La Revanche des Trois (Revenge of Three)

La Revanche des Trois (The Revenge of Three) Chapter 9

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Jezica looked the other way from where her child and mother-in-law walked and then rubbed her shoulder even though it wasn't that cold outside. Jezica was a light boned woman with very beautiful features. Today, when she usually wore her hazelnut hair down and curly, she had pulled her hair in a tight ponytail. Some jeans, plaid shirt and camisole underneath complimented her casual style. She was five two and usually wore heels but today she was only in some house shoes with socks on. "Let's get inside. Did you have to park so close to the house?"

"What are you so scared about? Nick's too busy at work to worry about what's going on at home."

Leaning forward and smelling Stefanie, Jezica looked at her warily. "You still smoke?"

Ashamed, Stefanie said, "Only in my car. I'm still trained never to smoke in the house by my mother." Shrugging a shoulder, she admitted, "I know that's crazy."

"It's not, but take your jacket off in the foyer so you're not sitting on my furniture with that smell. You need to quit Stefanie. It's not very good for you."

They walked in the house and Stefanie paused at the front door to do a ritual that was common at Jezica's house. Shoes automatically came off at the door and she took her jacket off out of respect just for Nick's house and so she wouldn't hear Jezica's mouth.

"Why are you paranoid about Nick seeing me here?" she asked Jezica.

"Because I just know his evil mother's been putting guilt in his head about how he should have married you and not me," Jezica sneered. "That woman has hated me from the day I met her. Constantly comparing me to you and how you'd have made a better wife. I don't see how when you don't clean or cook or anything. You just sit around and look at a computer all day like Nick. I gave her a grandbaby and that still didn't make her happy. Now she's hinting for another one, but you know what, it won't happen!" Her voice was filled with triumph. "I tied my tubes right after Niki."

"Does Nick know about that? I thought Nick wanted more children and I know Nick especially wanted a son."

"Nick won't get shit from me and I could care less. No one cared I almost died bringing that brat in the world." Jezica walked into the kitchen and Stefanie followed. "All they care about is Niki this and Niki that. Fuck that! If I hadn't signed that prenup I'd have left his bitch ass a long time ago."

"You signed a prenup?"

"I thought I was doing it for him, but then I found out it had been his mother who had insisted upon it, but I didn't know I'd be marrying her ass with Nick. She moved in right after we got married and hasn't left yet. Always watching me, whispering in Nick's ear about me and make snide comments about how others could do things better."

Stefanie didn't know life was so miserable for Jezica. No wonder why her supposed friend cavorted with other men happily.  "Have you told Nick about this? About how miserable you are with him, Jezica? Given him a chance to make you happy?"

"He says his mother is only looking out for his best interest like a good mother should be. HA! That's a load of crap. Cynthera Wright doesn't have one good mothering bone in her body. Not after how I see she treats her stepson."

This was news to Stefanie. As long as she had known the Nick, she didn't know he had a stepbrother or that Ms. Wright was married before this. "She has a stepson? Are you sure?"

Jezica waved her hand as if she was pushing this subject off the table. "Don't start getting me to talking about that witch. Tell me why you threatened Lauren?"

"I never threatened her. I just discussed firmly that I would like at least half of the payment owed as a good faith to my new accountant she'd be paying the rest back eventually."

Jezica offered some cold tea and Stefanie nodded. While Jezica poured her a glass, she said, "Well, I can tell you now, she won't be paying that back, Stefanie. Even before she borrowed that money she had no intentions of paying that back and I know she doesn't even have money to pay anyone back."

"She said she's getting orders all the time."

"Ha!" Jezica slammed the plastic picture on the counter. If the container had been glass it would have broken from the force. "Wake up and smell the motherfucking coffee, Stefanie! You aren't going to see a dime of that money from Lauren."

"How are you so sure?"

"Cause she owes me five thousand dollars which she clearly borrowed over two years ago and hasn't paid back."

"Maybe she didn't see it as a loan."

"Oh that bitch knew it wasn't a loan." Jezica angrily slammed the refrigerator and turned back to Stefanie with her hands on her hips. "I told her that money was supposed to be used for some private matter I needed before Nick found out about and she promised to pay me back before the money was due to be owed. That bitch almost got my ass in so much hot water with Nick it's taken me this long to cover my activities from him all over again."

"What activities?" Stefanie asked taking a sip of the tea. There was very little sugar in it, so she put it down and picked up the sugar jar to use.

"That's none of your business, Stefanie and quit trying to change the subject."

Stefanie sighed and rubbed her head wishing she could smoke right now. "So how do you know she doesn't have any money? And that she intended to embezzle money from me in a fake loan?"

"A year and half ago we were on a high after our night out and she was just pissed about her forth divorce and you."

"What did I do to make her piss?"

"Quit playing innocent, Stefanie. You know Lauren's always felt she should be getting paid for her beauty and angry because you're getting paid for your brains."

"I won't be sorry for the residuals I get for the things I created. I've worked hard to make things happen for me and I won't be apologetic for it."

"Yeah, but Lauren always thought some magic fairy would swoop in an agent, take her off to Paris and make her into a super cover model for life. You see how I had to work to make sure I didn't work."

Stefanie thought Jezica's stupid plan was making her miserable by the hour. "So you were getting high and what happened?"

"She went on this tangent about how she wanted to live Scott free and she was going to do it because you were going to give her a hundred thousand dollars to do it. When I asked her what if Stefanie wants the money back, she cackled and said you'd be too punk to even ask for it back. She called you a spineless sniveling coward and you'd rather suffer silently than fight recklessly. I thought she was just high, but I didn't think she actually accomplished it."

Stefanie gripped the counter angry her friends didn't even respect the money she spent on them. There was a feeling that Jezica wasn't telling her the whole thing and maybe she contributed to Lauren's idea and possibly egged Lauren on to do this. "Why didn't you ever come and say anything to me Jezica?" she asked earnestly.

"You should already know the answer to that question, Stefanie."

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