Page 48 of Cameron's Contract

She gave a nod. “Of course you are.”

“There was a time when I lost my one true love,” I said. “Couldn’t have her. She was out of reach and there was nothing I could do or say to put that right. I felt like I was drowning, and I suppose in many ways I was. There was no way to get her back. Or so I believed. Those were the darkest days of my life.”

And of my own making,I mused.

“What happened?” asked Susan.

“Fate intercepted. I got her back.”

“I’m happy for you.”

I rested my elbows on my knees. “When it comes to understanding what losing the love of your life feels like, I’ve lived it.”

“No one can ever know,” she muttered. “His work would be jeopardized.”

Mia shot me a concerned look.

“You forged his signature,” I said. “Doug would never have signed that contract.”

“The other members of the board were very persuasive.”

“They called a private meeting?”

“Last Thursday.”

“Who set it?”

“Remy Parker.”

I knew little of him other than his suspected connections with another tea conglomerate out of China.

“When I got to the meeting I realized your father hadn’t been invited. It was a coup.”

“You were concerned if you spoke up your husband would be put in the spotlight?”

“The last few years of his work will be compromised,” she said. “His latest scientific developments will be scrutinized. His latest drug threatened and quite possibly pulled from the market. It saves so many lives.”

“PolFlexa,” I said. “Limited side-effects and its efficacy in treating Glioblastomas is groundbreaking.”

“Doug knew,” said Susan, “He recognized his early symptoms. So he took himself out of the lab and entered early retirement. The plan was to remain on your father’s board long enough to provide some space between leaving work.”

“Create no suspicion,” I said.

“He so loves your father.”

“Dad did mention that of all the members it was Doug’s betrayal that most hurt him.”

“It was all so overwhelming,” she said. “Remy framed it as being best for the shareholders.”

“Did you see the new advertising campaign?” I said dryly.

“That bad?” She suppressed a grin.

“Oh yes. Cole’s a classic brand that could do with moving forward, but in a more refined way.”

We spent the rest of the morning talking about Doug, about them and how they met, sharing stories of her long and happy marriage. We talked about the business and what it had meant to both her and her husband to be involved in Cole Tea, as well as the company’s philanthropic pursuits.

She brushed off a speck of dust from her pants. “Your father has seemed a little overwhelmed lately, what with opening offices in San Francisco and his plans to expand to L.A. I believed this may actually help him. Nudge him into retirement.”