Chapter 13 - THERESA CARTER WITHOUT A TABLE
Theresa pleaded not guilty to the pot charge initially.
Her lawyer argued:
Family argument.
No intent to strike.
The pot hit furniture.
No bodily injury.
True.
Video?
The bedroom had no camera.
Photographs:
Headboard dent.
Food.
Broken bedding.
My statement.
Theresa’s admission that she “dropped” the pot aggressively.
Likely misdemeanor case.
She eventually accepted diversion:
Anger-management course.
No contact with me.
Restitution for damaged property? The bed jointly owned perhaps. Small.
No conviction after completion.
Some people online would have wanted prison.
Not everything deserves prison.
Then her corporate situation.
Personal debt remained.
Redwood delay increased interest costs.
Carter Alpine lost exclusivity.
Her shares became less valuable after board turmoil.
Still wealthy.
Still housed.
Still furious.
She requested a meeting through counsel.
I declined twice.
Then agreed once.
Public conference room.
Lawyers.
Theresa entered without pearls.
I noticed.
She noticed me noticing.
“Don’t.”
“Wasn’t going to.”
She sat.
“I owe you an apology.”
“Yes.”
“I threw the pot.”
“Yes.”
“I should not have.”
“Yes.”
She looked irritated by my lack of rescue.
Then:
“I should not have interfered in your marriage.”
“Yes.”
More irritation.
Then:
“I knew about Caroline.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t approve.”
I almost laughed.
“You told Mitchell to hide it better.”
Her face changed.
“You read that.”
“Yes.”
“I meant until the deal closed.”
“That improves it?”
“No.”
Finally.
Then she asked:
“Do you understand what Jonathan did to this family?”
“My father invested eleven million dollars that helped save your company.”
“He attached a knife.”
“He attached rights.”
“He never trusted us.”
“Maybe because you call disclosure a knife.”
Theresa stared.
Then:
“Gerald promised him we would take care of you if you married Mitchell.”
I frowned.
“My father and Gerald talked about us?”
“After you started dating.”
“What did my father say?”
“That you were your own person.”
That sounded right.
“Gerald said marriage could finally make the Brooks and Carter interests family.”
There.
Jonathan apparently hated that idea.
“He told Gerald the trust would remain independent.”
“Yes.”
“And you took that personally.”
“Yes.”
Honest.
“I thought you were coming into our family while keeping one foot outside.”
I looked at her.
“I was.”
Marriage does not erase separate identity.
Theresa had never understood that.
Then:
“Why the dinners?”
She looked confused.
“What?”
“Hosting. Cooking. Serving. Every week.”
“That is family.”
“No. That is labor.”
“You liked it.”
“At first.”
“Then you should have said no.”
“I did.”
She looked down.
The pot.
Exactly.
Then Theresa said something useful.
“Mitchell did not marry you for the trust.”
“How do you know?”
“He nearly called off the wedding because Gerald told him to get a prenup favorable to Carter interests.”
I stared.
“Mitchell refused?”
“Yes.”
Our prenup was surprisingly protective of my separate assets.
I had always assumed my father’s lawyer insisted.
Maybe Mitchell did too.
Complexity.
Theresa continued:
“He loved you.”
Past tense.
“I think he still does.”
“Not relevant.”
“No.”
Good.
Then:
“He became afraid after the company started depending on Redwood.”
“Afraid of what?”
“Losing control.”
Same disease.
Different person.
Theresa looked at me.
“We raised him that way.”
Finally.
Not full absolution.
Responsibility.
Then her final sentence before leaving:
“Do not make the mistake of thinking you can’t become controlling just because you were controlled.”
I almost laughed.
But she was right.
May you like
Useful truths can come from people who hurt us.
I wrote that one down.
