C4, PT. 4 (Patreon)

The hum of angry voices interrupted Jasmine’s slumber. Someone said, “Shh,” and the voices briefly quieted before violent hissing commenced.

“Oh, Colette.”

Ariana’s choked voice made Jasmine open her eyes. Lying on her side with her hands stacked beneath her cheek, she saw her sisters, their husbands, and Roth gathered on the far side of the room. The curtains had been drawn back to reveal the snow laden trees within touching distance of the balcony.

“How could you keep this from me?”

Lyle’s muted roar brought Jasmine’s attention back to the crowd. A glance told her all she needed to know. Colette had finally spilled the beans about Warren. Lyle’s hands were balled into fists at his sides, while the veins in his forehead and neck stood out in stark relief. If she was standing near Ariana, she would have nudged her sister to make her rearrange her appalled expression. Rami had taken off his glasses to scrub a hand down his face and Roth… He was taking in the view so she couldn’t see his reaction to the news.

“I can’t believe this,” Lyle ranted. “All these years, I’ve been shaking his hand, sitting across from him at meetings and parties, and he…” Lyle pounded his fist into his palm and exploded, “He was at our fucking wedding!”

Colette said nothing. She just stared at her husband with tears sliding down her face. Even from a distance, Jasmine could see she was shaking.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell Maximus?” Lyle demanded.

Colette’s lip trembled. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“You’re right. I wouldn’t.” He stepped back, shaking his head and staring at Colette as if he’d never seen her before. “Who the hell did I marry?”

Lyle stalked away from their huddle. He didn’t glance at the bed, or he would have seen Jasmine was awake. He wrenched the door open and stalked out, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.

“He didn’t mean it. It’s just the shock,” Ariana said as she rubbed Colette’s back.

Rami looked to Roth. “What are we going to do?”

But Roth wasn’t looking at him. His eyes were on Jasmine. She rolled in the opposite direction and threw the covers back. Before she pushed herself to a sitting position, Colette was at her side.

“How are you feeling?” Colette said brightly, even as tears continued to slide down her face.

Jasmine reached out and squeezed Colette’s arm in silent sympathy and support. Colette helped her to her feet, even though she didn’t need assistance. She was bemused when her sisters accompanied her into the bathroom. Colette staggered to a wood bench in front of the glass shower and crossed her arms over her chest before she folded at the waist. Ariana knelt in front of her and hugged her, while Jasmine placed her hand on Colette’s quaking back. The force of her sister’s pain hammered at her.

“It’s going to be okay,” Ariana said, but she sounded considerably less certain than she had several hours ago.

Colette straightened and tried to mop up her tears with her sleeve. Jasmine snagged a towel and handed it over. Colette nodded in thanks and blew her nose.

“You told them,” Jasmine said quietly.

Colette’s eyes flicked up to her. “I had to.”

“Did you?”

Colette’s mouth tightened. “I should have done something a long time ago. I could have saved others from becoming his victims if I wasn’t afraid of the repercussions.” Colette straightened her shoulders and jutted out her chin, even though her eyes were troubled and uncertain. “But we’re past that now. I’ll see it through, even if it costs my marriage.”

“You aren’t going to lose Lyle,” Ariana said firmly.

“I always knew it was a possibility,” Colette said with false calm. “Lyle thought he was getting someone pure, beyond reproach. Now he knows otherwise.” Colette’s hands fluttered in her lap. “What man wants to know that all his wife’s firsts were with a man old enough to be her father? That it went on for years because she was too weak and scared to stop it? You heard him. Why didn’t I ask for help?”

Colette averted her face as she broke down again. She didn’t make a sound. Jasmine and Ariana waited until she regained her composure with a ragged sigh.

“I didn’t tell Dad because I thought he may believe Warren over me. Of course, Warren reinforced that belief and said Dad would be ruined if they were ever at odds. As I got older, I found out that wasn’t true, but it didn’t negate the fact that we did enough business together that breaking off with him and anyone who sided with him would cripple us.” Colette swallowed hard. “It was easier to pretend it never happened. I knew if I said something, it would put everything in jeopardy.”

“You’re doing the right thing,” Ariana said fiercely. “We can’t let him get away with this. I wish you told me.” Ariana gripped Colette’s knees. “Those nights I heard you crying after the parties, I thought it was stress or because Dad told you off, but it was because of Warren, wasn’t it?”

Colette didn’t answer, but she didn’t need to. Her tormented expression was all the confirmation they needed.

“Looking back, I know doing anything would have been better than keeping it to myself, but I felt so helpless. And the longer it went on, the more I felt like a willing participant, which made me feel even worse. I didn’t know how to stop it.” Colette’s hands twisted in the towel. “I used to fantasize about telling Dad and having him beat the crap out of Warren in front of everyone.” Her eyes dulled. “But Dad abhors weakness. He could have just as easily shrugged it off and said if I couldn’t deal with this, how could I manage a company.”

Ariana opened her mouth to object and then closed it. Jasmine said nothing. Maximus was unpredictable and perfectly capable of being that callous.

“Lyle will never understand what it’s like being a woman. Our word and opinions don’t hold as much weight as a man’s. Our decisions are constantly evaluated and questioned. Those with less experience and knowledge are taken into the fold merely because they’re male. We have to expend so much energy trying not to offend their fragile egos. We have to suggest rather than give orders. We’re forced to do this balancing act on a razor-thin line while they have a mile wide of leeway. It’s exhausting.”

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

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