Chapter 10 - THE LIE THAT FOLLOWED ETHAN TO SCHOOL|
By Monday morning, everyone seemed to have an opinion about the Moretti engagement.
I discovered that when my phone began buzzing before sunrise.
A local entertainment page had published a story about Luca and Vanessa's canceled wedding.
The headline described a bitter dispute involving a wealthy businessman, his fiancée, and the family of a deceased friend.
At first, the article contained little more than speculation.
But beneath it appeared several photographs.
One showed Luca kneeling beside Ethan at the engagement dinner.
Another showed Grace entering the Moretti restaurant months earlier.
A third showed Daniel Hayes standing beside Luca at the old restoration shop.
The accompanying claims were cruel.
An anonymous source suggested that Grace had repeatedly demanded financial support.
Another implied that Ethan had been encouraged to use his father's death to gain sympathy.
Someone had even described the thirteen-year-old as an attention-seeking child.
I sat on the edge of my bed reading the comments.
Some people defended the Hayes family.
Others accused Grace of taking advantage of Luca's generosity.
The strangers arguing beneath those photographs had no idea who Ethan was.
They hadn't seen him trembling as Vanessa removed his father's watch.
They hadn't heard him ask whether he was still allowed to call Luca his uncle.
But they were willing to judge him anyway.
I called Grace immediately.
She answered on the third ring.
"Natalie?"
"Have you seen the article?"
There was a long pause.
"Yes."
"How's Ethan?"
Her voice broke.
"He found it before school."
I closed my eyes.
"Is he okay?"
"He said he was."
She paused.
"But he took off his father's watch before leaving the apartment."
That detail hurt more than I expected.
Vanessa had made him afraid of wearing the one thing that reminded him of Daniel's love.
Now strangers on the internet had helped her do it again.
At the mansion, Luca was already meeting with Elena.
He looked furious.
"How did those photographs get out?"
Elena shook her head.
"We're investigating."
"One of them was taken inside my restaurant."
"Yes."
Luca glanced at the article.
"They're attacking a child."
Elena closed her laptop.
"Then our first priority should be protecting that child, not winning a public argument."
Luca listened.
Together, they prepared a short statement.
It confirmed that the engagement had ended.
It rejected the allegations against Daniel and his family.
Most importantly, it made clear that Luca considered the Hayes family part of his own life and took responsibility for failing to recognize that they'd been excluded.
The statement didn't disclose Ethan's private financial information.
It didn't turn his grief into evidence for public consumption.
Before releasing it, Luca called Grace.
He explained what he intended to say and asked whether she was comfortable with the family being mentioned.
Grace agreed to a limited statement.
"I don't want Ethan's life becoming entertainment," she told him.
"Neither do I," Luca answered.
By afternoon, the school had contacted Grace.
Two boys had shown Ethan the article during lunch.
One had accused him of pretending to be an orphan to get money from rich people.
Another had asked whether his mother planned to sue Luca for a bigger house.
Ethan had left the cafeteria and gone to the school counselor.
When Grace told me, I felt sick.
Ethan had only just begun smiling again.
Now his father's death was being discussed by classmates who didn't understand what losing a parent meant.
Luca offered to meet with the principal.
Grace agreed, but only after making one thing clear.
"I want Ethan treated like every other student."
She spoke firmly.
"I don't want the school afraid of you because you're Luca Moretti."
Luca nodded.
"Then I'll go as his uncle."
The meeting took place that evening.
The principal assured Grace that the harassment would be addressed and that Ethan could receive support without being singled out publicly.
Luca didn't threaten anyone.
He listened.
He apologized to Ethan for the attention surrounding the engagement.
And when they left, he asked whether the boy wanted ice cream.
Ethan shook his head.
"I'm tired."
Luca didn't press him.
"Okay, buddy."
Back at the apartment, Grace began preparing dinner.
I had come along because Ethan had asked whether I could help repair the display board for his science project.
He sat at the table, staring at the broken cardboard corner.
For several minutes, neither of us spoke.
Then he asked, "Natalie, why do people say things when they don't know if they're true?"
I considered my answer.
"Sometimes because a cruel story is easier to repeat than a complicated truth."
Ethan nodded slowly.
"One boy said Dad probably only knew Uncle Luca because he wanted money."
"That's not true."
"I know."
He swallowed.
"But everybody keeps talking about Dad like he was a bad person."
I gently turned the cardboard display toward him.
"What would your father say about your science project?"
A faint smile appeared.
"He'd tell me the wires were messy."
"Was he right?"
Ethan looked down.
"Probably."
We both laughed softly.
Then he became serious.
"There's something I haven't told Mom."
I set down the tape.
"What is it?"
"I don't want to do the science fair anymore."
"Because of what happened at school?"
He nodded.
"Everybody will be looking at me."
His eyes filled.
"And I don't want to stand in front of them while they talk about Dad."
I wanted to tell him to be brave.
I wanted to promise that everything would turn out fine.
But looking at his face, I understood that he didn't need another adult deciding what he ought to feel.
So I asked a different question.
"What would make you feel safe enough to decide for yourself?"
Ethan looked toward the empty space on his wrist.
May you like
After a long silence, he whispered, "I don't know yet."
And for once, I didn't try to give him an answer he wasn't ready to hear.
