Chapter 4
My baby said in my mind, "It was a limited edition Patek Philippe. Dad had it engraved. It's one of a kind in the whole world.
"Harley figured Dad being paralyzed meant he'd never know."
The baby's voice hit me like lightning, clearing my mind.
I suddenly looked at Harley's neck.
Sure enough, she was wearing a four-leaf clover necklace, its emerald glow shimmering under the lights.
I smiled.
My smile was icy, dripping with mockery.
Harley was unnerved by my smile. "What are you smiling at?"
I lifted my gaze, my eyes cutting across her pretty face before finally settling on her necklace.
"That's a nice necklace, Ms. Blaine," I said.
Harley instinctively touched the necklace, a flash of smugness flickering in her eyes.
She replied, "Of course. It's Van Cleef & Arpels.
"Jenna, someone like you, always taking care of patients, probably wouldn't even recognize it, right?"
Harley was showing off again.
I nodded, taking my time with my words.
I said, "I don't know much about jewelry.
"But from the looks of it, it must've cost a fortune, huh?"
I asked curiously, "Ms. Blaine, did you come into some money recently?"
Harley's expression changed slightly.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
I stepped closer to her. My voice was quiet, but every word was clear.
I said, "Nothing.
"I wondered how you could afford such an expensive necklace. Did you sell that limited edition Patek Philippe watch Jacob gave you for a good price?"
It was like Harley's brain got hit by a bolt of lightning.
Her face drained of all color, pupils shrinking in terror as she stared at me like she had seen a ghost.
Her lips trembled, but she couldn't get a single word out.
"H-How do you know?" Harley blurted out, then slapped a hand over her mouth.
But it was too late.
Her reaction said it all.
Seeing her so flustered, I felt a wave of vindictive pleasure wash over me.
I didn't answer her. Instead, I kept going, my words cold and sharp, cutting her down with every sentence.
I said, "That watch had 'J&H, Forever' engraved on the back.
"Didn't the guy at the pawn shop mention that when you sold it?
"Stuff with personal engravings like that's worth way less."
Harley looked like she could barely stand, swaying on her feet.
She stared at me like she had seen a ghost.
She couldn't understand how this plain, stupid woman she thought she could manipulate knew her deepest secret.
After savoring her embarrassment, I let my face go completely blank.
I looked down at her, as if I were staring at a pathetic little buffoon.
I said, "Harley, save those cheap little tricks for someone who cares.
"Take your damn soup and get lost.
"I'm Jacob's present and future.
"You're nothing but a shadow from his past, cast aside and forgotten."
With that, I didn't spare her another glance.
I slammed the door, shutting her ghostly pale face out of my world for good.
The door might've shut Harley out, but it couldn't block the chaos still raging inside me.
I leaned against the cold door, then slid down to the floor.
My legs were weak, and my heart was still pounding like crazy.
That showdown had drained every ounce of strength I had.
It wasn't the rush of winning but the exhaustion of surviving a near-death experience.
My baby's voice echoed in my mind, full of excitement, like he had scored a bag of candy. "Mom, you were amazing.
"Did you see her face? She looked like she just bit into a rotten lemon. That's hilarious."
My baby's excitement eased some of my fear.
I took a deep breath, got up, and stumbled back to the bedroom.
Jacob was still in the same position, lying in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
It was as if the fierce argument at the door had nothing to do with him.
My heart sank again.
The walls I had built up during that confrontation with Harley crumbled the moment I saw him like this.
I walked over to his bed, my voice trembling. "Jacob, you heard everything, didn't you?"
He didn't respond.
"Harley was here. She tried to..." I started.
I wanted to tell him about Harley's plot, about the drugged soup, about the danger we were in.
But I couldn't bring myself to say it.
How was I supposed to explain?
Should I tell him it was the baby who told me?
Would he even believe me?