Chapter 66 Collateral Son
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
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This wasn’t the well–mannered, respectful boy they remembered.
But then… some of them remembered what Celeste had just said. She’d been going on and on about how hard things were, how she and Liam had spent weeks caring for Alistair post–divorce— cooking for him, checking in daily.
She’d painted herself as the devoted stepmom, tirelessly helping
her fragile, heartbroken stepson through a rough patch.
And yet… she hadn’t recognized his face? No mask. No sunglasses.
People weren’t stupid.
They were starting to connect the dots.
Celeste’s brain scrambled to catch up.
Of course she knew Alistair had cut off Liam.
She’d assumed it was just divorce depression talking—just a
phase.
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She hadn’t spent much time with him over the years, but she always thought she had him figured out.
Quiet. Naive. The kind of brat who’d melt the moment someone
gave him the barest show of kindness.
But the man standing in front of her now? A stranger.
She blinked and then slipped seamlessly into performance mode, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “Alistair… if I’ve done something wrong, just tell me. If I can change it, I will. But please don’t take it out on your father.”
Alistair didn’t so much as glance at her. His eyes locked on Liam. “You. We need to talk. Now.”
Gasps again. He hadn’t even called him Dad.
Liam’s face flushed a violent red. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to? Don’t you have any respect for your elders? You think all those years of school were for nothing?”
Alistair flinched. Not visibly–but deep inside, something cracked.
School. Right. The one thing I never got to finish. The SAT I never took. The future I lost.
His voice went flat. “Funny. I didn’t get to go to school for very
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long. Wonder whose fault that was? I dropped out to clean up your mess. Two million, wasn’t it? That’s what your drunk driving
cost.”
The crowd murmured. Confused, curious.
Whose fault? Hadn’t he been expelled?
The people who’d been inching away out of politeness froze. The ones who were about to jump in and play peacemaker stopped mid–sentence. Everyone fell silent, ears wide open.
Liam’s face drained of color. Finally, he realized what this was all about–Alistair had come for the two million dollars.
Celeste’s eyes darted nervously. She didn’t bother pretending to cry anymore. Instead, she reached out and grabbed Alistair’s arm, trying to steer the conversation off course. “Alistair, come on, not
now-”
He yanked his arm away without hesitation. Then, he turned to the gathering crowd. His handsome face smoothed into a polite, composed smile. “Everyone,” he began.
It was perfect timing. The wedding reception had just ended, and guests were still trickling out.
People loved a spectacle-especially when it involved familiar
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faces. Within moments, a small crowd had gathered.
“Six years ago, Liam Harlow–my father–got drunk, drove,
and hit someone. The victim’s family asked for two million in
damages.”
“Enough!” Liam barked, his voice cracking with panic.
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“Can’t this wait until we’re home? What’s with all this shouting in public? Where’s your sense of decency? Go!”
He knew his son well enough to expect him to cause a scene- but not like this. Not in front of a crowd.
Alistair had always been the type to avoid airing dirty laundry.
But now? He was laying it all out, no hesitation.
Liam knew exactly what that meant. This wasn’t about venting. It
was war.
A few onlookers exchanged uneasy glances.
One middle–aged man spoke up gently, frowning.
“Son… I get it, breakups hurt. But don’t go making crazy
accusations. There’s always another chance, another woman. No need to burn it all down. Your dad–he’s never even raised a
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hand, right?”
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The one most disturbed by the unfolding chaos wasn’t Alistair’s
father–it was Tobias Greer, the father of the groom and Liam’s longtime sworn brother.
Tobias was a year older than Liam.
His son, the one getting married today, had been Alistair’s
classmate.
Back then, he copied Alistair’s homework religiously, skipped
class and got into fights.
Compared to his own wild kid, Alistair had been a golden boy- polite, bright, and dependable. Tobias had even told Liam once, half–joking, that he must have saved a nation in his past life to be blessed with a son like that.
But the boy everyone once praised as college–bound… ended up dropping out before Tobias‘ own kid did. Then he got married too young. It was all such a waste.
Now, looking at the grown–up Alistair, he was clearly still good–looking–but his personality? A total reversal. Cold, sharp, hostile. Maybe the divorce had really gotten to him. The things he was saying didn’t make any sense. Rúde, erratic, paranoid.
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What happened to that sweet, well–mannered kid? What the hell
did life do to him?
Tobias was genuinely heartbroken.
From the corner of his eye, he caught the flicker of panic in Liam
and Celeste’s faces.
Wait a minute. He hadn’t said anything wrong… had he?
As for the fake accident–Liam had never really worried about it being exposed.
The old house was sold. His father was gone. Alistair was essentially a rootless drifter now, with no ties to anyone in this
town.
And anyway, it wasn’t something to be proud of. He had assumed Alistair, being “filial,” wouldn’t want to dig up dirty laundry from
the past.
But apparently, divorce had a way of digging things up all on its
own.
Now, with the past dragged into daylight, the cracks were starting
to show.
Still, Liam consoled himself.
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That was six years ago. If I keep denying it, people will believe me over him. No one here’s going to take a bitter, estranged kid at
face value.
What scared him—and Celeste–was that Alistair didn’t seem like the soft–hearted pushover they remembered. If he had really figured out how they’d played him back then, things could get
ugly.
Alistair, for his part, had seen the shift in their faces.
The worst of his anger had already burned off. Now he stood calmly, detached.
Liam mistook his quiet for ignorance and felt a small wave of relief. Maybe he hadn’t connected the dots after all.
Then Alistair turned to him and said, voice even, “You’re right. Liam didn’t hit anyone. But I did give him two million. So, Liam Harlow–since you said we’re done, how about paying me back? Principal and interest.”
