Chapter 12 - What She Signed
Sloane arrived at Mercer Table on Monday afternoon carrying a folder and looking as though she hadn't slept in a week.
Rose was cleaning the counters when she entered.
The older woman's expression changed immediately.
"Sloane."
"Hi, Mrs. Mercer."
"Rose is fine."
Sloane nodded.
"Is Caleb here?"
"He's in the back."
Rose folded her towel.
"Before I get him, I have a question."
Sloane swallowed.
"Okay."
"Did you really throw something at my son's face?"
Sloane looked down.
"Yes."
Rose waited.
"I shouldn't have."
"No, you shouldn't."
"I was angry."
"That much was obvious."
Sloane's cheeks burned.
Rose studied her for a moment.
"I used to think you were good for him."
Sloane's eyes filled.
"I know."
"Then again, I thought my husband knew how to fix the dishwasher. We all make mistakes."
A broken laugh escaped Sloane before she could stop it.
Rose didn't smile.
"Caleb's in the storage room. Don't make me regret letting you through."
Sloane walked down the hallway.
Caleb was carrying stacked chairs when she appeared.
He stopped.
She noticed the familiar jacket.
The worn shoes.
The lines around his eyes that hadn't been there when they lived together.
"Hi," she said.
He set down the chairs.
"What do you want?"
"I need to talk to you."
"We've done that. You seemed to prefer throwing things."
Sloane winced.
"I deserved that."
"Probably."
She looked at the floor.
"Can we sit?"
Caleb gestured toward a folding table.
They sat opposite each other.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then Sloane pushed the folder toward him.
"It's a copy of a receiving reconciliation I signed in August 2022."
Caleb didn't touch it.
"Why?"
"Because Evan asked me to."
"Why did he ask you?"
"He said it was an old accounting correction. That some inventory had been found after being listed as missing."
"Did you verify that?"
"No."
"Did you have access to the original shipping documents?"
"No."
Caleb leaned back.
"Then why did you sign?"
Sloane rubbed her palms together.
"My mother needed money for her house. Evan arranged a loan. He also paid me a retention bonus."
"How much?"
"Twenty-four thousand."
Caleb stared at her.
The number wasn't enormous.
It was enough to make a difference in someone's life.
It was also enough to purchase a signature.
"Did you know you were signing something false?"
Sloane looked directly at him.
"I knew I hadn't verified it."
"That's not what I asked."
She closed her eyes.
"I suspected the dates were wrong. Evan said nobody was being hurt."
Caleb stood.
"Nobody?"
"Caleb—"
"My dad was still trying to clear his name."
"I know."
"Did you know then?"
She hesitated.
"Yes."
The room seemed to shrink.
Caleb stared at her.
"You knew my father was being blamed, and you signed a document saying the books were accurate?"
"I didn't understand the whole situation."
"But you understood enough to ask questions."
"Yes."
"And you stopped asking when money showed up."
Tears ran down her cheeks.
"I was scared."
"So was I."
His voice broke on the final word.
He turned away.
Sloane wiped her face.
"I didn't leave you because you were worthless, Caleb."
He laughed bitterly.
"That's reassuring."
"I left because every day felt like another disaster. Your dad was sick, the bills never stopped, and you wouldn't let me help."
"That was my mistake."
"I know. But I made mine, too."
He turned.
"You called me a fraud."
"I know."
"You broke my card."
"I know."
"And now you're telling me you helped validate the records that kept my father looking guilty."
She nodded.
"Yes."
Caleb sat down again.
The anger was exhausting.
He had imagined seeing Sloane regret their breakup.
He had imagined her discovering he'd become successful and wishing she'd stayed.
The fantasies had been small, embarrassing things he carried during his worst years.
Now she was sitting in front of him, crying.
And he felt no satisfaction at all.
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I finally read the old investigation. And because I got a message from Evan telling me not to remember signing the report."
She handed over her phone.
Caleb read the message.
Then another.
And another.
One instructed her to keep all discussions of the 2022 reconciliation away from Diana.
Another warned that her mother's loan could become due under its default provisions if she interfered with the sale.
Caleb looked up.
"He's using your mother."
"He's been using her for years. I just didn't want to admit it."
"Has an attorney reviewed the loan?"
"No."
"Then that's the first thing you need to do."
Sloane looked startled.
"You're helping me?"
"I'm telling you not to let him frighten you into making another stupid decision."
She almost smiled.
"Still very good at comforting people."
"Never claimed to be."
A silence passed.
Sloane looked around the room.
There were faded photographs on the walls.
Children eating birthday cake.
Volunteers setting tables.
Thomas Mercer standing beside Rose at a community fundraiser.
She stared at the photograph.
"He came to see me once."
Caleb's body went still.
"Who?"
"Your father."
"When?"
"About two weeks before we broke up."
Caleb stared.
"He came to the store with a folder. He asked whether I'd read the documents I signed."
"What did you say?"
"I told him Evan had explained everything."
"And?"
Sloane's voice shook.
"He said he didn't think I was a bad person. He said he thought I was scared."
Caleb looked down.
That sounded exactly like Thomas.
"He asked me to give you a letter."
Caleb raised his head.
"What letter?"
Sloane's face crumpled.
"I didn't."
Caleb stopped breathing for a moment.
"He wanted me to tell you he was sorry. He said he'd pushed you too hard."
"Where's the letter?"
Sloane swallowed.
"I kept it."
Caleb stared at her.
"Four years?"
She nodded.
He rose slowly.
"Did you read it?"
"No."
"Why didn't you give it to me?"
She struggled for words.
"Because I thought if I brought you another thing about your father, we'd never have a normal life again."
Caleb looked at her as though she were someone he'd never met.
"You decided which parts of my father I was allowed to have?"
Sloane began crying harder.
"I was wrong."
"Where is it?"
"At my apartment."
"Then bring it to Maeve. Don't open it, don't change anything, and don't throw it away."
He moved toward the door.
"Caleb, please."
He stopped without turning.
"I thought you came here because you finally wanted to tell me the truth."
"I did."
He looked back.
"No, Sloane. You came because the truth was finally coming for you."
May you like
He left her sitting beneath a photograph of the man she'd helped silence.
And for the first time, Sloane understood that apologizing would not make her actions disappear.
