33. Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Jemima
“I think you should go,” I say, pointing to the door. Luckily, he moves toward the exit.
“I’ll talk to you later,” is all he says.
I stand there for a moment, exhaling heavily, ready to find out what the fuck is going through Harvey’s head.
But as I turn to leave, Harvey stands tall, his annoyingly sharp jawline and bright eyes making it hard to look away. My heart squeezes, but I gather my strength and swallow down the confusion and hurt. “I forgot the keys.” He walks up to me and leans in for a kiss, but I turn my face, letting his soft lips brush my cheek instead. Frowning, he pulls back. “What’s wrong?”
“Did you pay Danny ten thousand dollars to stay away from me?”
“Yes,” he says, not even blinking.
My chest tightens. I feel like I can’t breathe. “Why?”
“I did it for you,” he answers, his voice calm, too calm.
But something feels off. My stomach twists, and I can’t shake the knot forming in my gut.
“Harvey.” I step closer, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m asking you again. Why did you pay Danny?”
His shoulders sag as he lets out a long breath. “Because I caught him using drugs. Not just in your bathroom…” He gestures toward the men’s room. “But he was stealing money to feed his habit. And he was buying from your ex.”
I blink, trying to take it all in, but he keeps going.
“I paid him off to protect you,” he says, his voice softer now. “I didn’t want you getting dragged into his mess. I wanted you to focus on making this business a success, not cleaning up after someone else’s mistakes.”
We’re standing so close, the space between us tense with unspoken things. His eyes don’t leave mine, and I can feel the weight of everything he's trying to say. I’m in shock, but I force myself to speak.
“So, you can get your money and leave. I get it.” My voice cracks, sounding foreign to my own ears.
“No. I did it to protect you.” Voice strained, his eyes widen with shock. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you...” He starts and reaches out to comfort me.
I put my hands up, stepping back. “Don’t touch me.”
Standing there, his shoulders slumped, hands by his sides, he stares down at me. My breath comes hard and fast. I can’t believe he never mentioned any of this.
“You could have told me one thing. Yet-t you hid all of that information,” I say, voice trembling. “Were you ever going to tell me?”
“Of course,” he says softly.
“When?”
“Soon.”
Not soon enough.
“You should’ve told me when you found out.” My arms cross defensively, my posture closing off as the hurt builds inside me. I can feel the distance between us growing, despite how close we stand.
“It wasn’t the right time. Look at what you’ve accomplished.”
“You don’t get to choose when to tell me things. You were supposed to be honest with me.” My body shakes with the intensity of my emotions.
“Butter?” he starts, but I cut him off.
“No!” I snap. The nickname slices through me like a knife. “You don’t get to call me that.”
Why does it hurt more now that he’s in front of me? I wasn’t even this broken when my husband went to jail. Why do I feel like crying? I don’t cry. But what did I expect when I handed over my heart. I was a fool. A stupid, lovesick fool, acting like I’m thirty-four and not forty-two. My error.
I straighten, reclaiming what little control I have left. “I don’t want you back here. Pack your shit and go.”
“But?”
My throat constricts, but I push through the pain, my voice sharp. “No buts. I don’t want to hear it. You had plenty of opportunities to tell me any of this, and instead, I found it all out now.”
Despite the tightness in my chest, I manage to keep my voice steady, though my hands tremble at my sides. The control I’m holding on to is slipping, but I refuse to let him see it.
He paid Danny ten thousand dollars.
Danny was doing drugs.
Danny was stealing from the company.
Danny was buying from my ex.
I can’t deal with the double betrayal. I just want to go home and hug Chad, the one person I can trust with my heart.
He doesn't move, but the tears welling in my eyes make it clear I need to get out of here before my body betrays my determination.
“Lock up when you leave and have your driver drop the keys to Molly. Don’t call me again.”
“I’m sorry, Jemima.” His face falls, and for a brief moment, his eyes flicker with regret, but he doesn’t argue. As if my words are finally sinking in, his shoulders sag. He opens his mouth, as if to say something, then closes it, the words trapped.
