There were nudes of Janine with some incendiary captions, but those too, she could wiggle her way out of. The most damaging was the texts where she pleaded with me to take her back, and most damaging the ones where she talked about how lacking he was in the dick department and how wrong she was for leaving me. These were all sent in the last year, but some had been sent from years ago when my life began to change. Those were even more desperate.
“I’ll see myself out.”
“You son of a bitch.” She came screeching at me as I turned for the door.
“I wouldn’t if I were you.” She stumbled back from the look I gave her, and for the first time, I think she got just how much I actually hate her fucking guts. “If you come near my family again, I won’t hesitate to end you. This was just a warning shot. And just so you know, Justine is the best thing to ever happen to Tyler and I. The day you left us was a blessing in disguise. Now stay the fuck out of my lane or next time I’ll run you over.”
It took everything in me to walk away and not break her fucking face, but Ty was right; that’s exactly what she wanted. I left to the sound of them arguing heatedly. I guess now I can go back to ignoring her ass and pretending she didn’t exist. The same housekeeper was hiding in the shadows listening in with a smirk on her face.
“He won’t divorce her, you know.” She looked towards the door as she spoke. “Nope, he’s a sadistic son of a bitch. I used to feel sorry for her in the beginning, but then I realized she’s not so nice either. You should have a talk with his ex-wife, she was lucky enough to escape, but she’s also the reason he won’t divorce that one. He hates to lose at anything. I can tell you, though, that she must wish she’d never met him every day of her life.”
I opened my wallet and removed five crisp hundred-dollar bills. “Give me the condensed version.” She took the cash and shoved it into her bra before leading me just around the corner from the screaming couple. “He likes to hurt women, and not just in bed if you know what I mean. Didn’t you ever wonder why she’s always covered up from head to toe even when it’s a hundred degrees outside?”
“He wooed her at first with his money, and just like all the others, she fell for it. I couldn’t feel too sorry for her even then, since it was obvious that she’d gone after him even though she was married. Had she been a better person, I might’ve warned her to stay away, but she was after his money and too blind to see what he really was until it was too late.”
“He’s all about his standing in the community and what others think of him. When his first wife escaped, it was a blow for him, so I know for a fact that this one won’t get away that easily, but he will make her suffer even more because of what you and your son did here today. Mind you, he’s not going to kill her, and it’s not like he folds his fists and beats on her, but he has his ways. Would you like to see the room?”
“The room?”
“His torture chamber! It would make De Sade’s look like a high school playground.” What the fuck is going on around here? I looked back at the room where I’d left Janine and her husband before shaking my head no. My conscience bothered me all the way to my car until I remembered all the shit she’d done before and after Justine came into my life. I wonder if Tyler knows, damn boy.
Eric
Tyler was already home when I got back to the house, at least his car was. I walked inside, ready to ask him what he’d been up to at his mother’s place, and found him in the kitchen staring into space. He must’ve heard me coming but didn’t even look in my direction, no, he was too focused on something on the other side of the room. I called out to him, but he didn’t seem to hear me until I was right up on him.
I followed his line of vision and saw Lora leaning into the fridge. She wasn’t wearing anything skimpy or anything like that, but Tyler was fixated to the point of damn near brain dead. With all the shit that has been going on around here, I forgot my suspicions about him; now they were back full force.
“Tyler!” He almost jumped out of his skin but covered it nicely. “Oh, hey, dad, did you find it, Lora?” He asked the question in a way that made it seem like he’d been focused on her because of something she was looking for and not because he’d been fixated on her ass. Now I’m back to being confused. And her answer only confused me more.