If Conrad and Victoria were able to put their pride aside, they would have uncovered a terrible truth about Harrison Gallagher. Instead, they both did research individually, and each uncovered half truths about Victoria's father. Of course, it meant very little without the others information to connect them together.
Conrad had dug up dirt of all of Harrison's business transactions. The past few decades he was true to his word. He had retired as a lawyer but still maintained the practice he had acquired in 1964. Conrad put a post it note to return to that later and continued digging.
Victoria had cross checked every detail he had ever divulged. She wanted to catch him in a lie, even if it was something small as his tennis partner, which was a lie. He had switched to a partner named Hilary Martin. She was about 10 years older than Victoria and very attractive. Since switching partners, Harrison had gone from playing tennis once or twice a month to three or four times a week. She could only assume this was an affair. After all, she had learned from Conrad how to catch a womanizer and men weren't all that clever when it came to hiding the evidence. That should have been enough for Victoria, but it wasn't. If he had lied about one thing he could have lied about everything. This meant war.
Digging a little deeper, Victoria discovered that it was impossible for Marion and Harrison to be high school sweethearts. First of all, they were 5 years apart. She wouldn't have even been a freshman by the time he graduated. Secondly, they went to schools over an hour apart. All it took was one phone call to learn that the two schools hadn't even had sports games against one another. She knew that Marion had never worked, so they hadn't met at a part time job, either. So how exactly had they met?
Conrad was hitting brick walls with Harrison's business background. His law practice was successful, ethical (and perhaps a little ruthless, but who was he to judge?) Feeling slightly defeated, he pushed the folders back and forth across his bed. And then he remembered the post it note.
It wasn't easy to get the information on the business exchange. They had gone through great lengths to keep it quiet and Conrad knew why. Six months after Victoria was born, Harrison was given his partners half of the law practice. No payment. No lawsuit. Just signed over to him.
And Harrison's partner was none other than Victoria's stepfather, Maxwell Cooper.
He knew Maxwell's history of sneaking into Victoria's room late at night. Although Maxwell was far from the last, he was the first and the worst. His abuse started before Victoria had even hit puberty and only became more frequent the older she got.
Victoria hadn't realized she had dozed off until she heard the faint knocking on her bedroom door.
"It's after 2 a.m! What in the hell are you doing?" She scuffed. He ignored her and moved past. She would have assumed he expected sex if it wasn't for how distraught he looked.
"I'm sorry, my dear but I have bad news..."
"The children? What's happened?" She said, beginning to panic.
"No, the kids are fine. It's your father-"
"Whatever it is, I don't care. And I told you to drop it. I meant that."
"Victoria, I found-"
"-the same information I found. I am perfectly capable of handling my own problems."
"Victoria-" he pleaded.
"What part of get out don't you understand?" She yelled.
Conrad had no choice but to obey her. After all, she had gotten the same information as him. She probably assumed that he was here to gloat when all he really wanted to do was hold her close and comfort her.
Victoria let herself take a few deep breaths after Conrad left. She knew she'd have to face Harrison at the charity function tomorrow with the truth. What she had yet to realize was just how different her discovery and Conrad's discover about Harrison's past were.
