“Why would I know? I told you, I don’t know anything.”
“But you dated Nora for a while. Way longer than I’ve known her for. You must know all her friends, anyone else she associates with regularly. You guys had mutual acquaintances.”
He nodded. “I guess. But I can’t think of anyone who hates her this much.”
“Think harder.”
“There was one girl we knew who was a bit jealous of a designer purse Nora got for free from one of her consulting jobs. But that’s literally it. Nothing else comes to mind. Everyone always liked Nora.”
I sighed. A girl wasn’t going to go to these lengths to harass Nora over some petty purse jealousy. “What about all the nasty rumors you spread about her when she dumped you? Maybe one of your friends got pissed at her and wanted to mess with her because of that.”
James had the good grace to look ashamed. “Yeah. Maybe. But I’m pretty sure most of them ended up not believing me anyway. I guess it was pretty obvious I was exaggerating.”
“Outright lying, more like it.”
“Yeah, whatever. My point is, I don’t think any of our mutual friends dislike her enough to try and ruin her life like this.”
I was silent for a moment. “Wait,” I finally said as something else occurred to me. “Some of the online messages were sent from an IP address that the cops managed to track. They haven’t been able to contact the guy who the internet is registered under yet, because he’s overseas, but they know his name. They think whoever’s been sending these messages either knows this guy and uses his internet, or lives close enough to sit outside and hack into it without anyone noticing.”
“What’s the name?” James asked.
“Robert Quinto. Do you know anyone with that name? Or do you know anyone who has an acquaintance or a neighbor with that name?” I said.
James’ eyes immediately went wide. I could tell I’d hit pay-dirt. “You do, don’t you?” I added, jumping to my feet.
He nodded. “Yes. But so do you.”
I shook my head. “No I don’t.”
“Yeah, you do. Jesus, man, think about it.”
I frowned. Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning. Fuck. I knew who it was. I knew exactly who’d been harassing Nora and trying to blackmail me into dumping her. They’d been right under our nose the entire time.
And it sure as hell wasn’t James.
31
Nora
“Jacob, we’re home! We finally found the perfect suitcase set. Are you around?”
I called out as Ina and I stepped into the tiled foyer, but there was no response.
“It’s almost six. He must’ve gone out to grab something for dinner,” Ina said, checking the time on her cell phone. “Anyway, I need to use the bathroom. I’ll be out in the guesthouse if you need me for anything.”
“Sure. Thanks for your help today,” I said.
After she’d gone, I went to feed Oscar. When he was happily chowing down on his dinner, I grabbed my cell phone and sent a text to Jacob’s spare phone. Hey, where are you? I just got home.
As soon as I sent it, I heard a faint vibrating sound. I frowned and looked around the kitchen and main living room. Spotting something small and black on the couch a moment later, I sighed, realizing that Jacob had left the phone behind. I picked it up. While it was still in my hand, it vibrated again, and the screen lit up with a text message from an unsaved number.
You said you’d dump Nora by the end of the day. Did you do it yet? I really don’t like being kept waiting, Jakey…
My blood ran cold, and my chest suddenly felt so constricted that I could barely breathe for a moment. Legs trembling, I sat on the couch, wondering what on earth that message was about. It looked like Jacob had promised someone that he’d dump me tonight… but why? Who would he make such a promise to?
As much as I didn’t want to admit it to myself, a niggling little voice in the back of my head told me there was only one option. It had to be another woman. Another woman Jacob had promised to be with once he’d gotten me out of the picture. Maybe he was using the fact that I was leaving as a way of softening the blow. Maybe he was planning on coming home tonight and softly saying, ‘sorry, I’ve thought about it again, and I don’t think I can do the long-distance thing after all’. Then he’d have free rein to go running off to this other woman—whoever she was. He must’ve been keeping her on the sidelines in the event that I needed to be ‘replaced’.
I felt sick to my stomach as I considered it. Was he really cheating on me? Was he only using me for god knows what reasons and faking our entire relationship? If so, why? Was he seriously that messed up?
I so desperately wanted to believe in him and know for sure that he would never do such a thing, but I saw that text message with my own eyes. He was planning on dumping me. He obviously told someone that he was going to do it. And try as I might, I couldn’t think of a reason why, unless he’d been playing me this entire time.
I got up and walked robotically outside to the guesthouse. Maybe Ina could help. Maybe she’d be able to figure out some reason why Jacob would be telling someone that he was about to dump me. Something totally innocent. She knew him better than anyone, after all.
I knocked on the glass guesthouse door. The wooden slatted blinds were open, so I could see Ina sitting on her sofa, playing around on her cell phone. She looked up when she saw me, and she smiled and beckoned to me. “Come in!”
Her smile vanished when she saw my expression as I stepped inside. “Nora, what’s wrong?” she asked with a frown, hurriedly putting the phone away.
I couldn’t speak for a full three minutes. I was too choked up with tears. Ina sat next to me and patted me on the back until I was finally able to get the story out—what I’d seen on Jacob’s spare phone, what it might mean, how I felt.
Her frown deepened as she listened.
“Can you think of any reason why this might be happening?” I finally said. “Something that isn’t as bad as him playing me all this time?”
