Chapter 2 Benjamin Lee

Joseph spoke with Victor for about an hour.

Victor also had Benjamin Lee and his story on his mind.

“He was a young man. I ran into him shortly before the whole mess began. He was with his wife—a young, beautiful woman, absolutely stunning. It seemed like he’d kiss the ground she walked on. It’s strange that, despite showing so much love, he committed suicide. I’ve always thought that.”

“Maybe it was out of shame for not being able to provide her with a life of luxury, as she was clearly accustomed to.”

“But he wouldn’t have left her destitute without doing anything. Noah is a good, responsible kid—despite how young he is. Just look—he spoke to three people and bypassed those above him.”

-I promoted him.

-That sounds perfect to me; he deserves it.

Joseph got a message from his girlfriend.

That day wore him out.

-“I can’t see you today. I’ll call you when I’m free.”

He replied via WhatsApp.

-“I don’t know where the hell she thinks she’s going, but she can’t count on me today.”

“Is that how you plan to get married?”

“I don’t know—you tell me, since you’ve been divorced twice.”

-“There’s nothing like being single.”

He said with an amused smile—or at least he tried to—but in reality, he sometimes missed his first wife and seeing his daughter every day; she was growing up so fast that he felt like he was losing touch with her.

-“Although I’ll admit that sometimes I miss my daughter. I had her when I was very young, and I was never the best father. I left everything up to her mother, knowing that Emma is excellent at everything, and I distanced myself many times when I shouldn’t have.”

“You always speak so fondly of her.”

-Yes, if I'd met her when I was a little older, I wouldn't have made her suffer so much, and maybe we'd still be together.

-“You can win her back.”

-“I’ve thought about it a thousand times, but she’s in a relationship now.”

-“Has that ever stopped you?”

-“No… but I’m a different person around her.”

-“It seems like you’re waiting for her to come looking for you.”

-Something like that, but I don’t think she’ll forgive my infidelities, even though I don’t remember any other woman and I can’t get her out of my mind, despite the years that have passed.

-“Make something up… get sick so she’ll come take care of you.”

-I don’t know, but I swear there are kisses you never forget, there are women you can never erase, and Emma is one of them.

-That’s never happened to me—I mean, a woman leaving a mark on me.

-“What about Emily?”

-Let’s just say she’s the right one.

-You’re not obligated to marry her.

-“No, that’s true, but it’s something almost everyone does.”

-Think about it, because it seems to me that Emily isn’t going to let you go easily if you decide to get a divorce later.

-“Maybe. She wore me out today—she wouldn’t stop calling me or leaving me messages, and on top of that, I can’t get Benjamin Lee out of my head.”

-It’s crazy, and honestly, if you knew the boy’s mother, you wouldn’t believe that decision—I don’t think he committed suicide.

-Shit, I’m going to get the investigation going.

Joseph stood up decisively.

“The thing is, her son wasn’t even afraid of my anger, and even the engineer—who’s a guy in his 40s—was shaking.”

-“That’s true.”

Victor agreed.

-“I’m going to check it out.”

Joseph entered Noah’s office, which he shared with 10 other people, although at that moment there were three fewer people there, and two of those who had to resign had their own offices.

-“Noah is in charge of the department.”

He announced.

Not even the two architects who’d been working there the longest dared to say anything; the atmosphere just wasn’t right for that, and if they wanted the two vacant management positions, they’d discuss it the next day with HR—otherwise, they’d talk to Victor, but never to Joseph. The other partner was a bit more approachable with the staff, at least with management.

“Kid, come with me.”

He said only those words, and everyone was trembling.

Noah stood up without needing to be told twice.

They headed to Joseph’s office, and Victor joined them because he was intrigued by his partner and friend’s line of thinking.

Joseph began to speak, taking Noah by surprise.

Victor wasn’t surprised; he knew Joseph well and knew he was impulsive.

“We both knew your father’s company, and Victor even met your father, so we decided—if you’d like—to investigate to find out if it was suicide, but we can’t promise anything.”

“Do you think he was murdered?”

“I ran into him at an event; he was with your mom, and he showed incredible love for her. He could have committed suicide, of course, but that situation, to me personally, really stuck with me at the time.”

