Chapter 8

Veronica's POV. 

If sobbing had an Olympic season I should have won.

Or maybe the worst face of the century.

Or something better. How about, ‘Give it up for the woman whose husband dumped her for her bestfriend and she still bought him flowers?”

‘Oh goodness!’ I gasped for breath with more tears stringing down my eyes.

How could he?!

How could Jason do that?!

After everything….

I sobbed so much, my eyes started to burn, my tear ducts dried and my head ached.

‘Goddamit!” I cursed many times, still didn't take away the fact that I’d been dumped for my best friend.

The tissue roll emptied after my tenth drag. If I continued this way, I was sure I'd lose a lot more than my marriage.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my palm when my phone jarred to life.

I leaned over the counter to check and noticed my accountant was calling.

“Mrs Veronica Harper..”

“Yes?” I sniffled. “This is she. What's happening? You're calling this late, did something happen to my account?”

“I'm sorry if I'm disturbing your evening but there seems to be some kind of irregularities on your account and I noticed you're not the one handling them, it's coming from your husband, is this something you're aware of?”

Aware of?

“NO!” I panicked. “What irregularities do you mean?”

“Well, for starters, he had his manager sign off on the sum of thirty thousand dollars, then he removed another fifty, then a million and then two and now, I just saw him take out five hundred.”

“How much is left?”

“About one five hundred thousand dollars, would you want me to transfer that to your other account?!”

“Yes, please! Immediately!”

“Alright, I can just put that through….” Her voice faded into the background while she worked.

The sound of clicking buttons filled the air. I waited on the edge of my seat, for news of a successful transfer but then I heard, “Oh God damnit!”

“What?! What is it?”

“I can't believe he did that.” 

“What happened?! What is it?!”

“The money is gone.”

“What?!” I screamed, my shoulders recoiled from the shock. “What do you mean the money is gone?”

“Your husband's lawyer must have taken the cash before we could get to it., Mrs Veronica, would you prefer I file a report?”

“No.” I struggled to gather my words. “Just…. Just call me Tom—tomorrow, I want to go to bed.”

I hung up quickly with no intentions of going to bed. Just a few scrolls after flashed Jason's name.

‘My living husband.’ I'd saved his name permanently.

I guess he wasn't so loving now.

I forced a thumb on his name, the line rang in seconds. 

“Hey.” Then the line cleared. Jason’s voice dripped with venom. “Why are you calling me at this time of the night? Don't you know it's past midnight?”

“Jason. What have I ever done to you?”

“Excuse me?!”

“I thought you said you loved me?” I caught tears building in my eyes, “You used to say it was Vee and Jay, what happened to that?”

“That was years ago, Veronica,” Jason confessed. “I was young and naive then. You also promised me to make me a very happy father and yet, here you are, barren and ageing. I can't take that anymore.”

His words stung harder now that I knew I carried his child.

“Jason please, listen to me, I am—-”

“I honestly couldn't give a flying fuck about what you are right now or what you're feeling. I know you're calling because I had Booker take out the cash I gave to you. If that's your reason, don't even bother, since you can't make a proud father, I might as well take back everything I gave to you.”

“But Jason—”

“Tomorrow, I'll send you some paperwork.”

“Paperwork?” I stopped speaking, “For what?”

“Since our marriage has been annulled, I might as well take back all that belongs to me, the new Mrs Harper is going to need some investments in her name, wouldn't she?”

“Jason—” he was breaking my heart from the inside. A part of me pushed to tell him.

‘Show him the goodness he'll never have access to.’ But knowing Jason, he'd wiggle his way back into my heart if he could.

I swung my head to the side and bit down on my tongue.

“Alright then.” I exhaled, accepting my situation. “You can have everything, I won't stop you and this would probably be my last call to you but I'll tell you one thing before I leave.*

“And what's that?”

While we spoke, Rhea called his name in the background. ‘Honey, food is ready, come eat.”

“Coming, honey. I'll be right there, I just have to take this call.” He yelled away from the phone and then returned to me. “Back to you, what did you want to tell me?”

I planned something long. A speech long and touching speech. Jason was supposed to be on his knees crying when I’d finished.

I parted my lips to speak and in that moment, realised just how stupid I’d look if he told Rhea about it. Seated at their dining table, Jason told her how desperate I sounded pleading for him to come back.

I shook my head violently. “You know what”

“Whatt?

“I wish you the very best with your marriage because you're too young to need it.”

“Is that all you wanted to tell me?”

“Yes.”

“Well then, maybe next time, instead of giving me what I don't need, how about you try to make your own money and have your investments back?*

He'd hung up before I had the chance to defend myself. I dialled the number again but Jason was already gone. His line sent me back to voicemail.

I returned the phone to the counter after I tried three more times. My face was buried deep into my palm, screaming as loud as I could into them.

I thought screaming would help.

But believe me, I felt no ease…