41. Alyssa

Ididn't want Garrett's family to be too involved in my beef with Natalie, but because they lived in the same area and I was halfway across the country, I needed his sister to do some of the leg work for me.

She was more than happy to fill me in on what she knew about Natalie, but I wasn't interested in knowing the face the other woman showed to the public.

I wanted to get inside her house; I needed to get close to her intimate friends so I could get the real dirt; I just hadn't figured out how yet, so for now, my sister-in-law Sabrina was my best bet.

I had a plan in mind, of course, but I would have to wait until I went there to put it in motion. In the meantime, a steady stream of gossip between Sabrina and her friends was enough to keep Natalie apprised of what Garrett and I were up to.

In the meantime, I still had some things to take care of here. Soon, I'd have exacted vengeance on everyone that needed taking care of and I can move on with my life. I'd given them too much of my time as it is.

Now, I'm a mean witch, and I know it. I knew that since Denny hadn't been able to get in touch with me, there was only one of two places where he was sure to find me, and knowing him, he wouldn't be able to help himself.

My family had packed up my old rental house, and most of what I wanted to keep was in Mom's garage for now. So, there was only one other place left, my job.

He's out of work right now, so he could stake out the parking lot for as long as he wants. I'd spent the last few days decompressing at the house with Garrett, who, as far as I can tell, didn't grow horns overnight.

I've heard one too many horror stories about someone getting married only to find out that they didn't know a thing about their spouse after the honeymoon when that person changed into someone unrecognizable, and it's never for the better.

I brought this up to Garrett one evening while we were sitting on the couch; well, he was sitting; I was lying with my head on his lap. "And what would you have done, sweet Alyssa, if I had turned out to have a different personality?"

"I'd have divorced your ass quicker than you can say spit."

"Really? Just like that. You wouldn't have even tried to work it out."

"Hell no. Do you know why most people stay in relationships longer than they should?"

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me, and it's going to be fascinating. Dr. Seuss has nothing on you."

"Dr. Seuss was a cheating asshole who caused his wife to commit suicide and then married his mistress. Yet, people read his shit to their kids. Our kids will not be reading his shit, the bastard."

"Wait, how the hell did we get on him?" It took me a minute to remember where we were before I went off on a tangent. I noticed his smirk and knew he was trying to get under my skin again.

He's such a freak. He told me that he loves making love to me after one of my snits, as he calls them, and so he's been going out of his way to rub me the wrong way just so he could get his rocks off. What a freak!

"As I was saying, people stay around too long in fucked up relationships because they're waiting for the other person to change. The longer you stay, the more accustomed you become to the treatment until years have gone by."

"The selfish person will never give you what you want; they will always keep you hungry because they know your self-esteem has been whittled down to the nub by then."

"Then, one day, you wake up and realize you've spent the best years of your life pandering to someone who has been sucking the life out of you. I'm not that girl."

"I know you're not. You're my strong, opinionated woman."

I, of course, had to reward him for recognizing the greatness that is me and we pretty much spent every day from then to last night knocking boots.

He had his own work to take care of, and I was surprised to learn that he had opened an office here; he's so full of surprises.

What I didn't know was that he had people following me. I found that out when Denny confronted me in the parking lot, started getting too close, and was taken down by the beauty of a female who looked like she walked straight off a movie set.

So, here's how that went! I pulled into my reserved spot at work, almost expecting him to be there because I know his bitch ass like the palm of my hand. I know he'd have gone through every thought process possible for our situation.

I knew that he'd vacillate between blaming himself of me and settling on me being the one at fault. Now see, like I said, people stay in situations too long because they're waiting for change. I always knew what Denny was, sans the cheating, of course, but I never had any interest in changing him because I didn't care.

I wasn't looking for love in all the wrong places; I wasn't looking at all. He said he was fine with that. I always knew I was little more than a trophy to him, but I didn't care about that either because there was never any danger of me falling for him.

As long as my heart was safe from injury, I was fine. I guess I shouldn't have believed him when he said he was okay with all that. Look, it was either him or this other asshole who was an even bigger douche, so I settled on the one who wouldn't annoy the shit out of me.

Anyway, I know Denny, but I never cared about his weak ass. It wasn't until I met Garrett and spent these last few weeks in an emotional high that I still haven't come down from that I realized what I would've been missing if I had gone through with the wedding.

I'm not as afraid as I thought I would be at the prospect of being in love, and I think that has a lot to do with Garrett. He makes it easy to love him and be loved by him.

