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“Addison is her name, and she’s seven.”

Gavin continued shaking his head back and forth. He was speechless, which was a first.

“I had the same response as you did, man. After all of these years, Heather has to tell me about her now. The timing couldn’t be worse.”

“Why would Heather keep this a secret from you, though? You’re a good guy. It’s not like you two broke up because you screwed her over or anything.”

“Nope,” I said. “Even though I was hesitant to settle down, not once did I cheat on Heather. I didn’t become known as a playboy until well after we broke up, you know.”

“Exactly,” he replied, nodding at the same time. “It seems to me that Heather would want you to know. You have a successful career, a mansion, are well educated, and aside from being seen with some questionable women over the years, you’re a good guy.”

I rolled my eyes at his comment about the women I had dated.

“Dating history aside,” I said with a sneer, “yes, I agree that I’m a decent man.”

“Especially the money part, Richard. Do you know how many women would have killed to be in her shoes? To be able to stick it to a guy who practically swims in money? To walk up and hand him paperwork telling him that he needs to pay child support?”

“Exactly,” I replied. “Not only does Heather want back child support payments, but she’s also requesting a large, lump-sum payment for reasons yet unknown.”

“Can she legally do that, though? If she chose not to tell you, I don’t see how that’s legal. It’s one thing to make you pay now, but going back in time doesn’t count. And why an additional payment?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“The only thing I can think of is blackmail,” I said. “Although I don’t know what kind of information Heather has on me. It’s no secret that I’ve frequented strip clubs, so that’s not going to ruin my career.”

“Maybe she’s still bitter about you not leaving this company and starting your own. Women can be pretty unforgiving.”

Shaking my head, I groaned. “I suppose she has something on me that she’s not telling, and maybe I’m giving myself too much credit. Now that I’m moving up in the company, something like this could ruin me. River Valley isn’t that big of a city, either.”

I slumped back in my chair, worrying about what to do. Gavin stood up and pointed his finger down to my desk. “You need just to pay her off, Richard. Something like this could permanently damage your reputation.”

I held my hands up, suggesting that Gavin calm down.

He shook his head wildly. “No, think of the headlines: Real Estate Millionaire Sued For Back Child Support Payments Over Love Child. Thanks to the internet, your career and this company could be ruined in less than a day.”

“It’s not as easy as just paying her off,” I replied. “First of all, she showed up to court today wearing vintage Chanel, real pearls, and an engagement ring the size of a boulder. She doesn’t need my money.”

Gavin sat back down. “Did she marry into money or something?”

“She’s engaged to some guy named Michael. I don’t know anything about him, but he’s rolling around in money. He even wants to send Addison to a boarding school.”

Gavin shrugged his shoulders. “Then it sounds like you’re out of the clear, man. You have Danielle, one of the best attorneys in town. If you can prove that Heather has plenty of money, then Danielle can probably get her to drop the request for a large payment. You’ll probably have to pay child support, though.”

I leaned across my desk and lowered my tone. “I’m struggling with that decision, Gavin. As soon as I saw her picture, my heart melted. You know me. I’m not exactly the sentimental type. Between this and new responsibilities at work, I’m in over my head.”

Gavin put his hands on my shoulders.

“I understand why you’re struggling,” he said, “but don’t let Heather ruin your life like before. You can still be a father to Addison while she’s at boarding school. You have so much going for you right now, man. Don’t let her screw it up yet again.”

Back when Heather and I were together, before she left me, I convinced my father to take on less responsibility at work. It caused me to miss out on a huge promotion. Heather was proud of me for standing up to him and taking a step in the ‘right direction’ toward my own business, but I never wanted my own business. I’d always enjoyed working with and for my father.

“She hurt me in the career department, too. But I can’t just pay her off, Gavin. It’s not that easy.”

I walked over to my wet bar and poured two scotch on the rocks with a twist, handing one to Gavin as I sat back down at my desk.

“Have you told your father yet?”

I shook my head, no.