Subscribe | Book Page | Become an Engagement or Premium Reader

| Other Books By This Author |

Author’s Notes

I’m tired.

That’s the post.

Part 2 will be later today… I hope.

You should comment and then share it with a friend.

Enjoy… Your author, Sylvia Hubbard

Subscribe | Book Page | Become an Engagement or Premium Reader

| Other Books By This Author |

Chapter 18 – Carthago delenda est

Why should I explain why I did what I did? Because you deserve it. I promised your mother I would never let you know the truth, but if you ever found out about your birth father, I wouldn’t lie to you about it.

Unfortunately, you never suspected anything.

I’m writing to you on the day you signed the papers for the school. I was happy because it was almost over. I’m getting sick, and I know I am, but that’s life. That’s the guilt and greed eating away inside of me from the inside out. I know you thought I was getting the medical treatment I needed, but I refused all of it, because I needed my death sooner rather than later.

As long as I know, our secrets will stay buried for a while.

You’re so happy. You feel you’re a success.

Tori knew she should hate Keir, but she couldn’t. The man had broken the mold of being a father. He went above and beyond, and although he wrote in his journals that it was all due to power and greed, Tori never felt as if his efforts were forced. She had loved Keir unconditionally and could not bring herself to hate him for anything.

The subsequent entry was a year later. The handwriting was shaky. By this time, she knew her father was suffering a lot in pain, but refused to go to the hospital for his ailment, and Tori had spent a lot of her money taking care of her father.

I’m glad you aren’t here. I made sure. I made you go on that vacation because I knew the boys would confront me and be damn you.

I’m writing this immediately after they left, as it’s still fresh in my mind.

I don’t know if I mentioned it before in these journals, but Amos had been declared dead before the vacation Sherrie and I took before we broke up. Sherrie had wanted to use that trip to propose that we get married because, with Amos dead, she felt we could be together forever. She had not expected me to announce we would need to break up, and I know I broke her heart forever.

But it had to be done. It was your birthday wish.

Since that time, Amos’ estate had been in flux, and I didn’t mind paying the lawyers to help Sherrie stay on it for her. After all she had endured, the boys deserved at least something from that horrible man.

What we didn’t expect was that Kimmie had pulled a Carthago delenda est moment. The day after you were born, Amos came to the hospital knowing that Kimmie had given birth to his daughter, and he was going to tell everything. Still, Kimmie gave him a large amount of money to stay quiet, but made him swear never to tell Sherrie where it came from or let anyone know about it.

And the account she put it in had to have only your name on it as a beneficiary.

Before her death, Kimmie had cashed out her entire estate and all her trusts except for fifty grand and put that money in the bank account. Why did she do it?

I couldn’t even explain to Malea when she cried about why her mother only left her with that little amount of money, when she knew her mother had a lot, but I have a feeling she knew.

Kimmie knew what we did, and if we wanted that money, we would have to push for Amos to be declared dead, and the police would most likely get suspicious and open up Amos’s missing person case.

The lawyer I hired, even though it took most of what I had, was able to have Amos declared dead and all his assets distributed to their proper beneficiaries.

That was when we found out, the money – all the money was now yours, so what else was I to do? You were too grown for me to take over your inheritance, and all I could do was have you believe the money was coming to you from me in my death, and I was leaving nothing for Malea. I hope, hope, hope you would divide the money and not question why you were getting everything. I hope, but knowing the blood that runs through your veins and how you were raised, there was no guarantee.

Unfortunately, there was nothing for Sherrie – financially, and there was nothing I could do for her. I’d used all my money paying the lawyers, and the love I had shown her in the past would have to suffice, because I know you would still never approve of another woman in my life. However, I know I owe so much more in life and in death.

Tori wanted to shuck the journal across the room again. Why didn’t her father ever say anything? When she was older, she would have understood, wouldn’t she?

Kimmie’s hatred for Keir ran deep – deep enough to make this man suffer for the rest of his life and live in fear. Even in her death, Kimmie’s vengeance had been strong.

Yet Tori had to wonder, was it all fear, or was the well of guilt he was drowning in for his greed and lust?

Her sister must hate her! The brothers must hate her?

Shouldn’t they?

Her phone rang, startling her. It was Mrs. Cosgrove.

Checking the time, Tori realized it was eight in the morning. She’d been awake all night long.

“I’m sorry to bother you so early in the morning, but I just spoke with Shawn at the hospital. I hope you don’t feel it was rude of me to press him about your wedding plans. I didn’t want you to take offense.”

She thought it was somewhat confusing for the older woman to be calling her so early in the morning.

