Lose Control (The Jewel Project #5)

13.2|| Joint Account

Jessie knew she needed to get up off that bench and start solving problems. The rain had chilled her to the bone and her hair stuck to her face and neck in an uncomfortable wet mess. As much as it hurt, as much as it felt otherwise, she wouldn't break if she stood.

Her body was fine, no matter what her brain and heart felt. And there was no way she was giving up. She would just focus on solving one small problem at a time.

First problem. Sleazy lawyer.

She took out her phone as she stood. The picture of her and Jimmy on the lockscreen made her pause for only half a second before she started searching for the number she needed.

As she dialed, she started walking, no particular direction in mind. The guy didn't answer so she called again. On the third try, he finally picked up.

"Jessica," he said, his tone much too cheery.

Jessie cringed. It had been so long since anyone had called her by her full name in a non-antagonizing manner.

"Anselm, I have an issue." Best get it out of the way. She was definitely unfit for small talk. "I was just at the bank and have been told that I still need approval from Esteban to withdraw large amounts. You said you'd take care of sending the divorce papers everywhere."

Silence.

Silence that said so much.

"Anselm?"

"Yes, I did," the man finally said, his already croaky voice rougher than ever.

"Is there a problem?" Her heart started thumping, sending a painful rush of blood to her head. She could already see it. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"No..."

"Let me rephrase." Anger and panic battled inside her and every muscle in her body seemed to burn. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

More silence.

"Anselm, am I divorced?"

"No. Esteban never signed the papers."

And there it was. The final proof that she continued to be nothing but a liar. "What? Why not? He said he would and you told me everything was fine!"

"Well, yes, but he told me he wanted to try to make the marriage work and that I should trust him."

"You're my lawyer! Who cares what Esteban wants? You talk to me!" But she already knew it was useless. Reading between the lines was easy. Esteban had paid him off and he'd taken it gladly.

But why did Esteban do it? Why keep her chained to him and never try to find her, contact her? It's not like everyone and their mothers didn't know where she was. It was all over the news. Yet, he'd laid low, made no effort to talk to her, see her. He hadn't even taken money out of their joined account. Just what the hell was he planning?

There was something she needed to do first, anyway. "You're fired, you sleaze bag." And she hung up on her traitorous lawyer.

The moment the line was dead and she shoved the phone in her pocket, everything came crashing down again. Esteban's reasons didn't change anything. Didn't change the fact that she'd been having and affair for the past four years.

This can't be happening.

She'd just lied again. Assured Jimmy there were no more secrets, that she was divorced.

Something seemed to break inside her. The fear, the disgust, the anger all morphed into something so monstrous, she couldn't contain it.

Somehow, she had to do something, she had to fix this. But for maybe the second time in her life, she had no idea what to do. And this time, no one could help her. Because she hadn't just lied to Jimmy. She'd lied to everyone.