(Esther’s Point of View)
Matthew didn’t answer me right away.
The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. The motel room felt smaller than before. The walls seemed to lean in, listening.
“What document,” I asked again, slower this time.
Matthew sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. He rubbed his hands together like he was trying to warm them, even though the room wasn’t cold.
“There’s something I never told you,” he said.
My heart sank, but I stayed still. “Go on.”
He looked up at me. His eyes were tired. Not angry. Not defensive. Just tired.
“My father made me sign something years ago,” he said. “A document that tied me to his decisions.”
I stood up. “Tied you how.”
“It gave me control of the company,” he replied. “But it also made me res
