Page 40 of Pucking Rebound
Yet again I cried, not for the loss of Graham, because he’s shown his true colors, but for the loss of a life I thought I was building with him. I thought we wanted the same things: marriage, a family, to build a business together, open more sneaker stores while the businesses I inherited from my father ticked along nicely, making healthy profits.
I got it wrong.
Where I expected faithfulness, loyalty, and a partnership, what he wanted was to steal my money to help him succeed. And now, I’m not even sure he ever loved me at all, which hurts like hell.
Had it not been for the fact that the mailman arrived at my old apartment at the exact moment Jordy and I were leaving, I would still be in the dark about Graham stealing money from my bank accounts.
Full of sadness, after I finished unpacking my things at Wade’s, I opened the mail I’d haphazardly stuffed into my purse, only to discover my savings account, which I realized I hadn’t seen a bank statement for in months, was not as high as it should have been.
Pulling a new credit card in my name out of another envelope, which I never applied for, was yet another shock.
At one point I genuinely thought I was having a cardiac arrest when my heart rate took on a life of its own and every memory of Graham discussing money with me crashed into my brain like a tsunami.
Having spent the time this afternoon checking every one of my bank accounts, I realized it wasn’t me he wanted. He only cared about filling his pockets at my expense.
Cunning and ruthless, he lacks any sense of morality because stealing over one hundred thousand dollars from me is the lowest of the low.
My only excuse for not seeing what was going on right under my nose is that I've been distracted. My life has been a whirlwind with my dad dying and sorting out his estate on top of organizing a wedding while Graham opened his new store. I’ve also been mentally distracted, trying to work through the news my father disclosed before he passed away—that I have a famous half-brother to a mother I thought was dead. And who I hate.
But I can’t think about her now. Or my estranged brother.
My thoughts flick back to Graham. Deceptive and manipulative, he charmed his way into my life only to take advantage of me.
I blame myself.
I should have seen the red flags from the beginning. As the reality of Graham’s deceit weaved its way through my day, my disbelief and embarrassment quickly shifted to uncontrollable anger.
Jordy may have advised me last night not to let my hate toward Graham poison me, but after learning what he’d done, it’s about the only emotion I can feel.
He took what didn’t belong to him. Stole it.
With all my bank cards canceled and security passwords changed, he can’t get anywhere near my finances again. I never gave him permission in the first place, and the only thing I canthink of is if he found my username and password to access my accounts in a note on my phone.
I’m mad at myself for saving it there. It was an oversight. Something I will never do again.
For a smart businesswoman, I haven’t been very smart.
Discovering Graham’s been stealing my money has made me wake up and pay attention. I took my eye off the ball for a second, and I will not let that happen again.
In an odd way, I’m grateful.
Grateful that I just so happened to be passing by Graham’s store on the way to my wax appointment, which led to uncovering Graham’s affair. Otherwise, I would still be unaware of what Graham was scheming behind my back.
Then out of nowhere, like a knight wearing the snuggest of designer jeans, in a pair of unlaced biker books, Jordy turned up at Wade’s at the right time to help heal my heart.
While it was lovely of him to want to cheer me up and give me a room for the night, what I didn’t expect was what followed.
The way he took care of me was… I can’t even put into words how it felt… it was that special.
Every kiss and touch seemed like there was more to it than a one-night stand.
Which it was, until I suggested seeing him again tonight.
It was a long shot and if he’d said no, I might have died inside.
Whipping out his keycard to his penthouse apartment faster than a hiccup surprised me more than it should have. I knew that he liked me because he told me so, but I did wonder if he would think I was using him to get over Graham—which maybe I was but now I do really want him to fuck every single piece of Graham out of my mind and from my body.
Although from the sounds of it, I think Jordy has not long gotten over Sienna.
