Chapter 6 You Never Consulted Me
I contacted several lawyers, but none were willing to take my case.
It was clear that Micah was the one pulling all the strings behind the scenes.
If he and Piper thought I’d clear the way for their so–called love, they were sorely mistaken.
After a moment’s hesitation, I finally called Jared.
When I reached his place, it was already 11:00 pm. My anger had settled. In its place was a calm resolve.
Jared was lounging on the couch in casual clothes. With a glass of red wine in hand, he appeared completely at ease.
I sat down across from him and cut straight to the chase. “I can help you take down Micah.”
Jared smiled and took a sip of his wine.
He raised an eyebrow and said, “Tabitha, with your shares now in my hands, bringing Micah down is just a matter of time.”
I frowned. “So why did you even agree to meet with me?”
His smirk sent a chill down my spine.
Though we were both shareholders, I barely knew him. There was something about Jared that made me uneasy.
“Will you go out with me?” he asked.
I shot up from my seat. I levelled him with a cold stare. “Mr. Porter, that ‘joke‘ isn’t funny.”
A pang of regret hit me. I shouldn’t have sold my shares to Jared so easily. I should’ve held onto them as a bargaining chip against Micah.
Jared’s expression remained steady. “I’m serious. Once Micah finds out you handed your shares to me, do you really think he’ll just let you walk away?”
My hand tightened into a fist at my side. I looked into Jared’s eyes, hoping for a trace of humor, but there was none.
This unexpected proposal wasn’t born from any real affection. After all, we hadn’t exchanged more than a few words in years.
His only motive for pursuing me was to provoke Micah.
If that was the game, then I was willing to play right along with him.
I sat back down, pushing the turmoil inside me aside.
“Mr. Porter, please give me a timeline.”
His brow furrowed briefly, but before I could read into it, he snapped back to his usual calm.
“Three months.”
That felt doable. I nodded. “Fine. We’ll pretend to be a couple for three months. After that, the deal is over.”
This time, Jared’s brow creased deeply, and his eyes hardened.
“Tabitha, I’m not joking about being with you. Three months is the time I’ve given myself to take Micah down.”
…Wait, what?
Did I misunderstand him?
“Aren’t you just using me to get under Micah’s skin?”
Jared chuckled. “I’m not that petty.”
“So… you actually like me?”
We weren’t close, and even after all these years, I’d never picked up on any sign that he had feelings for me. “Yeah.”
His face remained steady, but a faint flush crept up his earlobes. Meanwhile, my mind felt like it had been struck by lightning. Was Jared seriously confessing his feelings for me?
No way.
Maybe I’d had too much to drink and was just imagining things.
“Mr. Porter, I think I’ve had too much tonight. I’m going home. Just forget everything I said… No, forget I was even here.”
Even after I got home, the dizziness didn’t fade.
Out of nowhere, my phone buzzed. I unlocked it to find a new WhatsApp message from Jared.
“I meant what I said tonight. I hope you’ll seriously consider it. I’ve never had a girlfriend before, and I would never cheat on you.”
His message only made my headache worse. Without a second thought, I deleted the chat.
Early the next morning, the doorbell jolted me awake.
I opened the door to find a breakfast delivery–my favorite pancakes from the cafe I always stopped at.
I knew I had to clear the air with Jared before things got complicated.
“Mr. Porter, I’m not sure why you feel this way about me, but I’m not ready to be in a relationship right now. I hope you’ll respect that.” Jared nodded. “Yeah, I realize I pushed things last night. I won’t say anything like that again. And don’t worry, I’ve got Micah covered.” 1 shook my head quickly. “It’s fine. I can handle Micah myself.”
I didn’t want to owe Jared anything, nor did I want any further involvement. Honestly, the idea that he liked me still felt like a strange After Jared left, I took the pancakes and collapsed onto the couch. I stared blankly ahead.
dream.
My mind wouldn’t quiet down. I was meant to cut ties with Mical for good, but Jared’s unexpected confession threw me completely off balance.
I grabbed my phone and called Greta. Less than 30 minutes later, she burst through the door.
She applauded loudly when I told her about my stunt at the wedding. But when I mentioned Jared’s confession, she nearly spat out her drink.
I looked at her with a stoic expression. “Honestly, my reaction wasn’t much different. I really thought he was just using me to get at Micah.”
Greta set her glass down and gave
once–over.
“Let’s be real. You have the kind of looks that turn heads. Jared confessing right after you tore Micah apart is pure opportunism. He’s taking advantage of your vulnerability to make his move.”
I felt overwhelmed. I barely even knew Jared. If he really started clinging to me, that would be incredibly awkward.
“Maybe… we just take it one day at a time?”
I let out a sigh. “Forget it. Let’s move on. What’s the buzz online? Are people still coming after me?”
The night before, I reached out to several media outlets and newspapers, but none wanted to risk crossing Micah, the rising tech mogul. Their answers were all vague and evasive.
I hadn’t dared to check Twitter this morning. I had been worried that the comments would ruin my day.
Greta stared at me in shock. “Wait, you didn’t know? Every trending post about you is gone. Even the hashtags that blew up have vanished. No matter how much you search, there’s nothing left.”
My heart dropped. Jared was the first person who came to mind.
Could it be that… he really did have feelings for me?
Noticing the worry etched on my face, Greta blurted out, “It can’t be Jared, right?”
“It has to be him.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I grabbed my phone, about to call Jared.
But before I could dial, another call came through.
It was Micah. Without a second thought, I hung up.
He didn’t stop. He kept calling, determined to break through until I answered.
Frustrated, I blocked his number. The silence that followed felt like a weight lifted from my shoulders.
The last thing I expected was Micah showing up at my doorstep.
His eyes were bloodshot. His expression was twisted with anger and resentment.
“Tabitha,” he snapped. “Do you really hate me that much? Why are you trying to ruin me?”
His expression stunned me and I instinctively took a step back.
“Micah, what’s gotten into you? You and Piper were the ones who started throwing dirt at me!”
Without warning, he grabbed my wrist and yanked it hard, sending a jolt of pain through my arm.
“I’m not talking about that,” he growled. “Why did you sell your shares to Jared? You know he’s iny worst enemy!”
So that’s what this was about.
No wonder he was so furious.
I let out a cold, bitter laugh. “Those shares were mine. I could have sold them to anyone I wanted. What does that have to do with you?” “Why didn’t you consult me first?”
Seeing the entitlement written all over his face, I couldn’t help but scoff.
“And when you cheated on me with Piper, did you even think to consult me then?“
