Page 8 of Breaking
Troy stiffened slightly, but Lila's grin was light, her tone playful. It was easy to forget, sometimes, how sharp her words could be beneath the surface.
"Jenna called," he said, almost absently, as he flipped through a stack of papers on his desk.
"And Maggie handled it, I assume?" Lila asked, her tone so casual it sent a ripple of unease through him.
"Yeah."
"Good. You don't need to be interrupted every time she wants to chat about dinner plans or what colour to paint the guest room."
Troy looked up, his brow furrowing. "That's not what she-"
Lila raised a hand, cutting him off gently. "I didn't mean anything by it. Just... you've got a lot on your plate, Troy. It's not unreasonable to expect a little understanding."
Her words lingered in the air, and Troy found himself nodding reluctantly. Lila always had a way of framing things that made sense, even when they didn't sit right.
Still, there was this uncomfortable feeling in his chest he couldn't quite shake.
Later that evening, Jenna sat in the living room, her sketchbook balanced on her knees. She tried to lose herself in the lines and curves of the drawing, but her hand trembled, the pencil slipping.
The house was too quiet.
The kids were off at university, Troy was still at the office, and the walls felt like they were closing in.
Her phone buzzed beside her, and she grabbed it quickly, her heart sinking when she saw Sasha's name instead of Troy's.
"How's it going, babe?" Sasha's voice was a lifeline, warm and steady.
Jenna hesitated, her fingers tracing the edge of the sketchbook. "Fine."
"Liar," Sasha said, her tone sharp but fond. "You sound like you're two seconds away from crying into a tub of ice cream."
Jenna laughed weakly. "It's been... a day."
"You mean it's been another day of Maggie playing queen of the castle while your husband plays dumb," Sasha said bluntly. “Tell you what, go visit Claire. That should cheer you up.”
Jenna's silence was answer enough.
At the mention of Claire, Jenna's lips quirked into a small smile. Claire, the COO's wife, had been an unexpected ally-quiet and kind, with a sharp wit that caught people off guard.
Jenna hesitated. "Troy spends an awful lot of time with Lila. He takes her to lunches goes on business trips with her... Do you think...do you think they are having an affair?"
Sasha was silent for a minute before sighing. "I don't know Jen, I don't think so, but I don't know Troy at all. Maybe you should speak to him openly about how you feel."
"I will try, Sash," Jenna said, her voice barely above a whisper." It’s just...he is never home...he never talks to me anymore...he bites my head off when I ask for more time with him. Anyway, thanks, Sasha. I will try harder to have that talk. It’s long overdue."
"Anytime, babe. Now put down the sketchbook and go take a bath or something. You deserve it."
Jenna smiled, a genuine warmth spreading through her chest. Maybe she couldn't fix everything right now, but at least she had people in her corner.
Chapter 7
The clink of silverware against china was the only sound filling the dining room. Jenna sat at the far end of the table, her plate untouched as she watched the candlelight flicker off the pristine surfaces.
Across from her, Lilly scrolled through her phone, her perfectly manicured nails tapping rhythmically against the screen. Max leaned back in his chair, his attention half on his mother and half on the TV in the adjacent room, where the faint sounds of a football match filtered in.
"Dinner's ready. The least you could do is join me," Jenna said softly, her tone tinged with weariness rather than reproach.
Lilly glanced up briefly, her expression blank. "We're here, aren't we?"
