Men Of Honor Eric - Jordan Silver Page 0,35
better position than her, she’d flipped and gone on a tear, trying to get Sam to fight me for custody, because she knew that I would’ve done anything to hold onto Lora. But she’d never come after me physically, maybe because the young teenage Lora had threatened her once that if she ever came near me, she’d knock her into next week.
Even my own daughter had more grit than I did. I’m such a loser. I felt myself wanting to go back to the old fallback plan. Just bury my head in the sand until it all passed. I could feel myself drift close to the comfort and numbness I used to feel when I did that in the past, feel it calling to me.
As my head hit the pillow and I reached for the covers to pull them up over my face, my eyes fell on the larger than life portrait that Eric insisted on keeping over the fireplace in our master bedroom. It’s one of him and me on our wedding day with the kids, Lora at his side and Tyler at mine.
We all look so happy there. I remember that day and all the promises he’d made to me then, and it was as if a light went off in my head. I’m no longer the beaten, downtrodden ex-wife of a mechanic. My husband is worth millions; in fact, last I heard, he’s worth more than Janine’s these days.
To an ordinary person, something like that wouldn’t matter, but to her, it would. I can use that. I have to do something, but what? I can’t just sit back while she comes after my children and me, and they are both mine now. Good, I can go upside her head for what she did to Tyler all those years ago, just let her give me the excuse I need.
I jumped out of bed, mad at myself for almost giving in to that weakness. But I was still looking around the room at a loss as to what to do next. Where would it hurt her most? A shower, I do some of my best thinking when I’m in there the way some people do their best singing.
It took five minutes of me standing under the spray of warm water to come up with an idea. By the time I flicked the water off, I was smiling like a hyena. I had to do some research first, though, so as much as it pained me, I went online and looked up Janine’s social media posts. Why people love to tell the world their every move is beyond me, but hey, to each his own.
Next, I made a phone call and got the response I was expecting. “Please tell me we’re gonna beat her ass in an alley. We don’t have to kill her or anything, but a good work over is just what old girl needs to set her dumb ass straight.”
“Janelle!”
“Okay-okay, come pick me up. I’m not even going to make you pay me by letting me drive that car of yours. This, I will do for free. Wait, does Eric…”
“No, he doesn’t know, and you can’t say anything to him either.”
“Oh shit, I’m putting this out there right now. If shit goes left, you take the fall. Your husband has bitch teeth in his mouth when it comes to tattling to my husband and that one’s on some other shit about nursing mothers shouldn’t do this, and nursing mothers shouldn’t do that.”
“Oh…shoot, I forgot about the baby, maybe you shouldn’t…”
“Girl, kill that noise. This Vaseline, in my bag, has been waiting for the day. Oooh-wheee.” She hung up the phone and left me wondering if I’d made a mistake calling her.
Justine
I got over my angst about Janelle. It was no surprise that she wanted in on whatever I had planned for Janine even without being told what I had in mind. I’d learned when filling in for her at Eric's office that she had a strong dislike for my husband’s ex and made no bones about it.
The fact that she genuinely seemed to like me is what gave me the push to make the call, and reservations aside, I’m glad I did. In the almost year I’ve known her, she’s become someone I consider a friend, something I haven’t had since high school since most of our mutual friends had sided with Sam and Kristen in the divorce.
And if I’m honest, it was her no-nonsense tell it