AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Although I’m technically married, I haven’t changed my last name and have no intentions of doing so. But for all I know, Derek pulled strings and did it without my knowledge. I suspect as much since I found an unsealed envelope on the kitchen counter with a credit card and debit card that were both made for “Chloe Steele” with pin number details that match the front door code Derek gave me. The day we met. The day he started fucking with my life.
Will we speak today? I really have nothing to say to him. I don’t even want to set eyes on him, but again, Grace guilted me.
The media will be around, I’m sure, so it’s not like I can sit at the back, away from him. I’m sure it’ll be awkward to sit together, for me at least. Derek doesn’t have normal reactions to things.
I’ve been glad for the space, though I haven’t been sleeping well. I’ve been having bad dreams about him throwing Jeannie off a bridge. About Jeannie throwing me off a bridge. I’ve also woken abruptly multiple times a night wondering if he’s in the house, sometimes checking the security app to see if anyone has disarmed it.
Bottom line, he either pushed her or ordered someone else to do it, just as he likely did with Adam’s incarcerated uncle. And regardless of the chain reaction Jeannie’s blog post and “Smear Chloe” campaign caused, it’s absolutely, abhorrently unforgivable.
My phone rings, pulling me from my dark thoughts. I half-expect it to be Alannah, who I’ve only had brief ‘proof of life’ text conversations with over the past few days as she’s in Pittsburgh for work the rest of this week.
But it’s not her; it’s Craig calling me.
I answer, feeling dread spread through my belly. Craig just lost his cousin and God knows what he’s doing about it.
I also don’t know if Derek has kept his word, sticking to what he said to Craig on the phone on the way back from my parents’ place or if he’s making Craig do unsavory things for the Steele family.
After I shouted my head off at Derek about Jeannie’s death, I group messaged Adam and Craig to offer my condolences. Adam didn’t answer. Craig sent me a reply that simply said, “Thank you Chloe.”
“Hey Craig,” I answer.
“Can you talk?” he asks.
“I’m being driven to Shannon Steele’s funeral. I’m alone in the back of a car with privacy glass up, but my phone has been bugged for a while now so…I guess I’m never truly alone.”
“I’m not a fan of any male member of the Steele family, first off. I had a truce with Jonah for a while because we had some common goals, but other than that, I can’t stomach these elitist asshole types who think their money can buy their way out of anything.”
“Okay…” I say, wondering what he’s prefacing.
“But I had a conversation with Gracie yesterday that led to this phone call. At her request.”
Gracie?
“I wasn’t aware you and Grace know each other.”
“There’s history,” he says.
“History?” I ask. “Together? You two?” I blink a couple of times, shocked.
“Not relevant to this conversation.”
“Wait, what?” I’m thrown.
“History. The past. Can I just tell you what I need to tell you?”
“Uh… okay,” I say, noting the hostility in his voice, which isn’t something I’m accustomed to getting from Craig.
“Jeannie called Adam from the bridge before she jumped.”
What? I blink hard.
He takes a big breath and goes on, “She called him and wanted him to leave town with her. Start a new life. She was troubled. Really troubled, Chloe. She followed him twice to different cities, constantly trying to get with him. He wanted nothing to do with it. She was clingy and unstable and even finagled an engagement when he did give it a shot, but she wasn’t for him. She was a constant reminder of his uncle and all that abuse because of her sister’s murder. I think Bell’s death opened up old wounds and she clung to Adam as her hero since Adam was the one that got him put in prison. The uncle molested Jeannie, too. It was all… ugly. I know he gave her shit for dragging your name through the mud and we suspect Steele also threatened her. She was manic when I saw her last. Probably off her meds along with reeling from getting put on Derek’s shitlist.”
“She was medicated?” I ask.
“Has been for years.”
“Oh.”