“It’s fine.” Since she hadn’t spoken to Shawn, she didn’t want to say much.

“Well, the storm took out our decorations in our backyard, and I wanted to move the location and date of the dinner to the day after tomorrow. As a matter of fact, Shawn insisted. We’re honoring a local deacon, and we’ve insisted that Shawn and you be there. The deacon church has a wonderful mobile health clinic twice a year that the hospital hosts, which is very needed in the community, and Shawn’s donating some hours to help out low-income families.”

Tori looked over at the journal and then forced herself to focus on the conversation. “That’s wonderful, Mrs. Cosgrove.”

“Oh, I hope you don’t mind. And your husband said it’s a big to-do – this dinner. So I want you to wear your best. I was going to send this special dress over for you.”

That was odd, but Tori was so consumed in her thoughts that she just agreed. “Sure. And I can bring over those donations I promised for you. And I might include a brand new piece if you don’t mind.”

The older woman shrilled in delight. “OH my goodness! THAT would be amazing. I’m looking forward to seeing it. Thank you so much, and please call me Paulette.”

“I’ll see you the day after tomorrow, then,” she said.

Getting off the phone, Tori picked the journal off the floor and sat down on the bed, looking down at it as if it were a weapon formed to destroy her.

The rain still beat against the windows, and now there was a lot more lightning and thunder.

She took the journal with her down to her office to handle her emails. Occasionally, she would read more of her father’s final thoughts.

By this time, Keir was in hospice and only wrote after she would leave him. During that time, she was busy securing funding for the courtyard and the school to initiate construction, and she was also finalizing the last tenant for the apartments. Life was good for Tori, but Malea was growing increasingly angry.

It was then that Keir and Malea found out that Kimmie had died of stage four breast cancer. Malea found this out because there she was diagnosed with a BRCA1 gene mutation, but Keir was glad his granddaughter wasn’t diagnosed with it at all.

Malea made me promise not to say anything to you. I know she’s bitter about you and all the good fortune that is coming your way, but she doesn’t know why you’re having the good fortune, and I didn’t tell her.

But you should probably get checked. You both have the same mother, just not the same father.

Good fortune? Tori had used her art money to help out with her projects. And yes, once her father died, there was a good monetary windfall, but she had divided the money between her and her sister.

Tori didn’t have to do it, but she did!

Malea was just bad with money. What happened to the fifty grand? Tori hadn’t been bitter when their mother died and had left her with nothing!

Tori began pacing in her office, growing increasingly angry about everything she had read.

Her father was right. None of this was her fault. They’d manipulated, toyed with her, used her, and then left her to live her life alone, knowing she’d be a horrible person when she grew up.

Did the brothers feel the same? Was that why they didn’t hate her anymore? Could they really engage in their torrid sex sessions while hating her?

And there was still the secret of Amos’s disappearance.

Should she keep this a secret from the brothers, or should she confront them about it?

She definitely couldn’t go to a dinner with all this on her mind.

So invite them over—all of them. Tell them the truth and then go from there.

An alert on her phone from her email had details about her bid on the building.

Tori won the bid for the apartment, and despite everything, she knew what she wanted to do for her niece and nephew. To get her mind off everything, she concentrated on finalizing the bid and getting her nephew and nieces’ names on the paperwork. She paid off the taxes on the place and then sent the schematics and her notes on her plans to Beck. She knew he’d take the project. She’d been his first new client at his construction management firm, and she’d been referring new clients his way from their inception.

While she waited for his response, it was early in the morning, so she went into her medical app to schedule a same-day appointment. Along with what her father had instructed her to do, she needed to take some adult responsibilities.

Thinking of all the torrid unprotected sex she’d had recently with the brothers, despite them telling her they were safe, she should get checked.

“I can’t wait to get started,” he texted her as she was locking in her same-day medical appointment.

By eleven, she was done with work, showered, and dressed for the day. Tori took the journal with her to the appointment, deciding to sit in the waiting room at the doctor’s office to read her father’s final words.

Malea asked me if I regretted anything I’ve done in life, and without hesitation, I said no. This is all true. I made decisions for myself and did what I could with them.

The fact that you came into this world and had to pay a price for decisions I made as well, I should feel bad, but I don’t. I hope I have made it better in the last part of your life to make up for what was done to you. You’re free now to do what you want to do. Tori, I hope you don’t let what was done to you affect your future. Burn these journals once you’ve read them and never look at them again or remember what you’ve read.

Go on with your life and try to find love that I could never have. That your mother could never have. That Sherrie could never have, and definitely what your father never deserved.

Know that you aren’t what you were made from, you’re the best parts of them, and you can choose to do better.

