And then I met Charles

A chance meeting at a local diner would forever change Alex's life. She and Charles have a love built on respect and trust, don't they? Alex's life of privilege in a stable family could not be further from Charles' childhood. Charles and his grifter mother were always on government support. His secondhand ill-fitted clothes made him a target for the school bullies, and his mother's parade of husbands and boyfriends added to his insecurities. His unstable and unhappy childhood gave him steely determination to succeed. Now, as an ivy league educated investment banker, Charles has "made it". He and his teenage son Charlie live in a toney Boston suburb with an exclusive country club membership and he has an unimaginable income. Meeting Alex is the missing link in the Baker's bachelor existence. Charles and Charlie are in need of love, nurturing, and some home-cooked meals! Yet, the past few years have shown a slow but steady decline in his income. When all his attempts to right his ship fail, will he scale back his lifestyle, or will he go to plan B? Will Charles be able to fix the tangled web he has created before Alex finds out? Will Charles' schemes put Alex's life in danger? Secrets, greed, and tragedy circle them like relentless ravens.