An unexpected phone call... (Patreon)

Published:

2025-09-07 15:00:11

Imported:

2026-06

Content

Roth’s phone flashed as a call came in. Absently, she glanced at the screen and froze when she saw “Kaia,” no last name. She glanced at the empty doorway before she snatched up the phone.

“Kaia?”

“Jasmine?”

Kaia sounded stunned.

“How are you?” She tried to sound casual, but her eyes were glued to the door where Roth could return at any moment.

“I-I’m fine.” Kaia was clearly rattled. “You didn’t call on Christmas. That isn’t like you. I’ve been so worried.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to. We’ve been traveling. How was your Christmas?”

There was a long pause and then Kaia whispered, “Is he there?”

Annoyance ripped through her. “Whatever you want to say, you should be able to say in front of him.”

She sensed Kaia was startled by her sharp tone. She was, too, but she was so sick of no one speaking plainly. So many things didn’t add up. At times, Kaia seemed terrified of her son, yet she stood up to him on their wedding day and clearly wasn’t afraid to call him.

“I don’t understand,” she declared. “I called you from the courthouse the day we married and you congratulated us. I called you every holiday when Roth was abroad. You never let on that anything was amiss between you two. You had ample time to talk to me when we were divorced or when I was at the cabin for three days, but you decided to tell me he'd ruin me an hour before we remarried. Why?”

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Sins. Please do not share or distribute.