She highlighted those words and read them over again.

He wasn’t saying sorry, but he had the nerve to give her advice.

The rain had stopped, and she could only think of the brothers. They deserved to know the truth.

At that moment, her name was called, and for half an hour, she was preoccupied with getting poked and prodded, peeing in a cup, and also having her blood drawn. She mentioned the genetic information her father had shared, and the doctor promised to arrange further tests if needed.

“But you’re healthy, Ms. Snow. There is some rawness in your throat that I noted.”

“I wasn’t feeling well last night,” she said, remembering throwing up. “Must’ve been something I ate.” Scoffing, Tori responded, “Thank you,” putting her worries about any infections to rest. At least the Carter Brothers had not lied about that. “I take my birth control religiously, doctor. I’m sure it’s not that. And it was way too early to tell.”

“You’d be surprised, but if you say it’s a stomach ache, then I’ll just make sure.”

Tori shrugged it off because her thoughts were consumed with so many other things. The doctor’s overconcerns were the last thing on her mind and the last thing that could happen since her birth control had never failed her before.

When she returned to her vehicle and started heading home, Tori decided to call Kevin initially. Not just because she thought of him when she saw the check engine light, but because he was the oldest and he deserved to know everything first.

Since she had yet to have his direct number, she remembered where he worked. Getting the number was as simple as an Internet search, and he was easily paged to the phone.

“I don’t have a sister,” Kevin grumbled as he got on the phone. “But I knew it was you.”

“I needed to speak to you, and I figured I wouldn’t get you in trouble if I said it was a family emergency,” she explained.

“Speak,” he barked.

“In person, after you get off work.”

“Why, Tori?” he asked, annoyed. “Didn’t I tell you, we aren’t bothering-“

Tori cut him off. “I found my father’s journals, and you should know about them. There are six of them, and you should read them.”

He was quiet for a long moment, and she thought he wasn’t there for a second.

“Hello?”

Suspiciously, he questioned, “Why me?”

“You’re the oldest-“

This time, he cut her off. “You told Malea?”

“I think she already knows and just never said anything. At least with most of the information. But it’s about your father…” She almost said fathers, but bit her tongue. “Kevin, I think you should read them, please.”

“What made you look for them?”

That was a strange question after what she just said, but she answered, “Malea had been bothering me to give her my father’s belongings, but I’ve been avoiding it because I didn’t want to let them go yet.”

He snidely chuckled. “So there is still a little bit of the selfish bitch Tori in there.” His voice went to a very low growl as he snarled, “I bet I could come over and eat her out.”

Lawd, Tori almost forgot the whole point of the conversation, but reigned her senses back in. “I’m serious, Kevin. I was still hurt that my father died all this time, but… honestly, being with you guys made me happy, and I haven’t been happy about anything in a long time, so I had the strength to face what made me sad, and I stayed up all night to read them.” A yawn escaped her. “I haven’t slept all night, so since the dinner is canceled, I’m going to call Shawn-“

“Don’t. I’ll talk to him. Send me the code to the back door, and I’ll get over there if you leave the journals on the kitchen table so I won’t wake you up.”

She demanded, “I want to be there while you read them.”

“I have a feeling you don’t want to be around. I have a feeling I’m going to be angry and I might choke the shit out of you.”

She shivered, remembering what her father had chronicled about everything she had done to other people and all the things she had done to their mother. “Probably. I might lock my bedroom door, then.”

“Trust me, if I’m mad enough, I’ll kick that mother fucker down and still choke the shit out of you. Nothing will keep me away from what I want to do, if I want to do it.”

Had this been the right decision? She should have called Duncan instead?

“Then I probably deserve it if you’re that mad after you read what he wrote,” she said solemnly and gave him her phone number. “I’m tired of apologizing for who I was, but I hope-never mind. Text me and I’ll send you the code.” She hung up, picked up all the journals, and put them on the counter.

Another yawn escaped her, and she decided to take a shower and go to sleep.

Kevin’s text message only read, “Code.”

Giving him the code before she sleepily stepped into the shower was the last thing she remembered doing. Most likely, Kevin wouldn’t get off for hours, but she needed some sleep and could wake up before he got there.

___ *** ___

Partial End of This Chapter | Post your thoughts in the comments | Let the author know what’s going on in your head

Her Substitute Husband… His Brothers (c) 2025 Sylvia Hubbard All Rights Reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.  This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people.  If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.  If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your personal use, please visit the author’s website book page and buy the book.  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Subscribe | Book Page | Become an Engagement or Premium Reader

| Other Books By This Author |

Don’t forget to subscribe to the site for further updates!