Chapter 17
Faith wanted to come home with her, but Sharon told her it would be best to stay with Nick for the night. She had no idea what awaited her at home, but knew that it wasn't going to be pretty. Sharon didn't want to subject her daughter to that.
"Rey?" Sharon called as she entered the cottage and kicked off her heels. "Are you here?"
She walked to the stairs and called up them, "REY?"
When she got no immediate answer, Sharon padded over to the laundry room and shucked off her black cocktail dress. She donned yoga pants and a tank top and made her way back to the living room where she found Rey standing by the front door. "Where have you been?" she asked tentatively.
"Out. Where's Faith?"
"She's staying with Nick tonight. I thought it would be best if she wasn't here for the conversation I knew was coming."
Rey nodded and then took off his suit jacket and folded it over the back of her green chair. "That's probably a good idea."
"So what do you want to discuss first? The article or my response to it?" Sharon asked.
"I think they're one in the same, aren't they?" He crossed his arms. "You're in love with Adam. You said as much to him and the kids during the flight, according to the article, and your actions tonight showed it. He and Victor have tried for over a year to best Billy and you did it for them in less than 10 minutes."
"I was protecting my daughter. She almost died thanks to Billy's careless disregard last fall when he mentioned her birth in his last article on Adam. There is no way in hell that I'm going to let him cost me another child. Now he won't have the chance to risk my daughter's future in the name of vengeance. My feelings for Adam are irrelevant in that."
"So you admit it? You have feelings for him."
Sharon sighed, tired of fighting the truth to protect her marriage. "I love him. I always have and I always will. But that doesn't mean we should be together." Sharon paced in front of the fireplace. "Our relationship is complicated. Loving him means wanting the best for him… even if that isn't a life with me."
"And I'm just supposed to accept that there is a third person in our marriage?"
Sharon stopped pacing and closed the distance between them, stopping in front of the green chair he was standing behind. "I chose you, Rey, because you're good for me. You make me happy. You lift me up. Strengthen me. You give me the life I want for myself." She paused and then added, sadly, "Or at least you used to before you let your obsession and insecurity take over…"
Rey looked down and then back up. When he did there were tears in his eyes. He uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on the back of the chair. He rocked back and forth twice and then spoke. "I can't do it anymore, Sharon. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. But you don't love me the same way. And I deserve better."
"I know you do," she replied, tears forming in her eyes.
Rey backed away from the chair and crossed the room behind the couch, making his way to the stairs. "I'll go pack a bag."
Sharon nodded. "I'm so sorry I can't be the woman you deserve."
"I am too."
Sharon made herself scarce while Rey packed his overnight bag by going for a walk around the property.
Tonight was a turning point for her. She could feel it. Defending her daughter, and, by extension, Adam, had felt amazing. She was done holding her counsel and letting people walk all over her. When she saw the tears of humiliation in Faith's eyes, she knew she had to act and act fast. Blackmailing Billy out of his share of the company was the only thing she could think to do to protect her daughter from further trauma around the circumstances of her birth. No matter how bad she felt for Billy over Delia, she couldn't allow him to cost her her daughter.
She, Phyllis, and Abby had spoken briefly after Billy left to work out preliminary details for their offer. As she expected, both women were amenable to the buyouts. Abby wanted her hotel back and Phyllis was foaming at the mouth to get back into journalism. Since Sharon loved being a therapist, she talked to Noah, who agreed to take on a position there if Billy and Lily take their offer over Newman Media's. And Sharon had a feeling they would because Lily loved her job and there was no way Billy would give Victor and Adam the satisfaction of getting his company.
When Sharon returned to her property, Rey's car was gone.
She was sad it didn't work out between them. He was a good man and she knew she could have been happy with him for the rest of her life if Adam hadn't come back to town.
But he did.