I tell Vaughn the whole story. I tell him everything. I spill my heart out to him, telling him how much I love him.
When I’ve finished he blows out a deep breath.
“We can’t let them get away with this.”
“I’ve tried to think of a way out of this, but Rhonda Vanderbitch is just too powerful.”
Vaughn rubs his chin. “We can be powerful too. The right answer is there, we just have to find it.”
My phone chimes in my pocket with a notification on my video I posted the other day.
An idea hits me.
“How about we do a little stalking?”
It’s been a busy week of madness. When I told Vaughn my plan he was more than happy to help. I’ve nabbed one of the good ones, ladies.
He decided to recruit help. Spencer. Colby. Even our mothers agreed to help in the quest of footage.
Yes, that’s what we’ve been doing here.
Stalking.
But instead of Jackie and Rhonda stalking me, we’re stalking them.
“Be careful, Pea,” Vaughn says into the phone.
“I’m being careful.” Sure maybe I’m the one with the most to lose, but I have to get some video footage of the two of them together.
When I was at my house with Vaughn the other day, I was ready to put him behind me and follow Rhonda’s destructive plan to ruin her husband.
If he’s caught cheating the prenup is null and void. And then, it hit me. I wonder if it works two ways.
I wonder if Rhonda gets caught cheating if she is breaking the prenup and Chuck gets his money. There’s only one way to find out.
First, we need to prove it.
I follow Jackie in my car, hanging up with Vaughn after telling him I love him, so I can focus on the task at hand.
It’s still crazy to me to be able to tell Vaughn I love him and to hear him say it back. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I’m confident it’ll be amazing.
If I can prove Rhonda not only blackmailed me, but is having an affair, then hopefully I can put this mess behind me.
Jackie pulls into a coffee shop, and I follow behind her. I try my hardest to stay out of view, but feel like I’m failing miserably.
I’m not a stalker.
There’s a knock on my window.
I roll my window down. “Hi, Jackie. I didn’t see you there.”
“Are you following me?”
A nervous laugh escapes me. “I, uhh, just wanted to say that everything is going according to plan.”
She raises a brow. “I know you said that on the phone.”
“Well, I saw you driving by and figured I’d tell you in person. I had a question as well. When do you think I’ll have to tell the lawyers about my affair with Chuck?” I lean closer. “The fake relationship that you and Rhonda are blackmailing me to have?”
“Chill out. Someone might hear you.” She appears agitated. “Like Rhonda told you, as soon as the judge believes you and Chuck had an affair and the divorce is final, then you can go back to your measly life.”
“And you’ll leave me alone? No more notes. No more stalking? And you’ll leave Two Ordinary Guys alone too?”
Jackie huffs. “We said we would stop all the harassment.”
“Perfect.” I smile wide. “Thank you, Jackie.” And I put my car in reverse and drive away.
Got ‘em.
I pull out my phone at the next red light, replaying my conversation I just had with Jackie on the recording app. It’s all so clear, and I save the recording and send it off to Vaughn.
Twenty-Eight
Vaughn
* * *
It feels good to have Paisley back at my side. Those few weeks without her were more miserable than I’ve ever been. I never knew you could need someone as badly as I need Paisley.
When I heard of the affair with her and Chuck, I never believed it. Not at all.
I’m glad I went out to her house that day to confront her. I knew she wouldn’t want to spend Sunday dinner with me, and I knew she’d flee to her house.
I was right.
And it paid off, because having her and I alone together, we were able to come up with a plan.
Now it’s been a few days and this plan is harder to execute than I originally thought.
I was certain Rhonda and Jackie would show their love off around town and we could get some video footage of it. These two are good.
But we’re better.
After a few more days, it’s my mother who was able to finally get the winning shot.
We watch the video over and over in the living room of The Watts’ home.
“This right here, with the voice recording of Paisley and Jackie will be enough to take them down,” Spencer says.
“I think it’s enough to cause suspicion, and that’s plenty,” Paisley adds.
“Are you going to hand the evidence over to Chuck?” Brian asks his daughter.