She sighed and looked at the floor. “Oh, Nora. I’m so sorry. I honestly thought…”
“Thought what?” I said when she trailed off.
“I thought he’d stopped this,” she replied, her voice turning bitter. “You know what he used to be like, right? Total playboy. Different woman every week. I love him, I really do, because of everything he’s done for me. So I never judged him. Not once. But this… this is different.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I genuinely thought he changed when he met you, Nora. He’s never been like this with anyone else. He’s never let another woman come to his house, let alone move in. But that text, my god. I can’t think why he’d receive a message saying that unless….”
She trailed off again, and my shoulders slumped. “Unless he actually told someone he was going to end it with me,” I said flatly. “Another woman.”
The tears were gone now. I was too numb to feel a single thing. It’d all been a lie—the late-night heart-to-hearts with Jacob, the feeling of safety in his home, the warm comfort of his arms. The love.
All bullshit.
How could I be so stupid? How could I fall for yet another liar? Of course I had, though. I was a hopeless romantic. I thought I could fix James once upon a time, and when that failed, I guess I moved right on to another fantasy—nabbing a movie star. No wonder it blew up in my face. What were the odds of someone in Jacob’s league truly wanting an average person like myself? It just felt so good to believe he did. And so I’d stupidly fallen for every line, every gesture. I’d even given up my lease and moved in with him, like a goddamned fool.
“I’m so sorry, Nora,” Ina said softly.
“I should go,” I replied, abruptly standing up.
“No, stay. I can’t let you be alone right now. We’ll have a girly night, and I’ll get some ice cream. I’ll get Angie over here too, of course.”
I shook my head. “Thank you, Ina, but I
can’t be here. I can’t be on his property. I just need to get the hell out.”
She sighed. “I get it. Will you go to Angie’s place?”
I thought about it for a second. What was that old saying? Out of sight, out of mind. The farther I could get from Jacob right now, the better.
“No,” I finally said. “I think I’ll fly out east a few days early. The apartment is already there waiting for me, and I’ve already packed most of the things I’ll be taking. I’m sure there’s a flight leaving tonight.”
Ina frowned. “Nora, I understand why you want to leave, but don’t you think you’re being too hasty? Why don’t you stay and wait for Jacob to get home so you can at least hear him out? Maybe there’s an explanation for all of this after all.”
I shook my head again, rage boiling up inside of me. “No. You said it yourself. What other reason could there be for him to get that sort of message?”
She let out another heavy sigh. “All right. What about Oscar?”
“I’ll see if they’ll allow him on the flight I book. If not, he can stay with Angie until she brings him over to meet me in New York next week, like we originally planned. He was going to be staying with her for a few days anyway.”
Ina stood up, her forehead lined with worry. “Are you really sure about this? I know you’re upset. You’re furious. Of course you are. I’m angry too. But I think it’s best that we wait for Jacob to explain himself. At least then you’ll have some closure, even if it—”
I cut her off. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going. Why should he care enough to explain anything? He was going to dump me out of the blue tonight anyway.”
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Yeah, that’s true. I understand. Let me help you grab your things, at least,” she said softly.
She followed me into the main house, where I gathered my clothes and other possessions in stony silence. It wasn’t hard—a lot of things were still in bags and boxes from when I’d moved in a few days ago, and I’d also packed a lot of other things for New York already. It only took an hour for my car to be stacked full of boxes and cases.
“Are you really, really sure about this?” Ina said, twisting her hands nervously as I hugged her goodbye in the driveway.
“Yes. I’m sure. I already have the storage place booked to drop off some of these boxes, and I’ll go to Angie’s now to wait while I sort out the flight.”
Ina looked forlorn as I spoke. I swallowed a lump in my throat. “I’m sorry,” I added as I got into my car. Oscar was already in the backseat, looking as happy as ever.
“Don’t apologize,” Ina replied. “This isn’t your fault. I’m just sad because I really thought he wouldn’t screw this up, and I really like you.”
I forced a smile. “Well, we can still be friends. The ex-wife and the ex-girlfriend. What a team.”
She laughed, but I could tell her heart wasn’t in it. “Please call me as soon as you know what you’re doing,” she said. “I want to know that you’re okay.”
“I will.”
I turned my key in the ignition and started down the driveway while Ina waved goodbye. I could see her in my rearview mirror, and her expression turned from forlorn to cold and stony as I went. I knew it was because she was still pissed as hell at Jacob.
She disappeared from view as I turned onto the main road and sped up.
And just like that, I was out of Jacob Archer’s reach.
32
Jacob
I gritted my teeth and pressed my foot harder on the gas pedal as I weaved through cars on the road. I needed to go faster. Needed to confront the asshole who’d been harassing my girl and trying to blackmail me into dumping her. I knew exactly who that person was now.
And I was going to make them pay.
I finally pulled up in the driveway and stepped into the house. “Anyone home?” I called out.
Chris appeared in the hall and flashed me a wide grin. “Oh, hey. I didn’t hear you knock.”
“That’s because I didn’t,” I replied, restraining myself from beating the living shit out of him right this second. I knew it was him. What I didn’t know was why.
