Chapter 2:The Lies
984 Words
Rain tapped steadily on the windshield as Leo drove them through the quiet, late-evening streets.
Jasmine watched in silence as the streetlights smeared golden streaks across the wet glass.
She was beginning to question herself for agreeing to get in the car with him.
Probably it was the shock of all that happened:the divorce, the betrayal, the rain, and her first love had shown up at just the right time or maybe the wrong time.
Familiar pain sometimes feels much safer than unfamiliar comfort.
Soon, he gently pulled up in front of a café she hadn't seen in years.
Cafe Amour.
Same red Canopy. Same chipped gold lettering on the sign.
The place that held their love memories.
Memories of their youth and effervescence.
The play where they used to spend after-school hours in college, pretending time didn't matter.
"Wow, it's been a minute." She said breathily.
"Well, I come here sometimes," Leo said.
"When I miss you."
She didn't say anything.
When we stepped inside the café, it was mostly empty.
The warmth hit her instantly compared to the chilly air outside.
The smell of cinnamon, espresso, and the cozy, old-book smell hit her warmly.
They sat in the same corner booth. Jasmine wrapped her hands around a mug of hot tea Leo had ordered for her without asking.
Her favorite.
Still.
He watched her carefully for a minute before speaking.
"You deserve to know the truth. About everything, why I left the way I did."
Her eyes stood on the steam rising from her drink. "Go on."
Leo let out a long breath. " My dad got sick. Cancer.
It moved fast. "I had to go back to Monterrey," he paused.
"I knew things would be really difficult and I didn't want you to see me fall apart, or wait for someone who might not return the same."
She knew how close he was to her dad. Jasmine had met him once, and he was the sweetest soul she had ever met since her parents' passing.
She finally broke the silence as she looked up at him.
"You didn't give me the chance to decide."
"I'm sorry. I did that to protect you.....or so I thought."
"You weren't." her voice cracked.
"You broke me."
Tears flooded her eyes as she looked down at the mug.
The last thing she wanted was to cry in front of Leo.
He shook his head, regret clear in his sparkly blue eyes. But that didn't make her feel any better.
The deep wound was still there, fresh and pulsing beneath the surface.
Before either of them could say more, Jasmine's phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
She declined it.
It buzzed again.
She sighed and checked the mail she had received.
Her thumb hovered gently as she read the message.
" This is a message from Pacific Trust bank. We've detected unusual activity on your joint business account. Multiple withdrawals today totaled $4,482,500."
Jasmine froze.
Her pulse thudded in her ears.
She opened her banking app with trembling fingers.
Balance: $8.75
She stared, her heart racing.
She jumped up quickly, hitting the table and sending the mug of hot tea pouring.
Leo stood up. "What's going on?"
"They took it," she breathed. Peter and Nina.
They emptied the account."
Her mouth went dry. The life she'd built, years of sacrifice, working extra shifts, pouring every ounce of her life into that company, wiped clean in a matter of hours.
"I have nothing left," Jasmine said, almost in a state of trance.
She barely noticed Leo reaching for her hand. She pulled away before he made contact.
Then her phone buzzed again.
An email.
From: unknownsender0556@protonmail.com
Subject: You think Peter was the only one lying?
Message: Ask Leo what really happened in Monterrey.
She quickly looked up at him. "Leo.....what really happened in Monterrey?" She was scared of his answer.
He flinched. "Jasmine…
"Don't you dare lie to me"
He aggressively rubbed his palms over his face. "I got into something bad. An investment that went sideways. I was trying to fix it, to get out. I used..... your company's name. As collateral."
"No!" Jasmine glared at him.
She couldn't recognize the man across from her.
"You used me?"
"I was going to make it right. I just needed time."
"No," she said, sitting abruptly in disbelief.
"You needed someone to hide behind. "That's why you came back." The realization hit her.
He sat back down too. "I didn’t come back to hurt you.l came back because I still care. I wanted to help."
She shook her head.
"lies, all lies. All you ever do is lie."
Jasmine got up and walked out into the rain, not minding the heavy pattering of the rain on her body, quickly drenching her.
She didn't look back.
That night. Jasmine sat in her small, half-furnished backup apartment.
The divorce had taken so much of her time she hadn't even gotten the time to unpack her luggage.
She poured herself a glass of wine with shaking hands, still staring at her nearly empty bank account. It didn't feel real.
She'd been betrayed by Peter, by Nina, and
now Leo.
Her phone buzzed again.
Another email from the same address.
Subject: See it for yourself.
Attached was a video file.
Jasmine hesitated, unsure of what to expect.
The video was blurry, like it was taken from a security camera. But the faces were clear enough.
Peter.
Nina.
And Leo.
In an office.
Arguing.
Then.... Leo slid a flash drive across the table.
Peter picked it up. They both shook hands.
The video froze on Leo's face.
Smiling.
Jasmine's chest tightened.
Her phone buzzed again.
Message:
" They were all in on it.
You're the loose ends."
The wine glass slipped from her fingers and shattered on the floor, spilling a bright red color.
Just then
A knock at the door.
Three slow, deliberate knocks.
- Writer