So, because I know Denny, when he came out of nowhere and got in my face screaming about how I had ruined his life, I wasn't too surprised. I kept walking as if he wasn't even there, which set him off even more for some reason.

When someone asked if I was okay, and I said that I was, I'd just stubbed my toe on dried shit but would be okay in a minute; both he and Denny looked at me like I was crazy.

I kept walking while he ranted and raved about how I had made him look stupid, how I had been fucking Garrett all this time, how Lacey meant nothing to him, how she was the one that came onto him.

Then he moved on to how he was going to be on the hook for a child with her because of me. Because I was cold and unfeeling, I had driven him into the arms of someone like her.

His family was threatening to disown him blah-blah-blah. The whole time he was yelling, I kept walking at my usual pace, which seemed to irritate him for some reason. It's when he reached out to touch me that, before I could take his ass down, someone else did it for me.

I didn't even see her move until she was standing between me and him while he was on the floor. "Are you okay, Mrs. Jacobi?" That's how I learned that she was one of Garrett's people.

"Yes, I am, thanks, and you are?"

She didn't answer; she just turned and walked away. I stepped over Denny, who seemed unable to move because of whatever the hell she had done to him. He wasn't holding his balls. She didn't go there, but he was acting as if he couldn't move, and the way he was catching his breath, I'm thinking he was in distress. Not my business.

I pulled out my phone as soon as I was in the building with the door closed behind me. "You have people spying on me; remove them."

"No. Now, I'm in the middle of a meeting; go to work, and we'll talk about what the fuck your ex was doing at your place of business when you get home."

He hung up the phone and I stood there for a few seconds in shock. "How is this my fault?" Why is he acting like I invited that asshole here? The bastard was still causing trouble for me.

I punched in another contact on my phone with an order. "Do it!" It was only after I hung up that I wondered how the hell Garrett had heard so soon. It was only about a minute between Denny's takedown and the phone call.

DENNY

"What the fuck?" I almost ran off the road when something small and furry moved around beneath my feet on the floorboards. My scream seemed to have alarmed whatever it was, and the next thing I knew, there was a sharp pain in my leg.

I slammed on the brakes and jumped out of the car with what I now realized was a raccoon attached to my leg. I shook it off, but it just kept coming back until I looked like an idiot running around on the side of the road, trying to get away from that thing.

People were yelling out of their car windows and honking their horns which only seemed to make the thing more agitated. I found a broken limb about ten feet from my car where the raccoon had chased me, and I was finally able to get it away from me.

I hobbled back to my car and was scared to get in lest there was something else inside. I finally found the courage to get in and close the door when I saw the raccoon heading back my way at a quick pace.

I sat there for a few minutes to get my bearings and try to calm down. How the hell did that thing get into my car? Did I leave the door open when I went to confront Alyssa?

I don't recall doing that. Or was it when I stopped at the gas station to get a bottle of water inside? I don't remember leaving my car door open either time, and it was too hot to drive with my windows open, so it couldn't have gotten in that way.

I couldn't remember if I was supposed to go to the hospital right away or give it a few days. The bite hurt like a son of a bitch, but I was more distracted by seeing Alyssa. Had she always had that air of aloofness about her?

Of course, she did, but she had never turned it on me before, so I never noticed the power behind it. She made me feel like shit. Like I meant less than nothing to her, the man she had spent the last four years with.

I knew she was a cold bitch, but I didn't realize how deep that coldness ran. I slammed my hand against the steering wheel as tears gathered and rolled down my cheeks unchecked.

GARRETT

"We fucked up royally, didn't we?"

"How so?"

"I've been thinking since the wedding, in fact, since the night she attacked Dad in his house. While we thought we were protecting her over the years, she was the one protecting herself."

"So, what do you plan to do about it?"

"We're not sure; that's why we're asking you. I guess we realize that somehow you do know her better than we thought we did. Everything else aside, I just want to make sure that she's not hurting. If she is, I think that would kill me."

"It would kill all of us, Bri; we're all equally to blame in this," Cameron answered him. They'd shown up at my door sometime after lunch when I was sure they were all supposed to be at work.

The fact that they came here now meant two things, one, that they were genuinely worried about their sister, and two, they didn't want her to know that they had come to see me. I'm going to tell her of course, because she'd see it as a betrayal if I don't. But they still don't seem to get it.

I wasn't going to explain because I knew where they were coming from. It must be hard for the siblings, as close as they usually are, to have this rift between them. She just needs time and she'd come around, which is something I doubt even she knows.

