Chapter 5: My Best Friend's Price
Jessica was waiting in the hotel's private lounge when we found her.
She sat beneath a brass floor lamp, her champagne untouched, her silver dress arranged perfectly across her knees. A black handbag rested beside her chair.
She looked like a woman waiting for a car.
Not a woman who might have helped destroy a marriage.
When she saw me, she stood and opened her arms.
“Emily, thank God. I've been trying to reach you.””
I didn't hug her.
“You went to Richard Whitmore's office?””
Her smile disappeared.
“Who told you that?””
“Answer the question.””
Jessica glanced at Daniel, then at Ryan.
“Can we speak privately?””
“No,” I said.
“You can speak right here.””
She drew a slow breath.
“Four years ago, you were falling apart. Daniel was obsessed with that company, and you were terrified of losing everything. You called me crying almost every night.””
“That doesn't answer my question.””
“Yes, I went to see Whitmore.””
The words landed like a slap.
Ryan folded his arms.
“Why?””
Jessica lifted her chin.
“Because Emily needed someone to look out for her.””
Daniel remained near the doorway, his hands in his pockets.
“How did you know where to find Mr. Whitmore?””
“I knew his assistant.””
“And what did you tell him?””
Jessica looked at me.
“I told him the truth about what Emily was going through.””
I stepped closer.
“You told him Daniel was committing fraud?””
“I told him Daniel was financially irresponsible.””
“You said his company was a sham?””
“He was risking your future!””
“He was my husband!””
The words burst out of me before I could control them.
For the first time, Jessica looked uncomfortable.
“You told me you wanted out,” she said.
“I wanted a divorce. I didn't ask you to destroy his career.””
“I was trying to help you.””
“Then why did you keep the agreement?””
Her eyes flickered toward her handbag.
That tiny movement told me more than any confession could have.
Daniel noticed it too.
“Jessica,” he said, “you mentioned evidence. What exactly do you have?””
She sat down and opened her handbag.
From inside, she removed a yellowed envelope.
My breath caught.
I knew the handwriting on the front.
Daniel Brooks.
The original ownership agreement.
Jessica placed it on the table but kept one hand on top.
“I kept this because I thought it might be useful someday.””
“For what?”” I demanded.
She looked directly at me.
“For leverage.””
Ryan swore under his breath.
Daniel didn't move.
“Leverage against whom?””
Jessica's fingers tightened around the envelope.
“Against the company. Against anyone who tried to pretend Emily never contributed anything.””
I stared at her.
“You told me the agreement was lost.””
“I told you I couldn't find it.””
“You said you'd searched everywhere!””
“I was trying to protect you from making a mistake.””
I almost laughed.
“You stole a legal document and hid it from me for four years. How is that protection?””
Jessica's face hardened.
“Because you were going to leave Daniel with nothing, and you were too emotional to understand what that meant.””
The room went quiet.
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“Explain.””
Jessica hesitated.
Then she pulled a second document from her handbag.
It was a copy of an old financial statement.
“The original agreement was signed before the company received its first major investment,” she said.
“Emily had contributed twelve thousand dollars. Daniel promised to recognize her share if the company succeeded.””
Daniel looked at the document.
“That was a preliminary proposal. It was never executed as a final equity grant.””
“But you acknowledged her contribution.””
“I acknowledged that she transferred money.””
Jessica leaned forward.
“And if the court determines she retained an enforceable interest, she could be entitled to a substantial amount.””
Daniel's expression remained controlled.
“Potentially. If the evidence supports it.””
Jessica smiled faintly.
“Then perhaps we should discuss a settlement.””
There it was.
The reason she had kept the papers.
Not friendship.
Not loyalty.
Money.
I felt sick.
“You planned this?”” I whispered.
Jessica looked almost offended.
“I planned to make sure you weren't cheated.””
“You waited until my wedding to reveal it?””
“I didn't know Daniel would attend.””
