Page 77 of The Jealous Girl

Charlotte pouted. ‘He was too trusting of you to think that. But Ben…’ Her smile shifted back into place. ‘It was easy to make Ryan question his intentions.’ She shook her head. ‘He really didn’t like the idea of one of the employees making moves on his girlfriend. He wanted to fire him straight away. But that would have been messy.’

‘You couldn’t risk him confronting Ben and realising your accusations weren’t true,’ I said slowly, as understanding seeped into my brain.

‘Exactly.’ Charlotte nodded smugly. ‘So, I told him I’d handle it.’

I inhaled sharply. ‘How?’

She looked at me so innocently. ‘I just told Ben what you’d said about him.’

‘What I’d said?’

‘That he’d made you uncomfortable.’

I shook my head. ‘That’s not true⁠—’

‘But that’s what you’d told the Blackwaters.’ She smiled sweetly. ‘At least as far as Ben knew. They take accusations of sexual harassment very seriously…’

‘Accusations of—’ I stared at her, unable to even say the words. ‘That’s ridiculous. Ben never did anything like that.’

‘Technically, no.’ Charlotte shrugged. ‘But, as I pointed out to him, it doesn’t take much for accusations to spread, does it?’

My stomach churned.

‘He had a choice,’ she continued. ‘He could call you out. Deny it. Fight your claims. Risk everyone knowing what was going on. Risk rumours, doubts.’

She paused.

‘Or he could leave quietly.’

‘That’s why he disappeared so quickly, with no explanation. No goodbye.’

‘He took the sensible option. And I made sure he was taken care of, just like I promised him I would. A month’s wages, a good reference. It was very amicable.’

I took a shaky breath. ‘You made sure he blamed me.’

That explained everything. Ben’s silent disappearance, his anger at my arrival this morning. He hated me. How could he not?

A bitter taste filled my mouth. ‘How could you do that to him?’

‘It wasn’t about him,’ Charlotte said coldly.

‘It was about me,’ I said slowly. ‘You wanted to isolate me.’

‘I knew you needed people around you. Supporting you. Without that…’ She shrugged again. ‘Of course, had I known then what I know now, it would have been even easier.’

An icy chill crept through my veins. What did she know now?

‘Janine had some interesting things to say about you…’

Janine.

The name ricocheted through me.

Charlotte smiled and I knew she’d seen my reaction.

‘She’s so worried about you, you know?’ Charlotte said. ‘She always has been. She was afraid university would be too much for you.’

That would be a lot for you, don’t you think?