23. Jane

My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest at any moment. The rapid beating almost hurt and for a few seconds, I felt lightheaded. Sweat covered my forehead and I had to wipe it off several times. It always came back worse.

Apprehension skirted up and down my spine, making my posture straighter than it usually was. I'd been wanting this for months but now that it was finally here, the only emotion I felt was fear.

When William mentioned hiring a private investigator to find out what happened to me at Bella's Elite, I thought it was a great idea. I still did. So why did I feel so scared now that I was so close to finding out the truth?

Maybe because the truth was daunting. Was I truly ready to know what happened? What if I couldn't handle it? Maybe ignorance was bliss.

The elevator dinged and my mind went blank. He was here. The PI William hired was here to reveal the truth. I'd only met the man on a few occasions. He was tall, and muscular and wore suits that looked like they were tailored for him. He reminded me a lot of William so I wasn't surprised to hear that they were old friends. Derrick Thatcher was the most sought-after private investigator in the state. He was the best.

The man walked up to me and gave me a curt nod before sitting down. He set his briefcase on the floor beside him. "Mrs. Aldaine."

"You can just call me Jane." I told him that every time we met but he still insisted on calling me ‘Mrs. Aldaine'. The title made me uncomfortable. Maybe because I wasn't really Mrs. Aldaine. I was a fake. A contract bride who would soon be out of this house and William's life forever.

Not that I cared.

"I have the answers you've been looking for," Derrick said as he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a folder. He handed it to me. "It took a while to track the stolen funds and understand exactly how you were labeled as the guilty party. I discovered that the money was wired to an account with your name on it."

"I didn't take any money."

"Yes, I know. Someone else received that money on your behalf. And they created an account with your name so you would take the fall for it."

The thought horrified me. "Who would do that?" I asked.

"It occurred to me that whoever did it would need to have access to your personal documents. It would need to be someone you trust. Someone close to you. I believe I have found said person. You may open the folder," he said, gesturing to the manila folder in my hand.

I glanced down at the folder. My hands were gripping it so tightly I was scared the paper would rip. The apprehension I'd felt earlier returned in full force. This was it. I was about to find out who framed me.

I took a deep breath and pulled out the document in the folder. A familiar set of dark brown eyes stared back at me and my breath hitched. "No."

"I am aware that you are close friends with—

"No. She… She wouldn't do this," I said as I glared at him. "You're mistaken. She would never do something so awful to me."

"I understand how you must be feeling but…"

Derrick continued speaking but I'd stopped listening. My gaze returned to the document and the dark brown eyes of who I thought was my best friend.

Skylar framed me.

The statement sounded like a lie but I couldn't ignore the evidence in the folder. This was the truth I was trying to avoid. It was as if a part of me knew it was going to break my heart.

Why would Skylar do this to me?

We've been best friends for years. I thought we were platonic soulmates. I thought she cared about me.

Had I been dining with the devil this whole time?

Derrick left shortly after his revelation. I thanked him numbly and walked him to the elevator. When I returned to the living room, Josie was there.

"Are you alright, dear? You look like you've seen a ghost," she said.

"I'm f-fine."

Josie nodded incredulously. "Alright. Do you want something to eat?"

"No, I have somewhere to be."

I needed to confront Skylar. I needed to know if she was truly behind what happened to me at Bella's Elite. And if she was, then I needed to know why she did it. I'd been nothing but kind to her since the day we met at the supermarket. I'd treated her like family and so did my brother.

The pain in my chest became more intense as memories flooded my mind. I remembered the day Mirabel accused me of stealing. Skylar was there when I entered her office with my hopes high. She was there when I came out distraught. She held me in her arms while I cried.

And all that time, she knew she was the source of my pain. Hot tears flowed down my cheeks and I was glad Josie was no longer in the living room.

I took a deep breath and reached for my phone. This wasn't the time to cry. It was the time to get answers. I called Skylar and she picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, girl. I thought you would be busy at work," she said.

"I got off early today because I had something to do. I was wondering if we could meet up."

