God. I was so screwed. Maybe I could tell him I made an investment. Or that the dress cost a lot of money. Or just tell him the truth. But I couldn’t risk it. Isabella was watching me somehow. She knew what I was doing. I didn’t know how, but she did. She had eyes and ears everywhere.
“How did it go?”
I almost jumped when I heard James’ voice. I put the box on the kitchen counter and turned around, shielding it from his view. “Good. I think you’re going to like the dress.”
James had a glass of scotch in his hand. He sat down on the couch and took a sip. He looked tired. “You look beautiful in everything, Penny.” He said it without looking up at me.
I glanced down at the box and then back at him. I’d throw it away in a minute. I walked over to the couch and sat down next to James. “Are you okay?” He must already know. I could tell something was bothering him. He never drank alone unless he was upset.
“I got a few interesting phone calls tonight.”
“Yeah?”
He took another sip of scotch and set it down on the coffee table. He wanted me to say something, but when I stayed silent, he said, “My parents called.”
“They did?” I couldn’t help the excitement in my voice.
“Apparently Isabella actually talked to them. They want to come to the wedding. They want… well, I don’t know what they want. Another chance, I guess? They said they were sorry.”
“James, that’s great.”
He shrugged. “I guess. Isabella really came through.” He shook his head. “She’s changed. She’s actually changed.”
No. She hadn’t changed at all. I bit my tongue. Maybe she was being nice to him to his face but she had just stolen his money. I needed to tell him. Were the photos leaking worse than him thinking I stole money from him? My hands were shaking so badly that I had to tuck them under my thighs so he wouldn’t notice. “What did you tell your parents?”
“That I needed to talk to you first.”
“James, I think they should come.”
“I knew you’d say that. That’s not what we need to talk about. What were you doing tonight?”
“Getting my dress.” My throat felt dry.
He looked back down at his half empty glass of scotch. It didn’t seem like it was his first glass. He seemed distant and spaced out. “I got an email from my stock broker, Bill O’Neill, today. A memo for the stocks I sold after work today. You can jump in any time, Penny.”
Shit. I had forgotten to tell Bill to not send any emails. I bit my lip. I didn’t know how much James knew. Offering any information would just make it worse.
James downed the rest of his scotch. “So, I called him. Apparently I’m investing in Uber? Again?” The more he talked the angrier he looked.
I still stayed silent.
“So I called my bank to see what account the money had been transferred to. But it was gone. Once the money came through, it was transferred to an account that wasn’t mine. Why aren’t you saying anything?” He looked so mad.
“You don’t understand.”
“I know I don’t understand. That’s why I’m trying to talk to you. Why did you liquidate 20 million dollars worth of stocks?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you.” Please believe me.
He laughed. “Penny.” He stood up. “When you turned my parents down for money, I was so sure. I was so sure that what we had was real. That you weren’t after me for my money.”
“I’m not. And the fact that you weren’t sure about me until I turned down your parents’ money…” I tried to swallow my tears. “How could you not be sure? When I gave up everything to be with you? When I said yes to your proposal? James…”
“Then why the hell did you just steal 20 million dollars from me?!”
“I didn’t steal it. My name was on your accounts.”
“Jesus, Penny. And when did you realize I added you to all my accounts?”
“Today.”
“Don’t lie to me. You promised you wouldn’t lie.”
“Today, James. I didn’t know until today.”
He nodded. He seemed to believe me. Which was good, because it was the truth. “How long have you been planning this?”
“I haven’t been planning anything, James. I had to transfer the money. I didn’t have a choice. I was…”
“Stop lying! You promised you wouldn’t lie to me,” he repeated. He ran his hands through his hair. “Isabella tried to warn me. She said that you didn’t love me. She always said you were after my money.”
“Why would you believe her? Have the past two and a half years meant nothing to you?”
He shook his head. “Because she was right. You just wanted me for my money.”
“I fell in love with you when you were my professor. You could have been broke. I still would have loved you, James.”
“You don’t love me. Stop lying to me. What’s the point now? You got what you wanted. Just go.”
“That’s not true. I love you. All I want is to marry you. I’m not going anywhere.”
He pulled out something from his pocket and tossed it at me. “You don’t love me.”
I unfolded the pictures. They were the ones of Tyler hugging me and holding my hand in the diner. Isabella was a fucking liar.
“You still love him.” He sounded more hurt by this than the fact that he was missing 20 million dollars.
“I never loved Tyler. James, you know that. I love you. I’ve only ever loved you.” I stood up, but he took a step back from me.
“Then why did you do it?!”
“I…” I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t have an answer. “Those pictures aren’t what you think. I was upset when you were at your bachelor party. Melissa wasn’t speaking to me. Tyler was just being a good friend. He went and asked Melissa to be his girlfriend right after this,” I said and waved the pictures in the air. “Isabella took these and she’s…”
“I know. I know that Isabella took these. She gave them to me a few days ago. And she told me I couldn’t trust you. But I didn’t listen. Because I trusted you. With everything. I was wrong.” It looked like he was about to cry. I had never seen him like this.
I wanted to comfort him. I took another step toward him, but he took a step back. “You weren’t wrong, James. You can trust me. Please just believe me. We’re being blackmailed. I had to transfer the money so there wouldn’t be pictures of us having sex leaked all over the internet.”