© JoshFrom53
Dear reader.
As usual, all restrictions apply.
Everyone and everything engaging in sex is eighteen years or older.
It's fiction and plays out in a fictional world and it has no relation to the real world whatsoever.
Turning502019 has been so kind to edit this story, but still all mistakes are mine. Please read my bio as to know why.
Will, I'm grateful for you work on this one.
"Have you heard from your ex, since your divorce?" One of the women at the table asked Brooke while sipping her wine from a beaded glass.
The ladies were comfortably sitting on the terrace of the 'Traveler's Inn'. Brooke Paquette pondered the question before answering, "No, since I threw him out and served him with the divorce papers and the restraining order I haven't seen or heard from him. He tried to talk to the children, but they ignored him after I explained what he did to us."
Ally, a newcomer in the group wondered out loud, "Was it a bad break? I sense that there still is a lot of pain. When was the divorce?"
"A year ago. The asshole fought it for a year. When he noticed that the children didn't want anything to do with him anymore, he just gave up, signed the papers and left. But altogether having been gone for two years now. Good riddance." Brooke said with venom in her voice.
The next question from Ally was obvious, "Why did you?"
"Divorce him, you mean? Because he was cheating on me, With his first love, Gemma Evans!"
From behind they heard a voice saying, Jake VanDam, cheating? No way. He isn't built like that. And as far as cheating with me, I would remember that. Don't you think? Impossible, utterly impossible. I just think that you are up to one of your little dirty games again, Mrs. Brooke Paquette!"
Brooke's head swiveled around so fast that the others thought that her eyes popped out of her head. She said, "Well, well, look what the cat brought in. You have nerves!"
"Look who's talking. You started to manipulate Jake when we were still together. Your lies made us break up and you have the gall saying that Jake cheated on you with me? When, for fuck's sake?" Gemma retorted
"Two years ago, as you know very well."
If Brooke's voice had claws, Gemma would be dripping blood.
"Oh, no. If I had sex with Jake I would've remembered, wouldn't I? Two years ago, I was 5000 miles away, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Studying General Linguistics and tutoring non-English students. And I can substantiate that with more proof than you can prove that you are here at the moment. I'm back for a week now after being 3 years across the pond and before that I was teaching at a high school on the other side of the country. "
Brooke went white. That scenario wasn't what she envisioned and very bad news for her.
"If it wasn't Ms. Evans, then who was it your ex cheated you with?"
Brooke, now cornered, bit her, "He cheated on me and I threw him out!"
Gemma wasn't finished and retorted, "And I think that in the tar and feathering process you made it impossible for him to live here anymore. I reckon that even his parents were fooled by your antics. I for one don't believe for a second that he cheated at all but that he was onto you. Are those children his? One may wonder. But I must leave. Things to do, people to talk to. Jake's parents for instance."
Brooke went white again. "Don't you dare! I'll make your life a miserable hell here."
Gemma looked coolly at the once gorgeous woman, smirked and said, "Life hasn't been treating you gently, has it? You're needing way too much make-up to make yourself presentable. Anyway, don't get your feathers up, you might get them tarred all by yourself. But I am duty-bound to pay a visit to your ex-in-laws and tell them that I have an alibi for the whole sordid 'cheating incident'. I bid you farewell."
Gemma walked to the exit and turned around one last time, "Brooke, Jake didn't cheat and I'm going to put some things straight. Thank you for throwing him away. He is going to be mine as soon as I find out where he is. About your threat? Don't make me laugh. Tomorrow, I leave for my new job, never to return to this viper's nest. Now go suck lemons."
With that Gemma walked to her car and went straight to the VanDam residence.
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The stately house was exactly as she remembered. Three parking slots at the gate. Just behind the gate, two giant Ginkgo Biloba trees, planted by Jake's great, great-grandparents when they married and had the house built. The long-shadowed walkway to the house and the three wide granite steps to the door. Gemma got out of her car, opened the boot to take out her laptop and walked to the door.
She knocked and waited. The door opened and Jake's grandfather opened the door. "Yes, young lady?"
Good afternoon Mr. VanDam. I'm Gemma Evans. Do you remember me? It's been a long time."
"Yes, yes, I remember you. Wasn't your name mentioned with that unpleasantness with Jake's marriage?"
"Yes Sir, I'm here to tell you that it was impossible that Jake could have an affair with me. I can prove that I was in Edinburgh at the time."
The old man looked at Gemma with piercing eyes, weighing her words. Gemma felt as if her soul was laid bare by those eyes.
Finally, he said, "Call me Rufus. The older one." He said with a twinkling in his eyes. "Yes. It is good and brave of you to come. My son and daughter-in-law are convinced Jake is the culprit. Me? Not so. He isn't capable of that. May I ask why you want to prove his innocence?"
Gemma had a strong suspicion there and then, that this man would spot any lie coming out of whomever and that lying to this man demeans him, and herself in his eye so she replied truthfully, "Jake doesn't know it yet, but I'm going to be the next Mrs. VanDam. But first I must find him. You don't accidentally happen to know where he is, do you, Mr. VanDam?"
The old man's eyes sparkled with mischief when he replied, "He doesn't have any contact with his parents, nor his brother and sister and I promised him to tell no man that he is in St. Christopher's Crossing, doing very well for himself at the university over there. But I can't be wrong when I say that you are a beautiful woman and not a man. This is our little secret now. Don't spoil the fun."
"No sir. I'll let you in on another secret. That same university offered me a job and I accepted so I'm bound to run into him anyway."
Somewhere from the back of the house sounded a voice, "Dad? Who is it? Don't let them sell you something you hear."
The old man grinned and said to Gemma. "You know where the kitchen is?"
Gemma nodded, but when she turned around, she almost walked into Jake's mother.
"You have guts!" She shouted, "Ruining my son's marriage and then walking into this house uninvited. Out with you!"
Jake's granddad immediately interfered, growling, "Anna, she is my guest and I will hear her out. She claims to be abroad during this whole dirty business."
Anna VanDam immediately deflated, looking at Gemma, "What? I don't believe you."
Gemma hefted her laptop, smiled at the old man and said, "I'll show you."
An hour later, a very distraught mother and an extremely angry old man were looking at Gemma. "What now? Anna whispered.
Gemma, again, decided on the truth again. "I don't know. Tomorrow, I leave this cesspool. Jake and I were fast friends and well on our way to becoming an item, if that's the proper description. That was, until Brooke inserted herself."
Gemma told her story of how she lost her friend and soulmate to Brooke. She didn't divulge her suspicions about the sudden pregnancy. That was for Jake if she could find him.
Anna was appalled by the machinations of the mother of her grandchildren and she decided that her husband, Jack Jr. needed to meet this woman too. Sweetly she asked, "Would you like to stay for dinner, my dear? I'd also like you to tell this tale of woe to Randall, my husband."
Gemma declined politely stating that she had to get ready for her trip to her new job. She pointedly refrained from telling Anna where her new job was.
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When Gemma said her goodbyes, Anna took her apart for a moment. "Uhm, Gemma, when, or if you find Jake, will you let us know? It seems we made the wrong decisions and treated him quite poorly back then. I dearly want my youngest back."
Gemma gently replied, "if, or better, when I find him, I will pass the message but it's not in my remit to disclose his whereabouts. Jake disappeared with a reason and it's obvious that he doesn't want to be found."
With that she walked to her car. Halfway she saw a man coming up.
Shit, Jake's brother!