“What’s up?” he asked, gesturing for me to enter the living room.
I didn’t smile or answer his question, but I did follow him into the room, where I took a seat on the black faux-leather sofa.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, eyebrows furrowing with confusion as he looked at me.
I finally gave him a faint smile. “Oh yeah, something’s wrong. Very wrong. It’s you. And you’ve got exactly two minutes to explain yourself before I break your goddamned face.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Huh?”
“I know what you’ve been doing,” I said. “You’ve been harassing Nora and trying to break us up. You stole my phone the other night. I’m guessing you saw me arrive at the restaurant and check my phone and jacket in the coatroom, and then you pretended as if you’d only just noticed us eating there an hour later.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” he said, still feigning innocence. “I remember you telling me that someone was harassing Nora, but you said it was James.”
“Stop playing dumb,” I said, leaning closer. “I know it’s you. You thought you were being so careful to pin it on James, but you fucked up. The cops know the internet you’ve been using to send the messages to Nora is registered under the name Robert Quinto. As in Bob, your landlord.”
His face blanched, and I knew I had him.
I was still pissed at myself for not realizing sooner. The name Robert Quinto had always sounded vaguely familiar to me since Nora told me, but until James reminded me of his connection to Chris, it hadn’t occurred to me that I knew him.
“They would’ve got you before now, but apparently Bob’s overseas on some business trip and hasn’t been contactable. But the second he got back, they would’ve figured out it was you. It was only a matter of time,” I continued.
Chris’ eyes narrowed. There was no point pretending anymore. He was caught. “I needed to get her away from you. You’re my best friend. I did it for your sake, you idiot.”
I rose to my feet, my fists curling by my side. “For my sake, huh? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Nora’s a toxic fucking snake!” he said, standing up as well. “She manipulated you. She made you believe all her shit, and then she turned you into this pathetic little pussy right before my very eyes. You’re fucking whipped. I had to help you get away from her, but I knew you wouldn’t. Not unless I forced your hand.”
“What are you talking about?”
His eyes blazed. “She did all that crazy shit to James, and when she spun you her bullshit version of events, you ate it up just to get into her panties. I wasn’t worried at first. That’s what we do—get pussy from all these bitches and pretend like we give a shit about them. But then you kept going. You believed her. You let her walk all over you. Let her change you. Even let her move in. I don’t know what the fuck happened, but it’s pathetic. You needed to get away from her. You—”
Before he could even finish, I socked him right in the jaw. He fell back onto the sofa, clutching his face and crying out in agony.
“You stupid son of a bitch,” I said, my voice dripping with scorn. “You actually believed James when he spread that shit about her? Even after I told you it wasn’t true?”
“Of course I did,” he said between gasps as he rubbed his jaw. “You can’t believe all the bullshit women say! They’re all lying, gold-digging cunts! She was playing you. I knew it from the start. I fucking knew it. I only sent her all those nasty messages and fucked up her house to try and scare her out of town so she’d stay away from you!”
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered. I’d always thought Chris was just a typical young playboy like me who’d learn to respect his conquests one day as he matured, similarly to how I’d grown and changed since I met Nora. I’d never noticed how deep his hatred for women truly ran, not until
now. Obviously he hid it well. But to him and his unhinged mind, women were all just walking vaginas who were good for one thing and one thing only. If a guy actually deigned to respect a woman and treat her well, he was apparently a ‘pathetic pussy’.
Men like him were the truly pathetic ones.
“Nora never lied. She wasn’t playing me or anyone else. James even admitted to me that he was full of shit, you fucking moron,” I said, taking a step toward Chris. “So you’ve been messing with her for weeks for no reason.”
“I was just trying to help you!” he replied, shying away from me as I drew closer.
“By terrorizing my girlfriend and trying to ruin her reputation? I’m assuming you’re also the one who leaked to the media that I was sleeping with a consultant on Fourth Down as yet another way of trying to fuck with her and get her fired. Which didn’t work, by the way. Not to mention you threatening to expose my marriage and have me sent to fucking prison,” I replied. “Jesus, some fucking help you are, man.”
“I wasn’t really going to turn you in,” he said, holding his hands up as I balled my own right hand into another fist. “I just said I would, to make you dump her when everything else I tried failed. I promise, man, I wasn’t actually going to do it.”
“Well, your little scheme didn’t work, did it? Nora and I are still together. I also went to the cops and reported you before I got here, by the way. They’ll probably be here to pick you up soon,” I replied. His eyes wildly scanned the room, and I smiled. “Don’t bother trying to run. I’m gonna keep you right here no matter how long they take.”
“Tell them you made a mistake or I’ll… I’ll tell them the truth about Ina. For real,” he said, obviously panicking now. “You’ll go away for years.”
My smile grew wider. “I had a feeling you’d say that. But unfortunately for you, James decided to help me out a bit.”
“James?”
“Yeah. He wasn’t too happy when he realized it was you setting him up to take the fall for your harassment of Nora, just to cover your own ass in case she tried to pursue charges. So he helped me dig up a little dirt of my own,” I said. “Does the name Chevin mean anything to you?”
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