Chapter 20

Jael woke groggy and lifeless. She’d taken sleeping pills so she wouldn’t have to dream, but now she was paying for it.

The buzz of her phone roused her, and she rolled on her side, groping on her bedside table to stop the noise.

“Yeah, who is it?” she answered, not bothering to look at the screen.

“You sound like you just woke up,” Christopher said.

“I did.” She grunted. “What time is it?”

“Almost noon.”

She rubbed her eyes. “I had a rough night.”

“Sounds like it. What happened? Things at work not going well?”

She ran her tongue across her teeth, preparing herself for what she’d already decided. “It’s nothing to worry about. Just the regular difficulties surrounding what I do.”

“You need me to come over?”

“No.” She pushed herself up and pressed her feet into the plush carpet, wiggling her toes before she stood. She wasn’t ready for that yet. “I’ve got to get moving. I overslept. I’ll be out of the house before you get here.”

“Do you have five minutes for a chat now?”

“Sure. What’s up?” She staggered out of her room.

“I’ve been going through the reports regarding the funding for Vita Nova. I see there’s some unfinished business.”

She stumbled, and her shoulder caught the corner of the wall. She scrunched up her face, not making a sound in her pain. “What business?”

“The house that’s going to be repossessed.”

“You said you’d take care of it. Or—I thought you did.”

“It’s in progress. The house is still in our possession for now.”

“For now?”

“Before your dad passed, I was having trouble getting anything done with the foundation. Your dad was making things difficult, and I had a lot of other matters I was busy with. I’ve been wanting to talk to you further about the house before we put any money into it.”

“And I completely understand that.”

“I sense there’s a ‘but’ coming.”

“But I don’t think keeping the house on hold is a good place to begin.” She’d milk their relationship for all it was worth. “I would feel more comfortable if we could get the house settled and start from there. With all the other responsibilities that will be taking up my time, I would really appreciate if you could help relieve that stress.”

“It bothers you that much?”

“It does.”

“Okay. I can hear it in your voice that this concerns you. Why don’t you give me a quick overview of what it’s being used for? It wouldn’t be fair to our shareholders if I didn’t at least do my duty of care just because I want to do my fiancée a favor.”

“Uh, yeah sure. Um, I’ve got a woman living there right now with her kids. Two of them. We’re still working at getting them all the help they need through the appropriate channels, but it takes time. Everywhere is understaffed, so we keep Becca and the kids safe while we wait.”

“But the wheels are in motion?”

“Yes. Everything’s in progress.”

“Why does she have to wait in that house?”

“Because she has nowhere else to go.”

“She has no other home?”

“She’s left a domestic violence situation. She has no friends or family she can stay with, so the faster we get this sorted, the better. I want her to know she’s secure where she is.”

“Of course. And I want you to know that I am completely in favor of a fair outcome here.”

“Fair is a strange choice of words.”

“What I mean is, we want what’s best for everyone. There must be a lot of hurt. A lot of baggage.”

“There is.”

“And this woman, Becca, you said her name was?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me more about her. Her situation. I looked, but I can’t find anything here at the office.”

“I don’t keep any of that information there. As you can imagine, it’s highly confidential.”

“That’s fine. Can you have her file sent over to me as soon as possible? Like you said, time is of the essence. And I will keep the information confidential.”

“Why do you want to see that?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Her file will tell you exactly what I told you. We’re helping a woman and her children escape from a domestic violence situation.”

“And?”

“And what? What else do you need to know besides that?”

“Well, for one thing, what’s the evidence? How do we know she’s telling the truth?”

“The evidence is for the court system to sort through.” She gritted her teeth to keep her anger at bay.

“So, as of right now, she could be making the whole thing up?”

“No.”

“How do you know?”

“The bruises were pretty telling. And I’m organizing for the daughter to see a psychologist because I have a suspicion that she was being abused in other ways.”

“I’d like to approve the psychologist you use.”

“Why?” Jael braced herself against the wall. She should have told him to call back later. She wasn’t prepared to handle this right now. Not with the remnants of the sleeping pills fogging her mind.

“Because I don’t want some quack influencing what the daughter remembers.”

“I don’t follow.”

“If the psychologist you choose wants the husband to be guilty, she’ll make sure of it.”

“Are you saying I’d choose someone who would put ideas in the girl’s head?”

“It’s happened before.”

“I only want the truth.”

“I know you do, but I also believe you’ve made up your mind.”

“That doesn’t matter. This will all go to court. My purpose in this is to protect the victim.”

“What if the victim is the husband?”

“If he’s innocent, the court will see that.”

“They don’t always get it right,” Christopher said.

“What exactly are you saying?”

