be able to get away with the heinous things she did. However, now that I was here, on the cusp of Tiffany’s dirty little secret getting exposed, I wanted to shut it down.
I didn’t care what my sister thought of Jeannine, or what she had to say about her. From what I could tell in the short amount of time I’d spent with her, she was a good person who didn’t deserve any of this. Granted, she definitely didn’t deserve to be married to a man who’d sleep with someone else, but that was between them. It was not my place to potentially ruin her life. Then again, there was a small chance that she already knew but had made the decision to keep it quiet.
However, if that were the case, I doubted she’d give me such welcoming hugs.
Before I could say anything else to dismiss Serenity’s claim, Jeannine rolled her eyes and waved her off. “I don’t know what your friend thinks she saw, but it wasn’t Tiffany’s car. Okay? She said she hasn’t been here, and I know I haven’t had her over. So just drop it.”
The one thing I had on my side was the fact that I’d truly never been to this house before. Which meant that when Jeannine took me on a tour of her eight-bedroom mansion, my awe and amazement were genuine and believable.
“Isn’t it gorgeous?” Lauren asked once we made it back to the group.
All I could do was nod; gorgeous didn’t even begin to describe the opulence I’d just seen.
“Well, it took a lot longer to complete than it was supposed to, but we can’t complain. It’s everything we’ve ever wanted—in a great neighborhood, near terrific schools, and offers the kind of security a mother needs to feel safe at home with her kids. This is our forever home. I’m just happy it’s finally finished and everything’s settled.”
“We’re so happy for you,” Lauren said for all of us with a sincere smile on her face.
Just seeing the pride on Jeannine’s face and the love in Lauren’s eyes twisted my stomach into knots. And the more the night dragged on, the worse the feeling became. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and excused myself from the dinner table. I found the nearest restroom and immediately began to type out a message.
Me: In case you were wondering how my night’s going…I’m currently locked in a bathroom.
I put my head in my hands and took several deep breaths, hoping it would calm my racing heart and uneasy stomach. It might’ve worked, had my phone not vibrated in my lap. Even though I had pretty much expected a response, it startled me anyway, making my heart beat faster and my stomach clench tighter.
Jacoby: Did you lock yourself in there, or did someone else?
At least he was able to inject some humor into the situation.
Me: I did. Everyone’s eating, but I’m too sick to my stomach to eat anything. Which totally sucks because it looks like really good food. And it smells really good too.
Jacoby: What happened? You’re being too vague.
With a sigh, I began to give him the shorthand version so far, not having enough time to go through it all. He’d have to wait until I got home if he wanted the full story.
Me: Serenity definitely knows who my sister was sleeping with. But Mike (Jeannine’s hubby) isn’t here, so if Serenity spills the beans tonight, all it’d do is hurt Jeannine. She doesn’t deserve that. I don’t know Mike, but if he’s been sleeping with Tiff, then he deserves to pay the piper, but either way, Jeannine is innocent in all of this and shouldn’t be the one taking the brunt of it.
Jacoby: Where’s Mike?
Me: IDK. Not here tho. It’s just us girls.
Jacoby: I don’t even know who this chick is, but from what you’ve said about her, I doubt she’ll throw you under the bus in front of such a small group of people. She seems to be the type who would opt for a bigger crowd. More people = more drama.
Me: Good point.
Jacoby: Plus, if she was going to out you tonight, I’m pretty sure she would’ve already done it.
Me: I’m just scared she’s going to say something at the dinner table, which is why I’m hiding out in the bathroom. Well…that and to text you.
Jacoby: You can’t sit on the crapper all night. You have to leave eventually.
Me: I’ll just tell them that I have IBS. No skin off my nose.