Bridget had a question in her eyes that she didn’t voice, and then her gaze reflected whatever revelation came to her mind. Still, she said nothing.

Sarah wondered if Bridget had always known more about the real Sean than she let on.

She didn’t think Bridget would share, so she went on enlightening them to the realities of Sean’s life. “We’d been approached by venture capitalists to take the company public. We were in the process of doing just that when I got pregnant with Nick. I didn’t feel well during the pregnancy, so I frequently worked from home. The perfect setup. I could stay home with Jack and work while I was pregnant. It left a disconnect sometimes between me and what was happening in the office. Sean would bring the contracts home and I would do the work. What I didn’t know was for every five or six programs I was completing, Sean was taking credit for four of them, so the venture capitalists would continue to have confidence in his ability to run the company and continue to give the company money. We needed the investors’ money so we could get to the initial public offering of the stock. Sean felt once the stock went public the company would explode like all the other tech companies, and he’d be wealthy beyond belief.”

Margaret nodded. “That would have happened if he hadn’t died.”

“No, it wouldn’t have. When Sean died I sent you a check for what was left of his share of the business and our personal assets.” She opened the one envelope that Margaret had opened and pulled out the letter she had sent and the check.

“I remember that check. It’s for less than four hundred dollars. It was an insult that measly check was all that was left of Sean’s inheritance and the company.” Her anger built again. “It was you. Ever since he met you nothing was ever the same with him.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “That’s for sure. I unwittingly allowed him to use me, so that he could live the life of a wealthy businessman, even if he had to steal it. And then he left me with a huge mess to clean up.”

“What do you mean, steal it?” Margaret didn’t understand the obvious.

“Luke, you’re a lawyer. Spell it out for her, because if I say the words, she won’t believe it.”

Luke sighed, hung his head for a second, then raised it, and looked Sarah in the eye. “Are you trying to tell us that Sean was embezzling money from the company?”

“Exactly.”

Luke swore. Margaret gasped. Bridget’s eyes went wide.

“When he died there was barely enough money left to make payroll. I had to sell everything we owned to pay off debts he racked up. I sold the house, the six luxury cars Sean had bought, several expensive watches. You name it, and Sean had bought it. I sold it all and still there wasn’t anything left. Then I had to go to the board of directors and investors and prove to them that the work Sean had claimed was his was actually mine. I had to convince them I could run the company and get them their money back.”