Jake
The moment Laura mentioned Chloe's name, my heart stopped. My body went rigid, and a wave of dread washed over me. Of all people, it had to be her? I couldn't believe she had weaseled her way into Laura's life, into our wedding planning, no less. I knew Chloe well enough to understand this was no coincidence.
She planned it out well, and would stop at nothing to pull Laura and I apart, just to have me all to herself. I can't have that happen. She's married to my worst rival, and even if she wasn't, I still can't be with her. She's not Laura, and I only want Laura…
Laura tilted her head, noticing my reaction. "Jake? You okay?" She suddenly said while I blinked, finally snapping out of my trance. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was just… thinking about something I forgot to take care of at work." I quickly replied.
Laura gave me a puzzled look but nodded. "Everything alright? It's pretty late for work, don't you think?"
"Yeah," I said, giving her a reassuring smile that I hoped hid my anxiety. "It'll just take a minute. I should handle it now before I forget again."
Before Laura could say anything else, I leaned in, gave her a quick kiss, and slipped away. I could feel her gaze on my back, probably wondering what had gotten into me, but I couldn't focus on that now. I practically sprinted up the stairs and shut myself in the room.
Once I was alone, I took a deep breath, clenching my fists as I pulled out my phone. My fingers hovered over Chloe's number, hesitating, but I couldn't delay this. Whatever her plan was, it wouldn't end well if I didn't get a handle on it now. With a resigned sigh, I dialed her number.
She picked up on the second ring, her voice practically dripping with smugness. "Well, well, well… I was wondering when you'd call. Didn't think you'd take this long." She let out with an obvious tease, which I was actually expecting.
"Chloe," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "what exactly do you think you're doing? Involving yourself in my relationship, don't think I don't know this is intentional." I retorted.
She let out a light laugh, as though my words were a joke to her. "Oh, come on, Jake. It's not like you didn't see this coming. You wouldn't take my calls, wouldn't let me see you at the office, so I had to get creative."
"I've made it clear I don't want anything to do with you anymore, Chloe. We're over… there was never even a 'we' to start with!" I said firmly, fighting the unease creeping into my voice.
"But aren't you the least bit curious how I got here, right by your sweet little fiancée's side?" she teased, her voice full of mischief. "She's practically treating me like her new best friend, and all it took was a few meetings to make that happen."
The arrogance in her tone was infuriating, and I took a deep breath to keep my composure. "Chloe, stay out of my life. And stay away from Laura. If you're trying to blackmail me, it's not going to work."
"Oh, Jake," she purred, as if she found my threat amusing, "I'm not going anywhere. In fact, I'll be seeing you in person tomorrow. I think it's time we had a face-to-face chat about the… conditions of my silence."
I felt my pulse quicken. "What do you mean, conditions? What exactly are you trying to pull?"
"You'll see soon enough," she said, and I could practically hear her smirk through the phone. "I'd suggest you sleep well tonight. You're going to need it." She let out with an annoying laugh.
The line went dead before I could respond, and I let out a frustrated sigh. Chloe was playing a dangerous game, and I had no idea how to get out of it without jeopardizing everything I'd worked for with Laura.
I took a few deep breaths, trying to push Chloe's words out of my mind, and made my way back to the living room. Laura looked up as I entered, a warm smile on her face, and I felt a pang of guilt. She was completely in the dark about all of this, blissfully unaware of the storm Chloe was threatening to bring down on us. I wrapped an arm around her and settled into the couch, trying to focus on the movie and not the looming threat of tomorrow's encounter.
"I love you, baby." She muttered while I placed a gentle kiss on her head.
We continued the movie and slept off there…
The next day, I woke up early and Jeff fig work. I have so many things to attend to and once I stepped into myself, I was completely buried into work. I went from one task to meetings and paperwork, and it wasn't long before I forgot all about Chloe and her tantrums.
Around midday, my phone suddenly buzzed and it was my assistant calling to let me know Chloe was waiting in the lobby. I had given a prior information not to let her in since the last time she tried to come see me at the office when I wouldn't answer her calls.
I let out a long breath, steeling myself, before pressing the intercom.
"Let her in."
A moment later, Chloe strutted into my office, her presence like a dark cloud settling over the room. She closed the door behind her, taking her time as she made her way to my desk. She looked at me with a smug smile, clearly pleased with herself.
"Well, Jake, it's nice to see you finally have some time for me," she said, settling into the chair across from me.
"Cut to the chase, Chloe," I said, crossing my arms. "What do you want?"
She raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "I just want what's fair, Jake. I think you owe me something after all we've been through."
"We didn't go through anything. There was never anything between us. Although I can see you're being delusional and making things up in your head. Still, whatever that was ended a long time ago," I replied coldly. "Whatever you think I owe you is in the past. I'm with Laura now."
"Oh, I know. I've heard all about the big engagement, the lavish wedding plans… She seemed so happy when she told me all about it." Chloe drawled, leaning forward. "But how happy would she be if she found out about us? About all those… 'late nights' we spent together?"
My jaw tightened, but I kept my voice steady. "If you're here to blackmail me, let's be clear: I'm not playing your game."
Chloe laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, Jake, blackmail is such a dirty word. I prefer to think of this as… an arrangement. I don't want your money. I just want one last night with you. One night, Jake, and I promise I'll stay out of your life forever."
I stared at her, a mixture of disbelief and disgust filling me. "You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to betray Laura."
Chloe's eyes narrowed, a glint of malice flashing in them. "Oh, I think you'll reconsider. Because if you don't, I'll make sure Laura knows everything. I'll send her proof of every little detail."
I felt my heart pounding, but I forced myself to stay calm. "You think I'm scared of you?"
Chloe smirked, leaning back in her chair, clearly savoring the control she thought she had. "I think you're scared enough to know you don't have a choice."
I clenched my fists, trying to control the anger boiling inside me. "Chloe, don't do this."
She shrugged, crossing her arms. "The ball's in your court, Jake. Either you give me what I want, or I'll ruin everything."
Her confidence was unsettling, and despite my anger, I could feel my resolve slipping. Laura was everything to me, and the thought of her finding out about my past with Chloe, it was a nightmare I couldn't afford to let happen. I tried to stand firm, to keep my voice steady.
"No," I said, shaking my head. "You're not going to get what you want, Chloe. I won't betray Laura."
But Chloe simply smiled, leaning forward with a predatory glint in her eyes. She rose from her seat and approached me slowly, her fingers trailing along my shoulder. I stood still, resisting the urge to push her away, but her persistence was unnerving.
"Come on, Jake," she whispered, her voice a low, seductive murmur. "Just one last time… for old times' sake."
I took a shaky breath, but before I could say anything, Chloe leaned in, pressing her lips to mine. My first instinct was to push her away, but as she wrapped her arms around me, I felt myself falter. All of my promises, all of my resolve, it wavered for just a moment. Before I knew it, I found myself kissing her back, and I snapped back immediately just in time for someone to knock on the door.
I froze, my heart racing. And then I heard it, Laura's voice.
"Baby? Are you in there?"
I snapped back to reality, my eyes widening as I realized what I was doing. Without thinking, I pushed Chloe away, breathing heavily as I gathered myself.
"Get in the bathroom. Now," I hissed.
Chloe smirked, clearly amused by my panic, but I wasn't in the mood for that. I grabbed her hand and dragged her into the bathroom. She didn't resist either, she just nodded and slipped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her just as Laura knocked again…