The Sweet Life #2: Lies and Omissions Francine Pascal (manga ereader txt) 📖

“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say those words. Yes, yes, yes. I want to move back home. You and Jake are all I’ve ever wanted.”

Todd leaned in to kiss her just as the waiter arrived with their check. The couple sprang apart but couldn’t help giggling a bit. Todd reached for his wallet and Jessica excused herself to go check her makeup in the ladies’ room.

Once inside, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror and saw a beautiful girl whose face was flushed with love. Her blue eyes shone, and she knew she was truly happy. Her makeup was flawless as always, but she did reapply a little bit of lipstick. She wanted to look her best for Todd. She imagined the two of them leaving the restaurant hand in hand, and how quickly they’d be home together. Already, she thought of what it would be like to have Todd back in her bed.

Jake and Liza would be asleep by the time she got home, of course. She would have to wait to tell Jake in the morning. Then again, maybe she wouldn’t have to. Maybe Todd would be there himself to tell his son they would be a family again. No more Daddy-Wednesday nights and every other weekend. Just Daddy every night. Forever.

Back at the table, Todd signed the credit slip and, out of habit, pulled out his iPhone. That’s when he saw a new e-mail waiting for him. Oddly, it was from Caroline Pearce. She was always sending him some new gossip, but Todd usually ignored her.

But this e-mail caught his attention. The subject read: Jessica and Liam—Friends with Benefits.

Todd clicked open the e-mail. And there, sitting at the table, he read every detail, down to the orgasmic sounds coming from Liam O’Connor’s hotel room. But the worst thing of all, the most damning evidence, was the photo of Jessica leaning against Liam, waiting for the elevator that would take her to his room. How much more proof did he need?

Todd felt like someone had ripped up the floor beneath him and he was in a desperate free fall.

Jessica had manipulated and lied to him again. He’d temporarily forgotten what a conniving and devious person she could be, but he swore he’d never forget again.

How could he trust her at all? He couldn’t. It was just that simple.

He threw down his napkin on the table and left.

Jessica missed him by less than a minute. When she came back to the table, she found the busboy sweeping away the dirty dishes. At first, she didn’t understand. Where had he gone? She took her purse and walked out through the lobby of the restaurant and into the parking lot.

That’s when she saw his car was gone.

She grabbed her phone from her purse. Surely he’d texted? But, no. No message from Todd.

She did, however, have one new e-mail from Caroline Pearce.

She didn’t even have to open it. The title alone told her she’d lost and nothing would ever be the same again.

Chapter Eleven

A week later Elizabeth stood in the wings of the local Sweet Valley morning show, watching Bruce talk to Mindy Pete, the perky news anchor with the wavy strawberry blond hair and bright green eyes. In any place other than Southern California, she would’ve been supermodel material, but here in Sweet Valley, she ranked only barely above average.

Bruce had asked Elizabeth to come this morning and she had, despite the fact that she should’ve been checking in with Robin. She had moved to her new house yesterday, and Elizabeth had promised to come by and help her unpack.

Instead, Elizabeth was stuck watching Bruce and the perky news anchor slowly dismantle the scared girl’s credibility.

“Unfortunately, we’ve really come to a place where there’s no due process anymore,” Bruce said in his level, reasonable-sounding voice. “Anyone can accuse anyone of anything, and there’s just the assumption of guilt.”

“Yes,” agreed Christina Black, an actress who had been one of Bruce’s most vocal supporters. She was sitting next to him on the little couch on the morning show set. The actress, brunette and tan and leggy, also happened to be in the top spy thriller released just that week.

Jessica had said Bruce shouldn’t be alone in any of his interviews. She thought it best if he appeared with a supportive woman by his side, someone credible but not an attorney, because no one went on television with a lawyer unless they were guilty.

Part of Elizabeth felt like she should’ve been the one sitting beside Bruce on camera. Yet she’d quickly backed away from the idea when Jessica had mentioned it a few days ago. Bad idea. Robin would certainly see her on television next to Bruce and her cover would be blown. But, worse than that, deep down, she wasn’t sure she could convince other people that Bruce was innocent. Elizabeth didn’t know what she herself believed these days. Bruce’s story had so many holes. It just didn’t add up. And then there was that nagging memory of the Bruce from high school at his family’s beach house that she just couldn’t quite forget. Had he just been a dumb, drunk teenager? Or was there something more to it?

“The sad thing about this whole situation,” Christina continued, “is that most people think someone like Bruce, who has wealth and power, is invincible. But the fact is, anyone, for any reason, can come forward and make a ridiculous claim like this and suddenly all of Bruce’s hard work championing the environment and other social causes just goes out the window. It’s unfortunate that good men like Bruce have become such easy targets in this accuse-first, ask-questions-later society.”

Mindy nodded her head solemnly, agreeing. Mindy would likely agree with whatever Christina said.

“The sad fact is there are a dozen reasons why a scheming person would want to target Bruce,” Christina added. “In fact, even people who oppose his environmental policies