“I didn’t know she was pregnant,” she sobbed into her hands.

“I thought I was protecting your focus.

Protecting the business.”

“You protected me,” I said quietly, “from knowing my own child existed.

You’re relieved of all duties at Callahan Enterprise, effective immediately.” I did not raise my voice, and I took no satisfaction in it, because the truth sitting under the whole scene was that Theresa had done, with terrible literalness, precisely what I had instructed her to do.

I had told a subordinate to wall me off from anything personal, from anything to do with the woman I was divorcing, and to use her judgment about what counted.