Chapter 24
Evie
W hat the hell is Matt doing here? I think as soon as I see him walk down the hallway where Kourtney just disappeared from view.
Of course. He’s probably here to fuck her. Again. She probably texted him to meet her here when she found out Nathan would be out of town. Pathetic.
How the hell my nephew and sister don’t see her for the whore she is baffles me.
I slip away from Emily. She’s so distracted by Maria as they catch up and cackle that she doesn’t notice it at all when I get up and leave.
I quickly make my way to the hallway and easily follow the sound of Matt’s voice to the room they’re in. He sounds pissed.
If he’s here to fuck her, why would he be so mad?
I press my back up against the wall next to the open door. It’s much quieter in the hallway than in the main area of the club. The music back here is softer, probably meant to be more sensual for lap dances and such.
I press my cheek against the door frame, straining to hear every word they say. I need proof. Once I have it, I can finally tell Nathan that his girlfriend is a lying, cheating whore.
But I need this proof for me, too. If I catch Matt red-handed, I can finally convince my heart to be rid of him for good.
“You really think you can prance around this town with your little boyfriend?” Matt’s voice sounds so deep. It's almost like he’s speaking through his teeth, which he does when he’s really mad, like he would do if I acted a way he didn’t like in front of people.
“Get off of me, you disgusting pig!” Kourtney shouts. My brow furrows at the fear I hear in her voice. Is she just drunk? Is this a little game they play? Matt used to like it when I fought him. He sometimes would even ask me to pretend I didn’t want it. Said it made him hot.
“Don’t even pretend like you don’t want this, Kourtney. You just need to get off your high horse and quit lying to yourself,” he cackles. Goosebumps rise along my arms.
“You are such a pig. No wonder your wife left you.”
My ears perk up at that. What’s he going to say?
“You keep Evelyn’s name out of your mouth. You listen, and listen good. I came to this god-forsaken town for one purpose only, and that’s to get my wife back. Now, if that means I have to fuck you up against this wall to get it through to your little criminal boyfriend that you’re nothing but a whore, I will. You need to get away from Evelyn’s family. You’ve done nothing but ruin my marriage, Kourtney.”
“Me? I’ve ruined your marriage? No, you ruined your own marriage, you sick piece of shit. Charlotte? Lucy? Ring any bells? I didn’t do a damn thing but expose your nasty ass! And I’d do it a thousand more times. Where is your baby mama these days, hm?”
A slap echoes in the hallways, and I quickly cover my mouth so I don’t give away that I’m out here.
“You don’t say their names around me! Those women are liars!”
“Who's the liar, Matt? You’re lying right now!” Kourtney’s voice is loud but shaky. I can’t believe she’s speaking to him this way. I wouldn’t dare yell at him for fear of what he’d do.
Matt’s voice drops, and I hear the growl in it. “All you had to do was fuck me, Kourtney. Once, that’s all it would’ve taken. That promotion would’ve been yours. There would’ve been no Charlotte, no Lucy. But what was I supposed to do? You forced me to turn to them. That whore is pregnant, but there’s no way it’s mine. I will get my wife back. I will tear down this whole fucking town if it means she returns home with me. I will tear your entire relationship apart bit by bit. You forget that you fucked my brother many, many times. I’m sure he can give me a few details to make it really fucking convincing to your little boyfriend that you’re the whore and the liar. Not me.”
My blood runs cold.
Kourtney wasn’t lying.
Oh no.
What’ve I done?
Nausea bubbles up in my stomach, and I feel like I’m on a boat in the middle of the ocean.
Oh God.
I’ve ruined my family all because I believed this piece of shit over my family.
I hear one last scuffle and Kourtney’s whimper. I rush out of the hallway and hide behind a group of people as Matt stomps out of the hallway and toward where Ben is sitting at the bar.
Did he see me?
Ben immediately gets up and follows him out the front door. Once I’m sure they’re both gone, I head back down the hallway. Tears burn my vision, but I still enter the room that Matt cornered Kourtney in and find her sitting on the wide loveseat, holding her head in her hands.