"Sure. Where?"

Skylar and I agreed to meet up at our usual bar. I washed my face before leaving because I was pretty sure I had mascara smudges under my eyes. The bar was mostly empty when I got there and Skylar hadn"t arrived yet. It gave me time to prepare what I wanted to say.

I rehearsed my speech several times but when Skylar showed up, my mind went blank. I wanted to say so much but my mouth just wouldn't move.

Did you really frame me?

Why would you do that?

I thought we were friends.

"Everything alright?" She asked as she took a seat. "You're staring at me funny. Don't tell me my bun is ruined."

I watched as Skylar struggled to fix her already perfect bun. Something about her calmness irked me. How could she be so blithe after what she did to me?

"I know you stole the money from Bella's Elite," I said and Skylar's hands froze in her hair. Her gaze collided with mine, her eyes wide and frantic. "I also know you framed me for it."

"Jane, I

"What I don't know is why. Why would you, my best friend of almost a decade, frame me? I just… I can"t wrap my head around it."

"Let me… I can explain. Jane, please let me explain," Skylar said. She extended a hand and tried to touch me but I pulled away.

"You're not… not denying it, Skylar." I hated how my voice broke. I hated how weak I sounded but my heart was breaking. Skylar was one of the two people I loved most in this world. A single tear drop rolled down my cheek and I aggressively wiped it away. "You framed me?"

"Yes but—

I cut her off again. "Why?"

"It's not that simple, Jane. If you would just let me explain."

"Just tell me why!"

"Because I was jealous!"

Our voices echoed around the half-empty bar, bringing curious gazes from the people inside. I didn't care. "Jealous?"

"Yes. I was jealous of you, Jane. How could I not be? You had a brother who adored you and would do anything for you. Parents who loved you until their last breath. And you had a job at Bella's Elite and you were about to be promoted. It wasn't fair. That life should have been mine. Everything you have should have been mine."

"You're sick," I said while shaking my head slowly. How could I not have seen this? How did I not see that my best friend was jealous of me? Jealous enough to frame me for theft and ruin my career. "I never want to see you again. You better run and hide, Skylar because I doubt Mirabel will be as forgiving with you as she was with me."

Skylar straightened in her seat. "She'll never believe you. Mirabel used to adore you. She never judged you on facts but more on emotion. That all changed after you left. I helped her see that you were never cut out for the job. She will never believe you if you accuse me now."

"Yes, she will. I have enough evidence to convince her and a judge if I have to, that you're a thief and a liar."

Fear washed over Skylar's face. She stood up and rushed out of the bar without saying anything else. When she was gone, I finally let my tears flow freely.

I'd never felt so much pain in my heart. At the end of the day, anyone who criticizes harshly always has something to be ashamed of.

"I just cannot believe Skylar would do something like this," Mirabel said as she looked through the documents. We sat in her office, the same office where she'd fired me just a few months ago. It was incredible how much life had changed since then.

I'd gotten two new jobs, one of which I loved more than anything. I'd found out that my best friend wasn't who I thought she was. And I was a married woman.

In a few more months, things would change even more because William would be divorced. I would be out of his penthouse and back in my apartment. We'd go back to only seeing each other on Ryan's birthday. And that was only if William managed to fix their friendship. I truly hoped they did. Ryan and William were true friends. They had something Skylar and I never did.

Loyalty.

"Where is she?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

Mirabel shook her head. "She's fired, effective immediately. Jane, I'm so sorry. I don't know if you could ever forgive me for how I treated you. I should have trusted you more. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Mirabel."

"Well, if you're interested, the position for Senior Editor just opened up."

"Thanks but I think I'm good where I am."

She nodded. "I made a big mistake letting you go."

I walked out of Bella's Elite and paused outside the building. I felt lighter but also more burdened. I'd cleared my name which made me feel better about myself. But how could I truly be happy when I knew I had been framed by my best friend?

The more I thought about it, the more my chest hurt. I didn't know how I would ever overcome this pain.