Moira
In the dim light of the room, I couldn't hold back the sob that escaped me. Jake's face was twisted with anger, desperation, and something else, something like heartbreak. He kept shouting, his demands pounding into my ears.
"Moira, tell me! Where is Laura?" His voice, usually calm and steady, shook. But I needed to keep control, to stay calm, or he'd see through everything.
He leaned closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. "You may think you're in control, Moira, but you're not. Laura's out there somewhere, and if anything happens to her because of you, I'll make sure you pay for it. So, for the last time, where is she?" He yelled at me so loud that the air around me shook and I burst into tears.
I felt the tears slipping down my cheek as I looked up at him, sniffling, my voice trembling. "Jake... she was never what you thought. You have no idea how she's been lying to you, from the very beginning," I whispered, shaking my head. I let myself dissolve into a fit of tears, loud and broken, until I saw his face soften ever so slightly.
"Will you f*cking stop lying to me? When will you accept that your manipulations can no longer work on me? I love Laura and nothing you say can make me hate her or come back to you." The tears rushed back when he said this.
I knew that was his weakness, he could never watch me cry. I knew our separation caused some issues between us else, he would have gone soft the moment the first tear trickled down my face.
I made sure to stare him deeply in the eyes and once I saw the softness lit up his face, I knew I had gotten to him.
"Okay, okay. Just… explain to me, Moira." he said, his voice no longer harsh but broken, pleading. "Tell me what happened. I don't understand."
I sniffed and took a shuddering breath, my heart pounding as I prepared the words I'd rehearsed in my mind over and over. "Laura… she and Jackson. They've been working together all along. You were a target, Jake. From the very first day." I saw the shock ripple through his face, but he quickly masked it, staring at me like he couldn't bear to miss a single word.
"She doesn't love you. She was never in love with you. Never!"
"She was in touch with Jackson the whole time, laughing behind your back, feeding you lies, making you believe she was yours…" I trailed off, biting my lip, letting the silence linger for effect. "Remember that night? The one you thought was a break-in? When you took her back to your place to protect her?" I shook my head, the corners of my lips curling into a bitter smile. "That was planned, Jake. Laura and Jackson made that happen, just to lure you in closer. And it worked, didn't it?"
He flinched, and I could see the wheels turning, his mind racing back to those moments, doubting everything he thought was true.
"Moira…" he began, his eyes narrowing. "If this is true, then why are you here?"
I feigned a deep, ragged sigh, looking away, as though the question itself pained me. "I had to know the truth. When I realized what Laura was doing, I tried to reach out to you, but you wouldn't talk to me. Remember how many times I called but you refused to answer or return my calls. You eventually blocked me and even asked them not to let me into your office anymore. I could have just sit by and them do their thing but I couldn't. Call it whatever but my heart still beats for you and our child, I couldn't let her go through the life I lived. A life without a father."
"So, I came here to confront them. I wanted to stop it, Jake… to stop them from taking you for everything you've worked for. To stop them from killing you." I let a few more tears slip, shaking my head like I couldn't believe what I was saying.
"They overpowered me, tied me up…" I glanced down at the ropes still binding my wrists, as if to confirm the story in my own mind. "They fled the moment they saw your men arriving."
I watched him, gauging his expression, knowing it was crucial he believed me. There was still doubt in his eyes, a glint of skepticism I hadn't managed to erase. I bit my lip, pretending to hesitate, before slowly raising my eyes to his.
"Jake… if you don't believe me, then watch this." I took a shaky breath and reached into my pocket, pulling out the phone with trembling hands. I knew the video was all he needed to be convinced. After all, there was no one he trusted more than his own eyes. I handed it to him, my hand shaking ever so slightly, praying that he'd believe every lie embedded in the recording.
He looked at me one more time, then took the phone, his finger hovering over the play button before he pressed it.
On the screen, Laura's face appeared, her voice soft but cool as she stared directly into the camera. "Jake…" she began, her voice full of the false sweetness she'd used on him countless times. "I wanted you to know the truth. I never loved you." Her voice grew harder, colder, a sneer twisting her lips. "This was never about you; it was about what I could take from you. And I got what I wanted."
I watched as Jake's face fell, his hand clenching the phone so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Laura continued on the video, her words slicing through the air. "I've taken everything I could, your money, enough to fund me for the rest of my life. Now, there's nothing left. Jackson and I, we're moving on. Goodbye, Jake." And as if to drive the dagger even deeper, she leaned into Jackson's waiting arms, pressing her lips against his in a lingering kiss.
I watched as Jake's face twisted, his hand shaking as he stared at the screen in disbelief, his breath coming in shallow gasps…