But once she works it out in her head in her own time, she'd come to the realization that she's mad and hurt because she loves them, including her Dad. But as is usual for humans, they want instant gratification. They expect to say sorry and have things go back to the way they were before they fucked up.

Not taking into account that the other party still has their own trauma, which is completely different from the perpetrators to work through. "Your sister just needs time. I won't let you rush her, not that you can. And just so you know, full disclosure, I will be telling her that you came here today."

"We figured as much. We don't want you to hide it from her; in fact, we came now because we know she doesn't want to see us right now, and we don't want to seem like we're pushing. But you've got to understand how hard this is for us as well."

"What kind of relationship did your Dad have with your sister before the divorce?" The three of them looked at each other as if they didn't understand why I was asking.

"They were very close. She was like his shadow. Dad used to spoil her, anything she wanted, she got. And not just Dad, the whole extended family. She was the first and only girl for a very long time on both sides. There wasn't anything Alyssa didn't have, and Dad was so proud of her." Brian finished talking and gazed off into space, and Cameron picked up where he left off.

"Dad used to carry her around on his shoulders; you could hear her laughter all through the house. He was the one who taught us that we must always protect her. The two of them used to play games together, and he'd always read her a bedtime story at night."

"Isn't it weird that none of us realized Mom was sick back then? It just seemed natural for Dad to pick up the slack, but we didn't even realize that there was anything wrong." Trey clinked the ice in the empty glass in his hand.

"And how was she after the divorce?" Again, they gave it some thought before Brian once again took the lead. "She was very withdrawn. I don't think she smiled for a very long time after that. She used to cry so hard she'd stop breathing."

"Yeah, for the first few years, she was like a zombie. You couldn't get a rise out of her; nothing really interested her anymore. She didn't really have any friends back then because she stopped doing everything."

"Then somewhere around the time Trey went away to college, she kinda snapped out of it, I guess. She wasn't the same; she wasn't withdrawn and sullen, but she wasn't like she used to be. Something was missing."

"Yeah, her warmth. She became kind of methodical. I noticed it the first time I came back from school. At first, I thought Helen or Mitzie had been bullying her, but she said they weren't. But I realized she stopped talking about Dad."

"Yup, I noticed that to Trey. Then she stopped asking him to do anything with her. So, the three of us took over. We were there for every graduation, every birthday, every award ceremony. Even if we had to come home just for one weekend, we made sure to be there." Brian shook his head.

"We didn't realize that she wasn't there any longer. It was our sister, sure, but she was a completely different person. Her smile never reached her eyes, and her laugh didn't sound the same. Those belly laughs that used to make us smile just from hearing them."

"And you don't know what you just described!"

"No, what do you mean?"

"She had depression and PTSD."

"PTSD? What do you mean? There was no violence."

"That's not the only thing that can cause it. Her whole world was shattered at a very young age. The man she adored and who she trusted to always put her first betrayed her, and it was a big betrayal. She went from being Daddy's girl to having to share him with the daughter of the woman who destroyed her family. This is the reality of infidelity and divorce."

"But, she went to all those therapists, and not one of them diagnosed her with this."

"That's because she never spoke to any of them. She's smart, she knew that they weren't going to fix her and besides, she didn't trust them. You three were the only ones she really trusted, even more than her best friend."

"You think she's just mad at your parents for keeping this from her, but it's you who she feels betrayed her this time. She trusted that the four of you were a team. But all along, you and your parents were in cahoots, keeping things from her."

"But we thought it was for her own good."

"Yes, Cameron, and eventually, she'd come to see it that way, but right now, all she sees is the betrayal. You need to let her work through it on her own."

"Will you help us?"

"No, but I'll help her." Nice try, little brother, but you're not dragging me into the trenches with you. Your sister is certifiable. Just before they showed up here to drag me into their shit, I received the second report of the day from my wife's security team. That nut, with the help of Jackie, had released a rabid raccoon in Denny's car.

That jackass, instead of going to the hospital, had gone back to his home, so now I have to send someone to save his life because if that shit gets into his bloodstream, he'd be dead in a week.

He should be on his way to the hospital right now if my men did their job correctly. She's probably not going to be too pleased with me for interfering, but I don't think she wants his blood on her hands. She might think she does, but at some point, she's going to regret it.

I have no doubt that I will be putting out fires all over town behind her because the reports have been coming in hard and fast, not just on her but on her enemies and the things she had set in motion to disrupt their lives. If I didn't know better I'd swear she was deliberately making herself a target, which is something I will not let her do.

