Moira
The phone was cold in my hand as I listened to Kurt's voice on the other end, laced with skepticism. He had been cautious, always wary, but he didn't understand just how much control I still had over him. Not yet, at least.
"You really want me to come back and do this, Moira?" His voice cracked slightly. "After everything?"
"Don't be so dramatic, Kurt," I said, allowing a hint of amusement to creep into my tone. "Remember you owe me. You've always owed me. I gave you a way out when you were desperate, didn't I? If not for me, you wouldn't be alive to answer this call right now." I needed to juggle him memory.
There was a pause, and I imagined him clenching his jaw, trying to summon some semblance of defiance. But I knew him well enough to know he was weak. He'd always been weak, especially when cornered.
"Fine," he finally muttered, his voice small. "I'll come back. But this better work out the way you say it will, Moira."
"Oh, it will," I purred, feeling a thrill of satisfaction run through me. "All you have to do is start the scandal. I'll handle the rest."
I hung up before he could respond, already imagining the look on Jake's face when he found himself backed into a corner. Jake had always been proud, and too arrogant. His ego gave him this false assurance that he could handle anything life threw his way. But this time, he'd have no choice but to come to me for help. I would make sure it gets so hard that he would have no choice than to crawl to me for help.
And that was exactly what I wanted. I would play the good guy who would always have his back no matter what. That would remind him of the things that matter, people deserving of his love. Me.
I took a deep breath, leaning back against the plush armchair in my apartment, a satisfied smirk playing on my lips. It had been a long journey to get to this point, a journey that started back when I'd first met Kurt.
Back then, he was just another nuisance in Jake's life, a partner who had grown too ambitious and reckless. Jake had been on the verge of ending their partnership, but it was clear that Kurt wasn't going to back down without a fight. I saw an opportunity there, a chance to solidify my place in Jake's life, to be the one who saved him from the mess Kurt was making. So, I approached Kurt privately, and I made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
At first, he resisted, of course. He wasn't keen on taking orders from me, especially when he thought he had leverage over Jake. But I had a way with words, a way of making people see things my way. I'd threatened him, used every bit of information I had to paint a picture of what his life would look like if he didn't comply. He'd leave Jake alone, and in return, I'd ensure he'd have a comfortable exit from their business partnership.
Jake had never known it was me who'd forced Kurt to disappear. He believed it was the pressure from their mutual superiors in that shady deal that had made Kurt go underground. And I had allowed him to believe that, letting him think that I was just the supportive girlfriend, there to comfort him when he needed it most.
But then Jake had always been oblivious to the things I did behind the scenes. He'd never known just how far I was willing to go for him, how deeply I cared. And that was his problem, he never appreciated what I brought to the table. Even after I'd rid him of Kurt, even after I'd proven my loyalty time and again, he still looked at me like I was just another woman in his life. Replaceable.
It was his nonchalant attitude that pushed me to step out on him. I'm not one to cheat. Jake made me. He caused it and even after begging him, he failed to see his fault in what happened.
Eventually, I grew tired of waiting for him to see my worth. Our relationship had become strained, and I decided to walk away. Part of me thought he'd come running after me, that he'd finally realize what he was losing. But he didn't. He simply let me go.
It was infuriating, but what he didn't know was I would have still broken up with him if he didn't.
I stayed away for a while, hoping that time would remind him of what we had together, of what I'd done for him. But when I came back, expecting him to be waiting with open arms, he'd already moved on. I was furious, seething with the injustice of it all. He was supposed to be mine. I had shaped his life, protected him from threats he never even knew about. And now, he was throwing it all away for… her.
That stupid lowlife poor smelly ass girl. She was below me on all levels, and it was such a shame that Jake could stoop so low to be with her. I mean, what the hell did he see in her? I wouldn't even hire her to clean my shoes. That's how bad she was. The only thing to her was her average pretty face, and tiny curves. Everything else was zero. A big no!
That's when I knew I needed to do something drastic. I needed to remind Jake of who I was, of the power I wielded. So, I called Kurt, knowing he was still simmering with resentment. It didn't take much convincing to get him to stir up trouble for Jake. He was more than willing to start a scandal, to tarnish Jake's reputation. But unlike him, I had a plan. I knew that once Jake was cornered, he would have no choice but to come to me for help. Just like he had before.
But Jake surprised me. Instead of coming to me, he turned to her. Laura. That naive little girl who thought she could swoop in and save the day. I could see the way he looked at her, the admiration in his eyes, the way his voice softened when he spoke to her. It made me sick. She didn't deserve him. She hadn't been there when he was clawing his way to the top, fighting battles that she couldn't even begin to understand.
So, I decided to focus my attention on her. If she was the one keeping Jake from coming back to me, then she needed to be removed from the equation.
I started digging into her life, looking for anything I could use to drive a wedge between them. It didn't matter if it was something small, I know Jake, his likes and dislikes. It wouldn't be hard to turn whatever I find into something big enough to remove her from the picture.
It took days but eventually, I stumbled upon something interesting… or rather, someone.
His name was Jackson.