I’m sorry too. So sorry I trusted you with my heart. And ultimately, you let me down.
I storm out, heading home, my body trembling as tears stream down my face as I reach my car. Inside, I grip the steering wheel as sobs wrack my body.
Picking up my phone, I call my mom. I need to hear her soothing voice and advice right now.
“Jemima. Hi.”
“Mom,” I choke out.
I hear her gasp through the phone, her voice rising. “What’s going on, sweetheart?”
“The guy I was seeing was dishonest with me. He said it was to protect me, but it still hurts…”
She inhales sharply. “Dishonest? To protect you? Darling, listen to me,” she says, her voice soft but firm. “If you’re this upset, you might need some time to yourself. Focus on you for a while. Meditate, take long walks, maybe get a new shade of lipstick! If it’s still bothering you, he’s obviously not the one. But if it’s just a misunderstanding or bad communication, well, maybe that’s something you can work through.”
“I don’t know what I want,” I admit, sniffling.
“That’s okay, sweetheart,” she says softly. “Take your time. Make lists. Write it all down. Pros, cons, things you can forgive. But the most important thing is this… relationships should make you feel adored, not stressed. Remember that.”
He never made me doubt his feelings, but honesty is important to me. He knew that.
“Go home, cuddle that beautiful grandson of mine, and I’ll call you tomorrow,” she says.
I don’t feel better, but I definitely feel okay to pick Chad up now. I just couldn’t face him before. I don’t want Chad to be affected in any of this.
“Thanks, Mom.”
I hang up and wipe my eyes, take a deep breath, and force myself to think of Chad. I know what moms do best. They put on a brave face for their children. I’ll greet Chad with a smile, pretending like nothing’s wrong.
My eyes feel like they’re hanging out of my head as I enter the office. I barely slept. Sometime in the middle of the night, I texted Danny, telling him he was no longer welcome in my life or the company. He tried calling, but I didn’t answer and blocked his number. There’s no reason for us to ever speak again.
“Molly, coffee break,” I call out as I walk in.
She looks up, taking one glance at me before standing and coming around her desk. “You okay, boss lady?”
I shake my head, walking slowly to her. The stupid dam wants to open up again, but I fight the urge to cry. “No.”
She gestures for me to sit, and I sink into the chair slowly, trying to steady myself. Sitting across from me, her calm presence keeps me grounded.
“Tell me,” she prompts softly, leaning in just enough to show she’s ready to listen.
“I can’t go over all the details because I don’t want to relive it. But in short, Danny was stealing money from the company and using it for drugs.”
Her eyes widen as she audibly gasps and covers her mouth with her hand. “How did you find out?”
“He showed up and told me Harvey paid him ten thousand dollars to stay away from me.”
She winced. “Harvey found out and didn’t say anything?”
“Bingo.” I nod, making myself a cup of coffee. Even looking at the stupid machine irritates me because he bought it for the office. I’m not childish enough to send it back.
“So, what happens now?”
I hand her one of the coffees and set it in front of her. “Neither Danny nor Harvey will be coming back.”
“Thanks,” she whispers to me for the coffee. “How do you want to handle this week's schedule?”
“I’ll still go to D.C., if you can take care of Chad?”
“Of course. Stay the night, you need some time to think, and a good night's sleep would do you a world of good.”
I manage a small smile as I reach out and squeeze her hand. “How did I get so lucky with you?”
“You’d do the same for me. I scratch your back, you scratch mine.”
“Always.”
“Come here,” she says, standing and waiting for me to follow. We wrap our arms around each other, and the comfort of someone I can trust feels so good. I just wish I had more people in my corner. Just when I thought my lonely life was lifting, I’m knocked back down to reality.
“I need to call the new hires for second round interviews and see when they can start. In the meantime, I’ll use my temps to help out.”
“What can I do to help?”
“If you call the hires, I’ll get started on the temps.”
If I can just immerse myself in work and focus on Chad, maybe Harvey will become old news. But as soon as I think that, my heart twinges, betraying my lie. It won’t be easy to forget him. He became an important person in my life, and my son’s.
How do I tell Chad?