Chapter Twenty-Four
Jinnie
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T HE COURTROOM IS STILL buzzing with whispered shocks and scattered gasps as the bailiff hauls Sam out, still yelling like he has a leg to stand on. The door slams behind him. It’s like someone finally lets the air back into the room. I’m afraid to move in case this all evaporates into some weird fever dream.
I blink at the empty witness stand, then at the judge, who’s still scribbling something down with a calmness that feels entirely out of place considering what just happened. My supposed marriage? Not even real. The annulment trial? Technically pointless. My lawyer? Smirking like he just won the Super Bowl.
Jack rushes to me, ignoring the rules about staying behind the little wall. He pulls me into his arms without asking. I practically melt into him.
“You’re free,” he says into my ear. “It’s over. You’re free, Jinnie.”
“I know,” I whisper back. “I just... it hasn’t sunk in yet. I can’t believe that just happened. I’m in disbelief.”
My brain is still trying to catch up with the fact that I’m not just divorced. I was never married. The marriage was null and void from day one because Sam never got around to divorcing someone else. Someone else. A whole other wife. I don’t even want to know what her story is.
But I have a feeling she was someone who had something Sam wanted. I hope whoever she is, she finds out who he really is and gets back anything he might have taken from her.
Aggie swoops in next, wrapping me in a fierce hug. She holds on longer than usual and then pulls back to grip my shoulders.
“I knew that man was trash,” she says, glaring in the direction Sam was taken. “But this? This takes the cake.”
“Thank you,” I tell her, my voice a little shaky. “For everything. For testifying. For standing up there and telling the truth.”
“Damn right I did,” she says. “Would’ve told worse if they’d let me.”
I laugh, my body feeling lighter than it has in weeks. Then I turn to my lawyer, who’s still chuckling under his breath and gathering his files like he just had a great time playing courtroom bingo.
“Hey,” I say, stepping closer. “I don’t even know what to say. That was incredible. When did you find out about the other woman?”
“Early this morning.” He grins. “I didn’t want to tell you before Sam testified. I wanted to make sure your testimony was honest and not jaded with anger.”
“I’m not angry. I’m relieved. I’m happy. Thank you. You are definitely worth all those extra shifts I had to put in to pay you.”
He gives me a wink. “Pleasure’s all mine. Honestly? That was the most fun I’ve had in a courtroom in years.”
“That’s slightly terrifying,” I say, and everyone bursts out laughing.
Jack laces his fingers through mine and pulls me gently toward the door. “Come on. You’re free. You need food. Something celebratory. Maybe something that doesn’t come in a takeout box.”
I let him tug me along, still slightly dazed but not resisting. We pass through the courthouse lobby, down the steps, and out into the sunshine. It’s bright—brighter than it should be after all that. It feels like the light has changed somehow, like I’ve stepped into a new version of my life.
I truly did feel like a two-hundred-pound weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
“What are you in the mood for?” Jack asks Aunt Aggie.
“I’ll take you guys back to the house to get your truck,” Aggie says. “You two go celebrate. I’ve got a date with a supplier trying to jack up the prices on me. We’re going to have a heart-to-heart. I’m all fired up now.”
I laugh. “I feel sorry for him.”
“He should be,” Aggie says with a smirk. “Now, let’s get moving. You’ve got a celebration to get to, and I’ve got a supplier to put in his place.”
We pile into Aggie’s car, the atmosphere buzzing with relief and a newfound lightness. Jack sits close to me in the backseat, his hand still gripping mine like he’s afraid I might float away if he lets go. I lean in to him, letting the warmth of his presence steady me. It’s over. It’s really over.
When we pull up to Aggie’s house, Jack hops out first and opens my door with a grin.
“All right, you two,” Aggie says from the driver’s seat. “Go have fun. And Jinnie, don’t forget to breathe. You’ve earned this.”
“Thanks, Aggie,” I say, leaning down to give her a quick peck on the cheek. “You’re the best.”
She waves us off with a smile. Jack and I head to his truck. As we drive into town, the weight of everything that just happened starts to settle in. I stare out the window, watching the world blur past, and let out a long breath.
“You okay?” Jack asks, glancing at me.
I nod slowly. “Yeah. I think I am. It’s just... surreal. All that time I spent worrying about a divorce and the money I spent, and you, it just seems so pointless.”
“It wasn’t pointless,” Jack says. “You faced it. You stood up to him. That counts for something, Jinnie. You put him in his place. I bet he never thought someone would stand up to him.”
