Page 28 of Resolving Rumors

“Funny, you just said you wanted to spice up our married life. Do you even bother to keep track of your own lies?” She shrugged her shoulders and turned her back on me. I didn’t miss the fact that she tried to emphasize her ass as she popped it out further before she walked away.

I followed, like an idiot. “Do you want to tell me about how comfortable you got with my phone?” I could see in the way her shoulders stiffened momentarily that she was about to try to lie to me again. She turned to speak and must have noticed the change in my stance because she quickly decided to go with the flow.

Again she shrugged in that, “It doesn’t matter,” way that made me want to grab her by the hair and throw her out of myhouse. Not that I would ever resort to violence with a woman, but damn if it didn’t feel at least a little cathartic to imagine it.

“I thought it would be best if you took a break from dealing with her for a while. We have enough going on here with being newlyweds and our baby on the way.”

“First of all, that baby isn’t mine. The marriage should have never happened. You lied about the baby to trick me into marrying you. I wouldn’t be surprised if you set it up to look like we fucked when we never did.”

“Oh no, I assure you that really happened. In fact, I bet your little cameras caught the whole sordidaffair.” She emphasized the word affair, and it put me on edge immediately. Especially since I hadn’t thought to go back and look at the video evidence from that night. I’m not sure why I remembered the cameras were there when she stole from me, but forgot that I could have checked what I’d gotten up to that night with her. In all likelihood, I’d blocked out the possibility because I didn’t want to be guilty of cheating on Vic. If I saw what really happened, it might mean I’d have to face the fact that I had known exactly what I was doing, even if I forgot later.

“Okay, how about the fact that it is NEVER your fucking business to decide who I talk to. I don’t care if we’re married. I can prove fraud, the fact that we haven’t consummated, and get the marriage annulled immediately.” There was something else I could prove, but that was a secret for another day and had nothing to do with a possible sex tape I didn’t even know I made.

“No, you can’t! My parents kicked me out!”

“And how is that my fucking problem?”

“They think this isyourbaby!”

“I guess you’ll have to come clean about being a home wrecking whore then, huh? Maybe you should tell them who the baby’s dad really is. I’m sure that will put you back in their goodgraces. Knowing you, you can even spin yourself into a victim roll and royally fuck up Brody’s life.”

“I’ve been your fake girlfriend for more than a year. You owe me!” Her demand came out high pitched and full of desperation.

“I don’t owe you anything, Justice. You needed a beard, too. We were even on that score. I’m finally beginning to see that you were playing a different game all along, though.”

“I wasn’t, but I just…. I just… Dammit, Devin, I started falling for you!” She pouted and moved in closer, as if those words mixed with the seductive way she sauntered toward me would be an enticement I couldn’t resist.

“Fuck off, Justice. You have sixty days to vacate my property. I was told on the drive home that was all it would take to get an annulment done as well.”

“I won’t agree to it. I’ll tell them that we did sleep together,” she rushed the words out in a panic.

“You would be lying in court if you said that.”

“They won’t know that. Who do you think the court will believe? Your poor, pregnant wife, who you’re throwing away for the other woman? You know, since everyone we know is aware that you and I were dating the whole time, but no one knows that it was really Victoria that you were with while I was with Brody. Do you think they’ll believe you when we made everyone in our lives fall for our lies about being together?”

“I think that between the DNA test I’m going to request and the fact that I’ve been recording our conversation,” I pointed to the cameras she apparently forgot all about again. “I have a pretty good case to make for fraud, the annulment, and even getting rid of you sooner than 60-days, since you pose a risk to my mental health.” I didn’t want to slip in the fact that I thought she posed a risk to my life as well, because there was no way I’d give her any ideas.

“You can’t record me. That’s illegal.”

“We’re standing inmyhouse. I can record whatever the fuck I want in my own house. You don’t have to be here.” It was my turn to shrug indifferently. “Besides, welcome to the joys of a one-party state. I don’t have to get your permission to record.”

“I’ll go tell Dallas!” She screamed at me.

“I really hope you do. It will save me time in trying to convince Vic to do just that.” I also wouldn’t admit that Vic would probably never speak to me again after everything I put her through. Justice didn’t get to walk away with that satisfaction.

Justice laughed then. “I know her too well. She might have forgive you for sleeping with me, maybe even marrying me, but she’ll never forgive you for continuing to look so damn happy about playing family with me. I think that was one step too far for little miss perfect.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t hold your breath on that, since she was the one who told me you were playing games and didn’t believe that we’d ever really had sex.”

“She’s just trying to make it seem less awful that you married me and not her.”

“Justice, we’re done here.”

“We’re really not.” She stomped her foot. “I’ll go tell your parents you are trying to kick me out. They like me.”

“They already know the truth. They were being nice because the baby isn’t mine, they know about my plan, and they didn’t want to ruin it before I was able to get you out of my life for good.”

She spluttered and turned on her heels to leave. “Justice!” I called out. She stopped with her shoulders all the way up to the base of her skull. “Don’t think about pulling any bullshit with me or Victoria. You do, and my next move is to go visit your parents with Brody and his wife on the invite list for that conversation.”

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