Long Love Broken Pt. 05

"Are you sure that isn't the brainwashing talking?" I asked.

"No, it's not," Rachel shook her head.

"I agreed that I wouldn't seek custody. Polly could fight that from jail," I hedged.

"Those agreements never got filed. Polly was still trying to figure things out after you left so she didn't go beyond the divorce. Take good care of your children, