me.

The suitcase fell from my hands when he advanced in my direction, took my wrist and started dragging me towards his study without a word.

I was met by a dark room but it was momentary as he switched the lights on, blinding me for a second and turned to me.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

He held my gaze, as if debating something in his head, then he let go of my wrist and walked up to his desk.

Fishing a small key out of his pocket, he unlocked the first drawer.

A file with newspaper clippings hanging out from every corner was placed on the desk.

I looked up at him in confusion but his gaze was fixed down on the file as if waiting for it to make a movement.

"Alec?" I whispered.

"I'm going to tell you a story," His piercing eyes locked with mine and I shivered when he walked up in my direction and stopped when he was a few inches away.

He scrutinized my face closely.

"Richard Sullivan was once a successful businessman," He started but then took in a deep breath as if debating if he should continue.

I nodded to let him know that he had my attention.

"He had two sons, Adam and the younger one, Nick," His jaw clenched for a moment. "They were a happy family. Just like yours."

I frowned in confusion.

"Richard loved both his boys and would go to any extent to make them happy. And then," His lips curled up into a deep scowl as if his own words were hurting him.

"Then what?" I whispered.

"Then his new business partner came into the picture. Only, he wasn't as good as he showed himself to be. He cheated and Richard had to incur a huge loss. A loss that cost him his company and....," He trailed off.

"And?" I asked.

Alec pulled out a newspaper clipping from the file and placed it infront of me.

I read the headline. Richard Sullivan committed suicide.

In the article, was the picture of a man in his late forties. There was something oddly familiar about his eyes and other features. My eyes grew wide as I read further.

Richard Sullivan has allegedly committed suicide in his office last night.

The article was dated May 13th, 2005.

For some reason, my mind went back to our time in Barbados, which was in May this year.

"His boys were thrown to the streets, Scarlet. They were left with nothing," Alec spoke with no emotion whatsoever.

"All because of that ambitious businessman. Do you know that traitor's name?" He asked.

I blinked. How would I?

"No," I spoke shortly.

"Sadly, you know that asshole," He scowled.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Who?"

His jaw clenched as he assessed my face closely.

"It's John Price," He spat.

I stopped breathing.

Dad?

My dad?

"What?" I muttered in disbelief.

"Yes. Your father," He snapped.

There's no way that was true!

How and why would my dad-

Oh! So now he was making up another story. That's what he always does.

"Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound right now?" I snapped.

His face went from angry to emotionless.

"You wanted the truth and that is exactly what I gave you," He spoke.

I scowled at him but all the previous anger vanished when another thought crossed my mind.

"How do you know all this?" I asked with wide eyes.

He remained silent.

Oh God! Please don't let my theory be right.

"Who are you?" I muttered in a low voice.

He finally lifted his gaze up.

"I'm Adam Sullivan."

The world stopped.

For a moment, I could actually hear my heartbeat.

Was I dreaming?

"That day in the parking lot, wasn't the first time we met, Scarlet," He spoke with a weak smile on his face. "Don't you remember me?"

My mouth opened slightly in thought. I had found his face a bit familiar but that was from the magazine, wasn't it?

"You were just a child when you accompanied your parents to someone's funeral. Don't you remember befriending a little boy who was crying in the corner?"

I let out a breath in surprise. Yes!

"It was you. We were at... ," I trailed off.

"My mother's funeral," He spoke.

Tears pooled in my eyes as I recalled that day.

Yes, there was an Adam Sullivan. We were like the best of friends back in those days.

But then, one day he suddenly stopped visiting and when I asked dad about the Sullivans, he told me they moved away.

But how can Alec be Adam?

Does that mean....my dad really ruined a family?

Alec turned around, went back to the drawers and took out a photograph. I recognized it from the one I had clicked a picture of.

"This isn't Walter," He pointed to the green eyed blond beside Alec. "This is my brother, Nick."

I looked up at Alec to find him looking down at the picture with a distant look in his eyes.

"W-where's Nick?" I asked, although I think I knew the answer.

Alec's shoulders slumped down and he leaned against his desk, clearly struggling to pull himself together.

"As a baby, he'd always been weak and would get sick frequently. When mom died, Nick was just five. Dad took care of him and he was always there for his family."

My eyes darted down to his hand which was gripping the edge of his desk tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"I tried," His voice was low. "I tried to save him but the moment dad was gone, I knew it was only a matter of time before Nick left me too."

He swallowed. "And he did."

The tears that I had been trying to hold back finally rolled down my cheeks.

He had been through so much.

"Oh, Alec," I went forward and wrapped my arms around him, embracing him.

He buried his face in the crook of my neck and just breathed.

"I tried to be there for him, Scarlet. I swear I did everything to make him better but the pain of losing dad was so much. He was just a child and he got....sick," He trailed off.

"Shh I know," I whispered in his ear and soothed my hand over his hair.

"I was-" He started.

"No, Alec. You don't have to continue if you don't want to," I muttered.

He sighed deeply.

"No. I am not keeping anymore secrets from you. I'm just tired of them," He pulled back and looked down at me.

I nodded.

"After dad, I had nothing to live for anymore besides....revenge," There was a fire in his eyes as he spoke the word.

"The only thing that kept me going was knowing that someday, I would get back at that man," He spat and it hurt to know that he was talking about my father.

"I was twelve and alone. I didn't know what was right or wrong. All I needed was money to survive. I got into illegal car racing and that helped me save enough for a good college. I got my degree, became......Alec Sinclair-" He let out a breath.

"-And came back for revenge. I ruined your dad's company and my plan was to buy it and destroy him like he destroyed my father but then.......I met you in that parking lot."

I took in a deep breath.

"And I decided to use you to hurt him. I thought it would kill him to see his daughter unhappy and suffering."

He looked away in guilt. "I was so blinded by my revenge that I didn't realize I was dragging an innocent into this mess."

"But," He locked his gaze with mine once again.

"While I was trying to break you, you were fixing me," He took my hand in his.

I felt numb.

He said he wanted me the moment he saw me. So that was a lie.

He was only using me for his revenge. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring myself to be mad at him.

Walter was right. He has had enough.

"I know what you're thinking," Alec's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"I didn't mean to lie to you that day in the hospital. I really wanted to tell you the truth," He spoke.

"Then why didn't you?" I muttered.

"Because I didn't want this lie to jeopardize what we have," He spoke in all honesty.

"It's way too precious to me, Scarlet. You're all I have and I can't lose you," He placed my hand over his heart.

"I'm ready to leave the past behind. I'll never have the heart to forgive your father but I'm ready to forget it all. For you. Because I finally found something that I want more than my revenge and it's you. It's you, Scarlet. I love you."

He used me. Was all I heard no matter what the truth was.

I withdrew my hand and brought it to my side.

A look of hurt crossed his face.

"Alec," My voice was shaky as tears started rolling down my cheeks again.

He stepped forward and wiped them away.

"I'm so sorry for everything you've been through," I spoke. "I know a sorry can't fix anything. It can't bring back what you have lost and I really wanna be there for you but....," I trailed off.

A look of panic crossed his face. "But?"

"But I can't," I finally blurted out.

"What?" He took a step forward.

"What you told me, it's a lot to process. I need....time."

"Okay," He nodded in understanding. "We can talk in the morning-"

"No. I mean I wanna go home....I need some time away from here."

His jaw clenched. "You mean away from me."

"I-I need to think."

"Think what? Whether you wanna be with me anymore or not?" His voice was filled with pain.

I licked my lips. "You know that's not true."

"Then what is it, Scarlet? What has changed?"

You, Alec. You're not even who I thought you were.

I opened my mouth to speak but had no words, so I shrugged slightly and went to walk out of his study.

"Don't you walk away from me," He followed behind closely.

"Please," He called, making me stop in my tracks.

"Alec," I said without turning around. "I just need some time. That's all."

When he didn't say anything, I picked my suitcase up and walked towards the elevators.

"Will you come back?"

I sniffled as I continued walking away.

"Yes."

"Promise me," I felt him right behind me.

I entered the elevators and turned to him.

"Goodbye, Alec," I muttered.

He didn't say anything, just stood there hurting.

"Goodbye, Scarlet," He finally muttered and the elevators shut close.

I broke into sobs at my own pathetic conduct.

I'm leaving him when I should be comforting him.

He had just shared the biggest and darkest part of his life with me and I was leaving.

I loved him and it was something that I needed to do. For him and for myself.

I don't know what I would have done if I had stayed. I had no words to comfort him because of the guilt of what he had to go through because of my dad.

My dad.

Who was supposed to be my hero.

How can he be the villain in someone else's life?

How could he destroy a family like that?

With a heavy heart, I drove towards my home, away from Alec.

Finally, I arrived and was now standing at the front door. I lifted my shaky finger to press the doorbell.

Dad opened the door, his eyes growing wide in surprise but then he must have seen the look on my face as a frown fell upon his lips.

Then, his eyes darted down to the suitcase.

"What is the matter, Scarlet? Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

And I wondered how someone so loving like him can do something so horrible to someone.

Taking in a deep breath, I finally spoke.

"What did you do, dad?"

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