Page 4 of Never Forget
Instead, I was standing on the second-floor balcony with a glass of wine Amber's mother had pressed into my hand, Amber's arm was looped through mine, listening to a woman named Bitsy describe in excruciating detail how her college roommate had met a man in Positano who turned out to have a wife and three children in Munich.
"Can you imagine?" Bitsy gasped. "Three children. And she had no idea."
"Devastating," Amber said, squeezing my arm. "Right, Sam?"
"Yes, devastating," I agreed.
The conversation shifted to travel. Someone mentioned the Amalfi Coast. Someone else mentioned a villa in Tuscany. Amber turned to her father, who stood at the edge of our circle with a scotch in hand.
"Daddy, can we go to Italy this summer? Emily says the shopping in Milan is incredible."
Richard Henderson smiled at his daughter the way he always did, like she was the center of his universe and he wouldn't have it any other way. "Of course, sweetheart. We'll make it happen."
Amber squealed and tugged my arm. "Isn't that exciting, Sam?"
My wine nearly sloshed onto my suit. "Yeah. Exciting."
"But," Richard added, "with the condition that you attend college like we discussed."
Amber's face fell into a scowl. "Daddy?—"
"That's the deal, sweetheart."
I couldn't do this. I couldn't stand here and listen to a grown woman negotiate her future like it was an allowance increase.
"Excuse me," I said, untangling my arm from Amber's. "I need to go to the bathroom."
She barely noticed me leave.
The inside of the house was worse than the balcony. More chandeliers. More gowns. More people saying things like "simply divine" and "we absolutely must" without meaning any of it. I found the bathroom, locked the door, and stood there for a full minute just breathing.
Tonight. I had to do it tonight. Tell Amber the truth. Walk out of this house and never come back.
I splashed water on my face, dried my hands on a towel, and stepped back into the hallway.
Richard Henderson was waiting for me.
"Sam." He smiled, warm and genuine. "I was hoping to catch you alone for a minute."
My stomach tightened. "Sir."
"Walk with me." He gestured down the hall, away from the party. I didn't have a choice that wouldn't cause a scene, so I followed.
We ended up in what looked like a study. Leather chairs. Bookshelves lined with books that had probably never been opened. A mahogany desk the size of my kitchen table.
Richard leaned against the desk and studied me for a moment. "I like you, Sam. I want you to know that."
"Thank you, sir."
"You're a hard worker. You've got integrity. That's rare these days." He swirled his scotch. "Most of the sons of the men I know, they coast. They've never worked a hard day in their lives. They just ride their families' money and call it ambition. You're different."
I didn't know what to say to that, so I said nothing.
"I've been thinking," Richard continued. "A man like you, with your work ethic, your values. You could do well in business. Really well." He set down his glass. "I'd like to pay for your college, Sam. Full ride. Business, finance, whatever interests you. You get a degree, I help you get started somewhere with a real future."
He paused, then added, "And frankly, I think you'd be a good influence on Amber. You saw how she reacted out there. I've been trying to get her to take college seriously for years. But if you were going..." He shrugged. "Maybe she'd finally see the value in it."
The offer hung in the air between us. He wasn't just investing in me. He was hoping I'd drag his daughter along with me.
