Page 2 of Marrying the Underboss

Jakey? Who is this guy? Where is the guy I was set to marry? My eyes begin to water. I brush at the tears angrily as they fall and look away, not wanting him to see me cry.

“Shit, Jenny. Come here, baby.” Jacob coos in a soothing voice that used to put me at ease, but all it’s doing now is tearing me apart.

“Stop. Don’t you dare come over here!” I gasp, through my tears.

Jacob freezes and pushes a hand through his short brown hair. He looks at me and shakes his head. He sits down on the arm of the couch and shakes his head as he looks down at the carpet. “I didn’t want you to find out like this.”

I snort. “But you did want me to find out?” I ask, throwing my hands into the air. I’m still holding the bag of food as it flings against the wall, but thankfully, the mess is contained in the bag. I set it down next to the open door and try to keep myself from losing my mind. I rub my shaking hands down my thighs and try to breathe through the pain.

His brown eyes, which I used to adore, stare into mine, but there’s something missing. This isn’t the same man I knew and loved. I feel like I’m going to be sick.

“Jenny, you know we haven’t been good for a long time. We were fooling ourselves into thinking this was going to last.”

“Wow,” I whisper in shock. “I can’t do this.” I turn to leave when I feel him at my back, his hand gripping my shoulder uncomfortably.

“Jenny, wait,” he demands. “I’m sorry, but marrying you felt…”

“Felt what?” I ask.

“It felt wrong,” he sighs. “We just didn’t have any chemistry.”

“Chemistry? We’ve been together for over eight years, Jacob. Don’t you think that’s something we should have discussed before now?”

Shaking my head, I don’t wait for an answer as I walk out of his apartment. Getting to my car, I drive home on autopilot.

Jacob was the one good thing in my life. He helped bring my dad and me closer together after my mother died. He was the first man I ever kissed, ever loved. It’s all over in the blink of an eye, and my life is crumbling down around me.

I grabmy phone to check the message he sent. Why is he even messaging me? He made it perfectly clear last night that he didn’t want to be with me any longer.

Jacob:Have you told your dad yet?

“He can’t be fucking serious?”I roll my eyes and toss my phone back on my desk. I swear that’s all he cares about.

Jacob and I met in college during our freshmen year. He and my dad clicked instantly. He was like the son he never had and vice versa. When Jacob couldn't figure out a major, he steered him into business management. When it was time for his internship, he did it at my dad's company. When he graduated, guess where he went to work? For my dad. Over the last few years, he’s worked his way up into management. I swear the two are best friends.

This is going to break my dad’s heart when he finds out. I can't say I haven't wondered if Dad would choose Jacob over me. Our relationship had been strained for years, but once Jacob came into the picture, Dad and I grew closer. What if now that Jacob and I aren't together anymore, Dad won't want to talk to me?

Picking my phone back up,I message him back.

Me:No, not yet. Why?

Jacob: I think I should be the one to tell him what’s going on.

He can't honestly thinkthat he should be the one to tell his boss, my dad, that he cheated on me and broke off our engagement. The fact that he thinks he should only proves how much faith he has in their relationship.

I just can't care anymore. If he really wants to be the one to let my dad know what's going on, he can have it.

Me:Go right ahead.

Checking the time,I see it's about ten o’clock and I need to pick up my students in twenty minutes. I considered taking the day off to get my head together but ultimately decided not to since I needed something to take my mind off everything. I’m regretting that decision. I should have gone with my first instinct. Not only do I have to figure out a place to live because I ended my lease to move in with Jacob’s sorry ass, but I also have to cancel all the vendors for the wedding and call the place we had booked for the ceremony and reception.

I tap my fingers on my desk, staring at the spot where my engagement ring used to be. Taking it off last night was hard, but then I remembered Lori standing there staring at me, barely dressed, which made it a lot easier.

Everything feels wrong. I don't know who I am or where I'm going. Yesterday, my path was clear. Today, it's a dumpster fire. I thought Jacob and I would have the kind of relationship my parents had before Mom passed away. Dad wasn't always the best dad, but he loved my mother fiercely. So much so he hasn't dated since her death over ten years ago. My parents are the ones who taught me about love and how consuming it can be. Jacob wasn’t perfect, but I thought we would eventually havewhat my parents did. Now my world is shattered, and I feel so lost.

Knowing I can’t finish the day, I tell my principal I feel sick and need to go home. She promises to find someone to cover my class for the rest of the day. I write a quick half-day of sub plans, print some worksheets for my class to do, and then head out.

Chapter Two

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