False Pretenses - Kathy Herman [37]
“Whatever for, hon?”
“I wanted to divorce myself from my family and blend into the Cajun culture. I lied to you about my parents. My father was a mean drunk—a real loser. My mother was weak and never lifted a finger to protect herself—or me. Not from the beatings. And not from”—Zoe looked at her hands and swallowed the anger that formed a knot in her throat—“not from his inappropriate advances. My brother left home at seventeen and toured with a rock band. I almost never saw him after that. I didn’t want the name Sieger, and I didn’t plan on ever having a married name since men repulsed me and I planned to be single the rest of my life.”
There, she said it. Probably the truest statement she’d ever made. What must Adele think of her?
“I can understand that, hon.” Adele’s voice was gentle. “But you were in my employ for six years. Why did you wait all that time to change your name?”
Zoe blinked the sting from her eyes. “Partly because I didn’t want to have to tell you why I was doing it. I couldn’t stand the thought of you knowing the ugly truth about my family. I hated feeling like I was trash. I hated the disgusting memories. Sometimes … I even hated my parents. But that’s not the only reason I changed my name.”
Adele cocked her head. “Oh?”
Zoe felt a hot tear trail down her cheek. “When I gave you notice, I told you I was going back to Devon Springs to take care of my sick mother. That was a lie. Almost everything I told you was a lie. I even lied to cover the lies. I honestly don’t remember half of what I did tell you about my family.” Zoe took the napkin off her plate and dabbed her eyes. “I just wanted to get away from all that.”
“But you were away from it, hon. You were here with me.”
“I know, but that’s not what I mean.” Zoe sighed. “No offense, Mrs. Woodmore, you treated me well, and I appreciated the room and board. Working here got me away from my parents, but I was dependent on you. That’s not the future I had in mind.”
Zoe looked into Adele’s eyes and saw only kindness. Could a distinguished lady like her, a woman of means, ever understand how diminished she had felt by the abuse? Or how desperate she had been for a new life?
“Well, did you find what you had in mind?”
Zoe chewed her lip. “Yes, I did. But I made some … compromises. That’s why I came here to talk to you.”
“Go on.”
“Actually what prompted this visit is that I recently started receiving anonymous notes, each with only five words: I know what you did. That can only mean one thing, and my life will be ruined if it comes out. What I’m about to tell you is what I think that person knows, and what I believe he wants to hold over my head. I’m not proud of what I’m about to tell you, but I hope you can forgive me and allow me to make things right.”
“I’m listening, hon.”
Zoe wiped the perspiration off her lip. Once she admitted the truth, she couldn’t take it back. What choice did she have now? She’d come too far to shut down.
“Mrs. Woodmore … I-I deceived you. I’m the one who stole your diamond ring. I took it off your finger while you were sleeping. I’m so ashamed. I knew you trusted me, and I took advantage of it.”
Adele looked out the window and seemed to stare at nothing. Finally she said, “I’m not surprised.”
“You’re not?”
“I suspected as much. You were different after that.”
“Yet you never confronted me.”
“Child, you looked me straight in the eyes—and the police and the insurance company—and said you knew nothing about it. I couldn’t prove otherwise. But regardless, it wasn’t worth ruining your young life over. I’d grown very fond of you. I suppose I wanted to be wrong.”
Zoe felt the heat color her cheeks. “How come you didn’t make up a reason to get rid of me? How could you trust me if you thought I stole from you and lied about it?”
“I didn’t trust you, but I trusted God. I knew He had a plan in all this. I prayed and prayed that you’d tell me the truth and unburden yourself.” Adele folded her hands in her lap. “Took you a while, hon. But here you are.”
“Ten years is a lot more than a while,