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Back The Lying House Save as PDF
Chapters (103)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. 85
  92. 86
  93. 87
  94. 88
  95. 89
  96. 90
  97. 91
  98. 92
  99. 93
  100. 94
  101. Epilogue
  102. Acknowledgments and a Personal Note
  103. Excerpt

“Our bond is so strong. I’m not perfect, but I would never do anything to hurt you, okay?” he said. “Now, I know you don’t believe this, but we’re living a fragile financial existence. When you take everything into account, we have several hundred thousand dollars in debt. I’m making more, but you’re making less. Even with the bonus, we’re only a few months away from having nothing and, my God—” Jeff’s voice cracked “—that terrifies me more than you’ll ever know. Vida Warren could set in motion events that will ruin everything, that will catapult us into that kind of life, if I don’t stop her first. I can’t let her go around depicting me as a thief and adulterer. I just can’t. If I tell people what I did, it’ll still look like I took her work, and the damage will be significant. It’ll mark me when I try to find other work.” Jeff wiped at his eyes. “She’s given me two days. All she wants is a job. I have a plan that should work.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“I’ll tell Leland and Shore everything.”

That night, Lisa went to bed early and alone.

Sleep was a fugitive as she lay awake, anguished at how things were spinning out of control. And most frightening was the realization that she could no longer trust the things she had believed in.

Everything that mattered to her was crumbling.

Who was her husband? Did she really know him?

Alone in his office, Jeff worked at his computer, drafting emails to colleagues he knew from college, from conferences, from his network of professionals in the industry.

Many were with agencies or corporations with advertising and marketing departments in-house, which had offices in South Florida. Cathy Millard, whom he knew from Chicago, was with SkyHiMedia, Reed Kassan with NineStar Amazing International in Los Angeles, and Shelley Rozart with Smith-Wren-Fujama Global in New York, along with several others. All were huge operations with offices in the Miami area.

Earlier, he would never have considered taking this step, but Vida had pushed him into a corner. He hated her for it.

He made urgent appeals that sounded like exclusive tips, touting Vida Warren as a brilliant ad exec he used to work with who was seeking a position in Miami, and highlighting how she’d be an asset to any agency. In all, he’d sent out about a dozen requests, knowing he could face fallout if someone did hire Vida and she proved to be useless…or worse.

That’s not my concern. Not now.

Jeff sat back in his chair, his thoughts galloping in a thousand different directions. What more could she possibly know or fabricate about him? Dragging his hands over his face, he tried to quash every fear.

One way or another, he was going to end his problem with her.

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