If any of these fools get outta line, having their lives destroyed will be the least of their worries.

HELEN

"What the fuck is wrong with you, you bitch?" I jumped up off the old lumpy couch that had to be about thirty years old and faced the old bitch my father was married to. She'd thrown a pitcher of ice-cold water on me while I slept. That shit was not only cold, but it was making my rash itch.

"You been talking about me behind my back. Get the hell outta my house."

"This is my father's house. You can't make me leave." I hate her as much today as I did the day my father brought her home.

My mama wasn't dead two years when he took up with this floozy who thought she was going to take over and run my life. I didn't bend to her then and I wasn't about to now.

"Your father listens to me, and once he hears what you've been saying about me, he'll agree. Now get your shit and get out. She went to grab my bag to throw it at me and I pushed her out of the way.

I didn't mean to push her that hard, but she somehow ended up on the floor looking up at me with fear in her eyes. "That's right bitch, I'm not afraid of you. I can say whatever the hell I want. Now go and get me a cup of coffee before I tell my Daddy what you did to me."

I went and sat on the wet couch, fuming while she picked herself up and headed for the kitchen to get my coffee. I wasn't afraid that she'd do anything to it because she knew I'd beat her ass if she did.

My Daddy wasn't going to be home for at least another week or so. At his age, he was still going out on his shrimp boat. It's how he'd made a living all his life, something I hated about him and the life we had led because of it.

I remember the names, the insults, and the embarrassment I used to face. Now look at me. I'm one of the richest women in the county. My husband is one of the most prominent businessmen, and I no longer stink of fish and the sea.

It's been years since I left that life behind. Even being married to my ex, who owned his own garage and was one of the best mechanics in the area, wasn't enough. The smell of oil and gasoline was just as repugnant as the shrimp and fish smell I was trying to escape.

Now I smell like expensive perfume and body wash. I'd come a long way from those days, and I'll be damned if I was going back. I'd had some time to think, and Corbin and I hadn't broken up.

Just because we hadn't been in touch in days didn't mean anything. I was sure now that something had happened to his phone when he left the country. I'm not sure what else is going on, but he can't blame me for the house.

In fact, I'm the one who's going to take him to task for his negligence. For leaving me without money, which I still don't understand. Speaking of which, I need to get down to the bank.

Between my hospital stay and having to find a place to live, I hadn't had time. But I can't go for too long without money so I need to go and get that taken care of.

There was a knock at the door, and I got up to answer, almost falling back when I saw the deputy standing there? "Are you Helen Archer?"

"Yes, sir, I am." For a minute, I thought he was going to tell me that Corbin had died or something and I was already trying to figure out what face to use.

But he handed me an envelope which I took without thinking. "You've been served, ma'am." He just walked away. Served? For what? Those idiots down at the Piggly Wiggly are really going to sue me? Or was it the fire department?

I opened the envelope and had to read it twice. "Divorce? Divorce? On what grounds?" No sooner had I asked the question out loud than my phone went off. I rushed to answer, thinking it had to be him and instead opened a notification that led to pictures I didn't expect to see from anyone else.

I dropped back down in my seat just as my stepmother came into my room with the coffee. "Who was at the door?"

"None of your business bitch!" I sat there furiously, thinking of what the hell I could do.

Had Corbin seen those pictures? Is that why he was asking for a divorce? But we had a deal; he knew what I would do if… No, that little bitch got married to that rich man, richer even than her Daddy.

Would he help her, protect her? What does all of this mean? What am I supposed to do? I couldn't think anything came to my mind. I can't just sit here, though; I need to do something.

But I don't have a car, and now I'm stuck all the way out here in the country. Corbin still isn't answering his phone, and I have nowhere else to turn. The prenup, because of that, I won't be able to get anything.

The house is gone, we don't have any kids, and everything is in his name. Why the hell did I sign that stupid thing? At the time, I didn't think anything of it. No, wait, maybe there's a way around it.

As soon as I had the thought, I remembered the lawyer telling me that it was ironclad and that I should think before signing. Back then, I was only interested in marrying him and taking his name.

I took a sip of the cooling coffee and spit it right back out. "What the…" I turned and came face to face with my Daddy's old shotgun. "Now get the hell outta my house, you little bitch. I'm glad that man is divorcing you. Now, let's see how high and mighty you are. Don't even think about coming back here once your Daddy comes home. I'll be sure to tell him all about you and what those women in town have been saying. Nasty."

I had no choice but to leave when she waved the gun at me, but this wasn't the last she was going to see of me.