“And you should be careful. You like to be part of the ‘in’ crowd. That’s who you are. You try to steal the shine of the people around you, but if I’m right, this ‘in’ crowd, these women, will turn around and destroy you.”

Shot landed. Jessa felt the killing blow vibrate through her.

Gabby’s words made her look backward and question everything, and Jessa was done with that. She didn’t want to face the worst parts of herself delivered by a person determined never to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Jessa grabbed her bag and her cup because it was time to make an exit. Forever. “Don’t contact me again.”

Chapter Forty-One
Jessa

Jessa got to Retta’s house three minutes early. She blamed Gabby for making her rush. For ticking her off. For saying things she didn’t need to say.

Jessa knew who and what she was. She’d taken shortcuts. She’d made choices others might find wrong or even despicable, but that had grown out of necessity. The law didn’t just come to her, like it did to Gabby. Picking out issues, putting the pieces together, seeing the bigger picture and forecasting possible problems—Jessa strained to make it all make sense. And when it didn’t, she found workarounds, used tactics to ensure she survived.

She needed this life. Watching it crumble around her over the last few weeks had convinced her of how precious her achievements were. The years of being loved only as a stand-in for her dead mother and failing to live up to unreasonable expectations were behind her. But the idea of scrimping and clawing, of silently begging for more attention, haunted her.

The pendulum had shifted. People now viewed her as a hero. She was all over the news. She’d protected Ellie and Curtis. She’d faced down Darren Bartholomew and his powerful family. She had credibility and would cling to it, not letting anyone rip it away.

“Covington called. I hear your temporary suspension is over.” Retta waited until her cook put a salad in front of her and one in front of Jessa and left the room before she continued. “That should be good news, but you seem distracted.”

Gabby. Stupid fucking Gabby. “Sorry. I had a run-in with a person I’d like to forget.”

“Is this related to the Bartholomew case?”

If she talked about it, issued the warning to Retta, then maybe she could forget Gabby and move on. “Law school, actually. Gabby Bruin, now Gabby Fielding, though she might have changed her name again since she’s divorced.”

Retta made a humming sound as she spooned out the salad dressing from a gravy boat then handed it to Jessa. “I know the Fieldings and read about her ex-husband’s death. A tragic ending for a savvy businessman.”

Jessa wasn’t in the mood to hear anything that made Gabby a martyr.