One of her husband's long-lost relatives was the individual in question. Previously convicted of racketeering and serving a twelve-year sentence, he was released a few days before he showed up at their shop.
Her husband did not want his wife to meet such a man, at least not yet, knowing his past with him. Additionally, he did not want the man in the store that day. His first request was to meet him somewhere else so they could talk, but the man had other plans.
Secrets
Every family is considered to harbor secrets. Some of these unreported information relates to scandals, while other unreported information reveals the real source of mysterious family fortune.
Alicia McCallister would not be able to handle the family secret. The incident would leave her in tears in front of her husband and her long-lost relative.
The Perfect Life
Alicia McCallister, originally Alicia Humboldt, was a typical twenty-nine-year-old mother raising her son Bret, 2, and living in North Carolina with her husband, Kenny.
With a bachelor's degree in botany from Duke, Alicia had always dedicated herself to her family and work. Her life had been filled with hard work and accomplishments that she was proud of.
Together Forever
Before proposing to Alicia, Kenny and she had been dating for almost ten years. The two started dating while they were still in college after first becoming friends, best friends, and ultimately lovers.
Given that they had been together for so long, Alicia was confident that she knew everything about him. She was unaware of the secrets he and his family had kept from her.
Her Soulmate
Most people all over the world search for their ideal soul mate for a very long time. Everything else seems insignificant to those who are fortunate enough to find the person they were destined to spend their lives with.
They start to lose sight of some of these people's negative tendencies, sometimes unwittingly encouraging them. The same scenario would take place to Alicia. When she realized what was actually occurring under her nose, it would be too late.
They Were Happy
In a small North Carolina seaside town, Alicia and her family enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle. Kenny was a mechanic in town, and Alicia was a wildlife consultant for the local maritime plantlife.
Even Alicia could concede that Kenny's business wasn't as successful as it could have been, despite the fact that he had a profession he loved. This didn't come as a surprise because of the worldwide pandemic that had occurred at the time.
Through Thick And Thin
Like any devoted wife, Alicia stood by her husband during the difficult times in his business. It wouldn't take long for things to change and Kenny's shop to start making a sizable profit.
Naturally, Alicia was pleased with her husband's efforts and proud of him. If only she had known what was actually going on while she was away at her husband's business.
Crime
Physical cash-based companies are frequently used by criminal activities as a cover for racketeering. The total amount of fines for such offenses is $25,000, and the maximum sentence for a racketeering offense is 20 years in prison.
For Kenny, the perfect setting for someone to engage in their covert activity was within his car store, which was fueled by actual cash. He was unaware that a person from his past would soon pressure him to come clean about what he was doing.
Derrick’s Plans
One of Kenny's long-lost cousins was the person in question. Derrick was only recently released after completing a twelve-year term for racketeering when he showed up to Kenny's store.
Kenny didn't want his wife to meet him, at least not yet, knowing his history with the man. Derrick wasn't supposed to be at the shop at that specific time, either. Initially, he suggested they meet somewhere else so they could discuss, but Derrick had other plans.
Explaining The Situation
Derrick explained what happened twelve years ago, just before he was sentenced to prison. Despite being the same age, Derrick appeared older due to his bushy beard and tattooed, muscular frame.
He reminded Kenny of what had transpired prior to the police encircling them and claimed to have had plenty of time in jail to reflect on the situation. At that moment, Alicia entered.
A Short Break
Alicia had been taking a short break from work when she pulled up at the shop. After a day of sorting through files at work and studying a few animal cell samples from her boss, she was ready for a breather.
Normally, she’d spend an hour from work in the middle of the morning before clocking back in. She would spend this time with her workmates in town before driving back to the office. But today was different.
Going To See Him
Alicia had made a habit of spending her break with her friends in town, but today, she felt like she needed to see Derrick.
The feeling kept her on edge as if something terrible was happening. With her bag over her shoulder, she grabbed her keys and headed for the parking lot. She’d spend some time with her husband if it were the last thing she did that day.
Coincidence? I Think Not!
Alicia had always been a spiritual woman. She never believed in coincidences and held that everything happened for a reason.
Her stomach had knotted throughout the morning as she thought about seeing her husband. She couldn’t explain what was happening, only knew that something was steering her to Kenny’s shop. She had no clue what she’d find there.
The Vintage Charger
Alicia parked her car on the shop’s driveway and hurried up the cold tarmac. But something snared her interest as she was walking to see Kenny.
The object in question was a vintage Charger, too good to be sitting without an owner in sight. Although Alicia didn’t doubt that her husband could pull a customer with such a good vehicle, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was tied to it.
Studying The Vehicle
She pushed the feeling aside and stepped toward the car to have a look. It looked new from afar, but Alicia realized it was anything but standing close.
Its paint was chipped in places, with the front dents all over the car’s front. The interior had worn leather seats, the steering wheel seeming to have seen better days. Looking at the car, one thing became clear.