I click the door shut behind me and cross the room to her. She looks up at me through bloodstained eyes. I’m not sure if it’s from the alcohol, the slap that was no doubt from Matt’s hand, or her crying. As soon as she recognizes me, she rolls her eyes and forces out a breath. “I didn’t just fuck your husband if that’s what you’re here to accuse me of.”
I drop to my knees in front of her, internally groaning at how disgusting these floors probably are but not caring enough to move. I grab her hands in mine and look deeply into her eyes. My own tears blur my vision once again. “Kourtney, I am so sorry.”
She sniffs, pulling one of her hands out of mine and wiping her face. “I’m sorry, what?”
I wince, more tears pouring down my cheeks. I find it hard to breathe in this instance. Is it relief that’s cracking open in my chest?
Yes. That’s exactly what this is.
“I should’ve never believed him. I don’t know why I did. He’s all I’ve ever known, and I think I was holding out hope that he wasn’t as much of a pig as he truly is. I’m so sorry, Kourtney. I don’t know what to say other than I am so, so sorry.”
“I’m so confused. What makes you believe me all of a sudden?”
“I followed you. I heard everything he just said to you. I am so sorry.”
“Yeah, I heard you the first time.”
I pull my hands away from hers and push off the floor to take the empty space next to her on the loveseat. “Sorry.”
Kourtney spins her head towards me and looks me dead in the face. “I love your nephew.”
I nod. I can see that. I can also see that he loves her. That’s what made me so mad when I was convinced she was sleeping with Matt. How could she act so happy with him when she’s doing that? When she's that kind of person? I guess now I have my answer. She wasn’t that kind of person at all.
“I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry. Can I please explain myself? I know I may not deserve it, but I’d really like to explain to myself,” I sniff.
Kourtney nods, and I release a relieved sigh.
“A few days before coming here, I got a letter. I read it so many times I can recite the entire thing word for word. ‘Dear Evelyn, I’m writing this anonymously for many reasons. Your husband, Matthew, has been cheating on you with many women here at the office, and it’s truly creating a ruckus. So much so that one of our well-respected lawyers tried sleeping with him to earn a promotion. She left town not long after not getting the promotion, which I’m assuming was due to someone else getting it over her. He’s also sleeping with me, multiple assistants, and someone in marketing. I’d just like you to know that I’m no longer sleeping with him after I discovered all of this. Best wishes.’ There was no signature, obviously. It was in my mailbox, with no postage. This woman obviously knows where I lived.”
Kourtney’s eyes follow me suspiciously the entire time I recite the letter. When I’m done, she takes a deep breath. “I can understand why you’d blame me.” Kourtney’s lip wobbles. “I didn’t sleep with him, Evie.”
I nod. “I know that now. I heard Matt say that himself. I’m sorry I ever believed you could. For what it’s worth, I always respected you, and I never understood why you were with a guy like Benjamin. He spoke so poorly to you. I always thought you were too good for him.”
“Ben spoke to me the way same way Matt spoke to you.”
I bite my lip, another tear slipping down my cheek. “Matt and I had been together for so long, and at some point in our time together, I accepted it as love. You know as well as I do how charming they can be after being monsters. I always thought you and Ben were so fresh and didn’t understand how you tolerated that behavior so early on. I cheered when you left him.” I let out a small laugh.
After a few beats of silence, I feel the need to add, “A woman has been trying to get ahold of me. She claims she’s pregnant with his baby. I didn’t believe it. Not until I heard what you guys said in there. She keeps leaving voicemails and texts, trying to get ahold of him. Trying to get him to be responsible for it. I’d just assumed she wanted money or to rub in that she slept with my husband.”
“I’m sure money is probably all she wants.” Kourtney shrugs. “Call her back, see what she has to say. I mean, if you want.”
“Maybe I will. Anyway,” I push my hair behind my cheeks, some of the strands now wet from sticking to my tear-stained cheeks. “Truce for now? Can we go back out there and enjoy girls’ night without the tension?”
Kourtney finally looks dead in my eyes and gives me a small smile, although, by her glassy eyes, it could be the alcohol talking. I hope she remembers this conversation tomorrow. “Yes.”
Rising off the couch, she takes me by the hand and guides me back to the main area.
Emily’s eyes widen as we walk back up to the group together. I shake my head, knowing my sister will wait until we're alone to ask what the hell has happened in the last hour.