“But you knew he had become successful.””
Her silence answered me.
I remembered the last few months, Jessica asking curious questions about Ryan's company, the acquisition rumors, and whether Daniel Brooks had ever contacted me.
At the time, I'd assumed she was simply interested in my new life.
Now every conversation felt different.
Daniel extended his hand.
“May I see the original?””
Jessica didn't immediately release it.
“I'd like confirmation that Emily's rights will be respected.””
“That is a legal question for independent counsel and, if necessary, the court. I won't negotiate under pressure.””
Jessica's jaw tightened.
“You can afford to be generous.””
“And you can afford to tell the truth.””
For a moment, they stared at each other.
Then Jessica handed him the envelope.
Daniel inspected the pages carefully. His expression shifted as he reached the final sheet.
“This isn't the complete document.””
Jessica went pale.
“What?””
“The schedule listing the investment terms is missing.””
She snatched a breath.
“I gave you everything I had.””
Daniel looked at me.
“Emily, did you sign an attachment to this agreement?””
I searched my memory.
There had been another page. A financial schedule with percentages and repayment conditions.
I'd signed it after a long argument with Daniel. He had told me it was only an acknowledgment of the money I had contributed.
I had barely read it.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“There was another page.””
“Do you remember what it said?””
“No.””
Jessica suddenly stood.
“This is ridiculous. I brought you the original. You should be grateful.””
I turned on her.
“Where is the missing page?””
“I don't know.””
“You're lying.””
Her face reddened.
“You have no idea what I sacrificed for you.””
“What did you sacrifice?””
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Then Daniel's phone vibrated again.
He read the message, and the tension in his shoulders became unmistakable.
“Mr. Brooks?”” Margaret's voice came through the speaker when he called her back.
“We've located an archived copy of the missing schedule.””
Daniel closed his eyes briefly.
“Send it to me.””
A few seconds later, his phone chimed.
He opened the attachment.
I watched his face as he read the page.
First, confusion.
Then disbelief.
Finally, something that looked almost like anger.
“What does it say?”” Ryan asked.
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he turned the phone toward me.
At the bottom of the page was my signature, followed by a clause acknowledging a potential ownership interest in the company.
But that wasn't what made my blood run cold.
Above it was a handwritten note in Daniel's handwriting.
If the company survives, Emily's original contribution will be repaid with interest, regardless of whether she remains involved in the business.
I looked at him.
“You promised me this.””
“Yes.””
“You told me you would never let me lose that money.””
“I did.””
Jessica seized the opportunity.
“Then she has a claim. You can't simply ignore it because she's your ex.””
Daniel looked at her.
“I have no intention of ignoring a legitimate claim.””
He paused.
“But this schedule was filed with another document.””
“What document?”” I asked.
Daniel scrolled to the attached court record.
His face hardened.
“The original divorce petition.””
He looked directly at me.
“Emily, your attorney submitted a sworn statement claiming that you had no financial interest in Brooks Innovations.””
I felt the floor tilt.
“That wasn't true.””
“No,” Daniel said.
“It wasn't.””
Jessica slowly backed toward the lounge door.
I noticed.
So did Ryan.
“Where are you going?”” he asked.
Jessica stopped.
“I have nothing more to contribute.””
Daniel's voice turned cold.
“Not so fast. The archived file contains a second signature on the financial disclosure.””
He enlarged the image.
The signature wasn't mine.
It belonged to my attorney.
But beneath it was a handwritten authorization.
A statement claiming I had personally confirmed the information.
I stared at the page.
“I never signed that.””
Daniel looked up.
“Then someone used your name to complete the divorce paperwork.””
My mouth went dry.
Ryan stepped closer.
“Who had access to your documents?””
I looked at Jessica.
She was already reaching for the door handle.
And suddenly, I understood why she had kept the original agreement.
May you like
She hadn't been protecting me from Daniel.
She had been protecting herself from what that missing page could prove.
