Past Lovers

All Out On The Table

Megan held her breath as Michael spoke. She couldn't believe that there was something he had been keeping from her.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Michael took a deep breath and looked at her with a mixture of guilt and regret.

"I haven't been completely honest with you, Megan," he said. "There's something in my past that I've been trying to keep hidden from you. Something that I'm not proud of."

Megan felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. She didn't know what Michael was going to say, but she was afraid of what it might be.

"What is it?" she asked again.

Michael looked down at his hands and took a deep breath.

"I used to be involved in some illegal activities," he said. "I was in debt, and I made some bad decisions. I got involved with some people who weren't exactly on the right side of the law."

Megan felt a lump form in her throat as she listened to Michael's confession. She couldn't believe that the man she loved had been involved in something illegal. Megan was always a good girl. Goody two shoes may have been a stretch, but she was never familiar with being in any trouble. Megan followed a strict code of morals. No lying, no stealing, no hurting; the basics. But she felt them deeply. Megan was an avid believer in karma and would never do something she felt the universe would punish her negatively for. 

"What kind of activities?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Michael hesitated for a moment before answering.

"I was involved in some money laundering," he said. "And I may have done some things that I'm not proud of."

Megan felt like the ground had dropped out from under her. She couldn't believe that the man she loved had been involved in money laundering. She shouldn't have been surprised. her mother always told her "to be wealthy, people do bad things, nothing in that type of excess comes through kindness." 

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Michael looked at her with tears in his eyes.

"I was afraid that you wouldn't love me if you knew," he said. "I was afraid that you would see me as a criminal, and that you would never be able to forgive me."

Megan felt a wave of compassion wash over her as she looked at Michael. She knew that he had made some mistakes in the past, but she also knew that he was a good man at heart. But she also knew her own morals.

"I love you, Michael," she said, taking his hand in hers. "And I always will. But we need to talk about this and you need to be honest. For us to grow together, you can't keep things from me."

On the inside, Megan felt uneasy. Part of her wanted to leave right then and there. While she was loyal, she wasn't the type to "go to jail for you" loyal. She was the I'll support you, but I must protect myself loyal. But she stayed.

Over the next few days, Megan and Michael talked extensively about his past. Michael told her everything he could remember about the illegal activities he had been involved in, and Megan listened without judgment.

She knew that Michael was not the same man he had been when he was involved in those activities. He had worked hard to turn his life around, and he had become a successful businessman.

But Megan also knew that they couldn't ignore what Michael had done in the past. They needed to figure out what the consequences of his actions would be, and how they would move forward.

One day, while Megan was at work, she received a call from an unknown number, she answered. It was common for high profile clients to use blocked numbers when taking care of marketing and financial matters. 

"Is this Megan Rowe?" A male voice came through the phone.

"This is she," Megan responded hesitantly. 

"Good morning Megan, this is Daniel Tolens, detective with the federal bureau of investigation." the voice began. 

Megan paused. The FBI? What could she have possibly done for the FBI to call her personal work number. She didn't know what to say or how to breath. By being in her own head, she barely interpreted much of the conversation that followed.

The detective told her that he had been investigating Michael's past, and that he had some information that he needed to share with her.

Megan felt a wave of anxiety wash over her as she listened to the detective's words. She knew that Michael's past was finally catching up with him.

The detective told Megan that Michael had been under investigation for money laundering, and that there was evidence that he had been involved in other illegal activities as well.

Megan was shocked by the news. She couldn't believe that the man she loved was involved in such criminal activities.

"What's going to happen to him?" she asked the detective.

"That's up to the courts," the detective said. "But I wanted to let you know what was going on. I know that this must be difficult for you."

Megan thanked the detective for letting her know, and hung up the phone. She felt like her world was falling apart. She didn't know what to do. She loved Michael, but she couldn't ignore what he had done in the past. She knew that she needed to talk to him, but she didn't know how to approach the subject.

When she got home that night, Michael was already there. He looked at her with concern as she walked into the room.