-“I don’t know what to think. I was 15 when that happened, and my mom was devastated. She had me when she was very young… she got pregnant shortly after they met, and she was 17 or 18 when I was born.”

Both partners were astonished by Noah’s mother’s age; his father would be around 40 today—he really was young. It became increasingly difficult for them to believe that this man might have committed suicide, but it was all just speculation.

“We don’t know what happened or if the investigation was conducted properly, but because of your courage in correcting—or trying to correct—a mistake that could have led to our ruin, I promise you I’ll reopen the investigation.”

Joseph promised him, without knowing what had led him to make that promise, but he was certain he would keep it.

Despite the impression he made on his employees, he was a very grateful man—though, of course, when it came to buying up bankrupt companies, they showed no mercy.

Perhaps that was why they felt indebted to Noah; they both knew they had paid far less than they should have for his father’s company.

After discussing it first among themselves and then with Noah, Joseph thought it was very likely that he had been murdered, but whoever did it was very careful and covered their tracks very well.

“Thank you, sir.”

Noah was a very level-headed and mature young man for his 18 years; after all, most young people his age hadn’t gone through what he had. The hardest part was coming to terms with the fact that his father had committed suicide and moving forward while carrying the guilt—wondering what he could have done to save him but didn’t. His mother was going through something similar.

He remembers that his parents were always very much in love and very happy; his father’s suicide was completely unexpected. Benjamin, his father, was depressed, but no one could have imagined he would go so far as to commit such a reckless act.

“I wanted to investigate, but I was a minor and could only gather a few documents,”

He says, his voice breaking.

“I recently found a second cell phone belonging to my father that I didn’t know existed; he used it for work, and there are encrypted messages I couldn’t open.”

-“Can we take a look at it?”

-Yes, I’ll bring it tomorrow.

-“No, if you want, I’ll walk you home right now—I don’t like wasting time.”

Joseph clarified. He was impulsive, and his partner knew it, which is why it didn’t strike him as odd that Joseph offered to go to the young man’s house right then and there.

He knew that when Joseph got something into his head—regardless of the subject—he wouldn’t rest until he’d figured it out. Joseph was a man who was passionate about everything that interested him, which was why Victor didn’t understand why he was dating Emily. He realized that Joseph didn’t feel toward her what one was supposed to feel when marrying a woman; rather, it was an almost cold relationship—at least from an outsider’s perspective, of course.

He also noticed that, for no apparent reason, Joseph would stop seeing her or attend meetings where his presence wasn’t essential—and he’d do so without her.

That’s why, knowing his personality, he was struck by the almost coldness he sometimes showed toward his girlfriend.

“It’s just that I’m on the clock, sir.”

“You’re coming with me—it’s like continuing to work.”

“Thank you very much.”

Noah was dazed; it was a completely unusual day, both at work and in his personal life.

He thought his father had been a great man, and that mistake had always struck him as odd—because he was sure his father must have reviewed that blueprint, or someone else surely should have—and he didn’t understand why his bosses were so grateful, even though he was well aware of the consequences of that error in the blueprints.

“Do you have a car?”

Joseph asked him to find out if he would follow him or ride with him.

“We only have one car left, and my mother needed it today to run an errand. She drove me to work this morning, so now I’m on foot, sir.”

“Let’s go.”

During the ride, Noah told him in detail how they’d found his father; he even had to hold back his tears—it was something he’d never get over.

Then, as Noah was arriving, to calm himself down and so his mother wouldn’t see him in that state, he changed the subject.

Joseph was surprised to see that Noah lived in a real mansion; even the design was very modernist. He liked the front of the house and confirmed that Benjamin had excellent taste. Upon entering, he saw how luxurious the house was—not only comfortable and warm, but also a bit ostentatious, it was true—yet every corner exuded opulence.

“Mom!”

Noah called out.

“Before I go to my father’s office, I’m going to let my mom know we’re here, so she doesn’t get scared if she hears any noises.”

Noah headed to the kitchen, and when he saw she wasn’t there, he returned to the living room, where Joseph was waiting for him.

“She must be by the pool.”

“Is the backyard big?”

Joseph asked, just to keep the conversation going, because, as a civil engineer, he was calculating how much land the property covered.

“Yes, if you’d like to take a look, come with me.”

“Thanks.”