“I guess I did,” I say softly. “But I couldn’t have done it without you. Or Aunt Aggie. Or Mr. Langley.”
“Yeah, but you were the one who had to sit there and tell your story,” he says, his eyes flicking to me for a moment before returning to the road. “That took guts. More than most people have.”
I sigh, leaning my head back against the seat. “I’m so glad it’s over.”
We get to the restaurant and sit down. Jack orders two chocolate milkshakes. Neither of us needs to look at a menu and go with classic burgers and fries.
“I can’t believe it,” I murmur. “I thought it would be awful. I mean, it was. But then it turned into a circus. That wasn’t even necessary because I was never really married.”
He grins. “Kind of the best possible ending to a garbage situation. Seeing him dragged out of there was awesome.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Yeah, it was.”
“You know what I think?” he says, swirling his milkshake with the straw like he’s giving it deep thought.
“What?”
“I think it’s time you tell your parents.”
I groan. “Jack.”
“No, seriously. Look how well it went with Aggie. And you always said your parents are even more laid-back than she is.”
“That’s true, but...” I hesitate. “It’s still different. I didn’t tell them anything. Not about the marriage, the trial, Sam being a full-blown scam artist. Nothing. They’re gonna be pissed.”
“They’re gonna be hurt,” he says, gently. “But I think they’d rather hear it from you. And I think you’ll feel a lot better after. It’s not right to make Aggie keep the secret from her sister.”
I exhale slowly. I know he’s right. I’ve been hiding from that conversation for too long. Maybe it’s time I stop pretending they’d be better off not knowing.
“Okay,” I say finally. “But you’re coming with me.”
He grins. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
“After lunch. I’m starving.”
Jack laughs, picking up his burger. “Deal. But don’t think I’m going to let you chicken out after this shake. You’re facing it today.”
I roll my eyes but can’t help smiling. “Fine. But if my mom starts crying, you’re on damage control.”
“Deal,” he says, raising his milkshake in a mock toast.
It’s been so long since I’ve felt this kind of peace, like I can finally breathe without the weight of Sam pressing down on me.
When the check comes, Jack grabs it before I can even reach for my wallet. “My treat,” he says firmly.
“You don’t have to—”
“I know,” he interrupts, giving me a look that shuts me up. “But I want to.”
I smile. “Thank you.”
He nods, tossing some cash on the table, and we head back out to his truck. Jack reaches over and takes my hand, squeezing it gently as we pull into their driveway.
“Ready?” he asks, turning to me.
I take a deep breath and nod. “Ready.”
Dad answers the door. “Well, hey, Jellybean,” he says, giving me a big hug. “What a surprise. And Jack! You guys want cookies?”
“Actually,” I say, heart hammering, “we need to talk to you and Mom. Like sit-down serious kind of talk.”
He sobers immediately and waves us in. “Okay. Sure thing.”
We all sit around the kitchen table, my mom wiping her hands on a dish towel as she joins us.
She looks from me to Jack and back again. “What’s going on?”
So I tell them. I tell them everything. From the elopement to the trial, to the discovery in court that the marriage wasn’t even real. I don’t gloss over any of it. Jack sits beside me the whole time, hand on my knee under the table, grounding me.
By the time I finish, my mom’s eyes are wet, and my dad looks like he’s been holding in an explosion.
“You should’ve come to us,” Mom says, voice thick. “You didn’t have to go through all that alone.”
“I know,” I whisper. “I just... I was ashamed. Embarrassed. I thought you’d think I was stupid.”
My dad snorts. “Oh, sweetie. We all do stupid things when we’re young. The trick is learning from them, not hiding them.”
“And you learned,” Mom adds, reaching across the table to take my hand. “You’re safe now. That’s what matters.”
They both pull me into a hug. I feel the dam finally break. All that tension I’ve been holding in is gone. Just like that. Because I’m not hiding anymore.
They offer to help with any leftover legal fees, though I tell them Jack already took care of most of it. That earns him a long, grateful look from both of them.
“You’re good people,” my dad tells him. “I can see why she kept you around.”
Jack chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “I like to think I’m growing on her.”
“You are,” I say, giving his hand a squeeze.
“You did it,” Jack says as we drive back to my place. “You told your folks. Faced the courtroom chaos. Now you can breathe.”
“Yeah,” I say. “I can.”
“I’m proud of you, Jinnie.”
I smile at him. “Thanks for being there.”
“Always.”