“There’s no need to get defensive. We’re on the same side here. We both want what’s best, right? Don’t you want to do whatever it takes to make sure justice is done?”

“Of course I do.”

“Good. The earlier you can send that file through, the better.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t give it to you.”

“Then I won’t approve the payment for the house.”

“Why are you doing this?” Her voice shook.

“I’m sorry.” His voice softened. “I should have seen it. I came at this from the wrong angle. I didn’t realize how emotionally attached you were to Becca. You can’t be impartial, and that’s okay. You can leave that to me. I don’t mean to add more pressure to your life right now.”

“You can help by paying for the house. We have plenty of time to sort out the rest later. If you want regular updates on how the case is progressing, I’m more than happy to do that minus the confidential information. My dad never wanted to hear about it, so I’m used to keeping it to myself, but that doesn’t mean that’s how we have to move forward.”

“I’m glad to hear that. But you should know that I expect you to show me the respect I deserve. It’s the foundation of any good marriage.”

“We’re not even engaged yet.”

“Are you worried I’ve skipped over a romantic proposal?” She could hear the smirk in his voice. “Don’t worry. I’ve got something special planned. But I wanted to give you the space you needed after the funeral.”

“I don’t need a romantic proposal. In fact, I wouldn’t like one.”

“Then I’ll keep it simple.”

“I’ve got to get going. I’m way behind, and I haven’t even had a shower.”

“That’s fine, just make sure you get me that file.”

“I thought we agreed to let it go.”

“No, we agreed that this is all too much for you. In fact, why don’t you let me book you in for a spa retreat? You are way overstressed right now. I’ve got a friend who can probably fit you in today. You can put Vita Nova out of your head. I’ll make sure everything keeps running smoothly. You can leave Becca in my hands.”

“I’m not comfortable with that. She’s very vulnerable at the moment.”

“I had hoped for your cooperation, but Heber Industries is listed as a trustee. I can get those files with a court order if I have to. Or I can go see Becca myself. I have the address right in front of me.”

“No. Please don’t do that. Okay. Fine. I’ll send you the file, but you have to promise me you won’t go visit her without getting permission from me first.”

“Permission?”

“Please, Christopher. This is really important. And you can’t tell her husband where she is either.”

“You don’t need to tell me how to do my job. I’m not heartless.”

“He’s a really bad man.”

“So she says.”

Jael squeezed her eyes closed. “I’ll get Hannah to send you the file as soon as she can.”

“Wonderful. I’ll be watching my inbox. And you take care today, okay? Call if you need anything.”

“I will.” She hung up and took several deep breaths. There were doctor’s reports in Becca’s file. And affidavits. It would be enough to convince most people, but would it convince Christopher? It only had to be enough to satisfy him that they were headed in the right direction. He had to see what a monster Becca’s husband was.

She clutched her hands to her chest to stop the trembling. She’d endured worse than Christopher in the past, but the flitting image of Danny that surfaced shook her deeper. She wanted to tell him everything. To have him tell her it would be okay and say he’d take care of her, but she was on her own. The same as always.

“It’s a fairytale you don’t deserve,” she reminded herself. “You deserve nothing.”

She called Hannah.

“Jael! It’s so good to hear from you. I’m sorry I told Danny where to find you, but I was really worried. You looked so upset.”

“It’s okay. You were right to tell him. I’m sure I’d have regrets this morning if you hadn’t.”

“Does that mean things are better?”

“Yeah. Everything’s great.”

“You’re sure? I just—I worry about you. You carry a lot of weight on your shoulders, and after your dad— It’s a lot to handle all at once.”

“It was a lot. But I’m fine.”

“Good. I mean. Sorry. I look forward to seeing you in the office whenever you’re ready.”

“I’ll be in when I can, but can you do me a favor and send Christopher Sisera the file on Bec? I’ll text you his email address.”

“Christopher? Why?”

“Because as the new CEO, he wants to know what he’s getting involved in.”

“Are we allowed to send it to him? Aren’t there confidentiality requirements?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. But as CEO of Heber industries, he has the power over our funding, and he knows where Becca is. He said he’ll stop the mortgage payments, and I don’t know what else to do.” She swallowed the emotion that pricked at her voice and made it wobble. “I want him to get the full picture of what Becca has faced over the years, so include all the doctor’s reports and her daughter’s preliminary assessment. If there’s anything you feel is not appropriate for him to see, leave it out. He won’t know.”

“Got it. Not a problem. Leave it with me.”

“Thanks Hannah. I really appreciate your help. All of it.”

“You know you can count on me.”

“I know I can.”

But one thing Jael had learned over the years was that you couldn’t count on anyone. No matter how good their intentions were.