“I was at work when the police came. They said something about Carl, and I immediately thought he was dead. Why else would they come to find me at work? But he wasn’t dead. He’d been arrested for having sex with one of the girls on the lacrosse team.”

Paul sucked in a sharp deep breath.

“She was fifteen, and when her parents found out, they called the police. They came to me to find out what I knew, which was nothing. I was so shocked, I couldn’t speak or breathe or function. I ended up in the hospital for a night because I apparently had a panic attack. I couldn’t believe it. I thought there had to be some mistake. My Carl would never do something like that.”

Paul’s mind raced with thoughts and questions and rage for what the man she’d loved had put her through.

“Then we found out that girl wasn’t the only one. There were four of them in total. During his trial, I found out he’d had a vasectomy so he wouldn’t get them pregnant. That’s why we never had more kids.”

“Dear God,” Paul whispered.

“I can only imagine what you must be thinking.”

“I’m only thinking about you and Ethan and what you must’ve endured. I’m thinking how sorry I am that you had to go through something so horrible and how terribly hurt you must’ve been by someone you trusted and loved.”

A sob hiccupped through her as she took hold of his hand. “People were vicious. It didn’t matter that Ethan and I had nothing to do with what Carl did. We were lumped into the same boat with him. I was asked to resign from my job because my situation was a ‘distraction.’ We lost our house when I couldn’t make the mortgage payments, and Ethan’s friends weren’t allowed to play with him anymore.”

“I’m so sorry, Hope.”

She shrugged off his sympathy.

“I have to be honest with you. After we had some trouble with the former manager of the retail store, we investigate everyone we hire. None of this came up when we looked into you before we hired you.”

“Russell is my maiden name. I legally changed my name and Ethan’s after Carl was convicted.”

“I can’t say I blame you.”

“I should’ve disclosed this—”

He squeezed her hand. “No. There was no need for you to do that. Your professional references were impeccable, and your background check was clean. You didn’t owe us anything more than that.”

“Really?”

“Really. Your business is your business, and it has no impact on the amazing way you take care of my mother.”

“Alex might not agree.”

“Yes, he will. He thinks you’re amazing, too.”