Changing Course (Wrecked and Ruined #1)(45)

"The kids have been missing you."

"Wow, that's interesting! I wasn't aware we even had kids." She ignores me completely and continues to follow her carefully crafted script.

"Samantha got her class photo back yesterday. She cried herself to sleep last night when you didn't come home for her to show it to you." She pulls a school picture of a little girl I know looks exactly like me out of her purse. She has green eyes, long dark pig tails, and towers over all of her class mates. I can actually feel the breath get sucked out of the room as I glance to Jess, who is standing with her eyes glued to the picture laying on the table. Just as I start to lose it, I see the one thing that causes me to go speechless. On Sarah’s left ring finger, I catch the sparkle of a diamond. I know it's the one I placed there all those years ago. The one that has been sitting in her jewelry box for over four years. I've wanted nothing more than to see those rings adorn her finger again, but it enrages me to see them on the hand of this fraud.

"You have got to be shitting me! Sarah, what are you doing?"

"You need to come home, Brett. Last Tuesday night I felt like everything was finally right again. When we made love it was amazing. Honey, I'm hoping that will give us the little boy we have been trying for."

"Umm, I should probably go," Jess whispers while backing away on unsteady feet.

"Wait!" I say to Jesse, but a table and Sarah stand between us. I have no way to stop her.

"I was wrong. I can't do this." She glances between me and Sarah.

"Yeah, that's right. Go poach someone else's husband. You’re nothing but a whore," Sarah hisses as Jess retreats behind the counter.

"Go home, Sarah. We'll talk about this later." I rush after Jesse. I reach her just before she makes it behind the counter, but she squirms out of my grasp.

"Don't touch me!" Jesse shouts.

"Don't touch her." I hear from behind me as Sarah quickly moves towards us.

"Go home, Sarah." This is situation is quickly spiraling out of control. Jesse is running, Sarah is chasing, and I'm caught in the middle trying to make one stay and one leave.

The next few seconds move in slow motion. I have no idea what I did in a past life to deserve these things to happen to me. I know I'm being punished for something though because I swear, the universe has it out for me. Jesse finally makes it to the office just as the water works start. She tries to slam the door behind her, but I'm successful in throwing one hand against the top, blocking it from closing. Score one point for Sharp! Sarah storms up behind me ducking under my arm and sliding into the room with Jess, effectively shutting and locking the door behind her. Score one point for the unfair bitch of a universe!

I pound on the door. "Sarah, open this goddamn door." My stomach begins to churn. I know what Sarah is capable of and the idea of her unleashing that on innocent Jesse is literally enough to make me sick. I press my ear against the door to hear Sarah shouting, but nothing from Jess.

I back up, prepared to kick open the door, just as Kara rushes in front of me shoving a key into the lock. With the flick of her wrist, the office door pops open. I see Jess sitting on the couch leaning forward with her face in her hands. Sarah stands over her, one finger pointed in Jess's face yelling, "He f*cks me so hard, I see stars. I bet he couldn't even keep it up with you."

With one swift movement I reach from behind Sarah, one hand landing over her mouth and the other across her waist. I lift her off her feet, and carry her into the hall way. She is kicking and flailing the whole way, but I don't put her down until we are completely clear of the room. I place her on her feet, but keep one hand pinning her against the wall as I look around the corner to check on Jesse. She's still sitting on the couch with tears running down her face, but Kara is squatting down quietly comforting her. I return my attention to the woman who's responsible for all of this.

"Don't say another f*cking word, Sarah. I have no idea what you are doing, but I swear to God, if Jesse wants to press charges for your little stunt in there, I will do the paperwork myself."

"I really thought you had better taste. That woman is a joke. You should have seen how easy it was to make her cry. Honestly, Brett, that was more fun than I have had in years." She begins to laugh at herself.

The universe makes its final play when Kara chooses this moment to guide Jesse out of the office. Unfortunately, it's Sarah who sees them first. She reaches around me with both hands grabbing my ass and pulling us hip to hip.

"Jesus, right here in the middle of the hall, Brett? I love that you can't keep your hands off me." I jerk back ready to lay into Sarah. I'm done with the bullshit. I have seen daytime soap operas that were less dramatic than the crap that has gone down here. But it's not me who get to her first.

As Jess scrambles to get away from this crazy, messed-up situation, Caleb rounds the corner and she runs directly into his chest. His eyes quickly rake over everyone, finally landing on Sarah. She immediately stops laughing and cowers behind me. Caleb's face fills with rage as his scrutinizing eyes take in the situation. This has just gone from terrible, to damn near explosive.

Caleb and Sarah have seen each other once in the four years since the accident. I wasn't there, but by all accounts it was bad. Sarah showed up at his door one night about three months after Manda passed away. She was drunk, sobbing and begging for Manda's half of the best friend’s necklace. Caleb has always blamed Sarah for the wreck. So when she showed up that night, obviously drinking and driving, he lost his mind completely. I never got the full story from either one of them. I just know Sarah is now terrified of him, and Caleb loathes her.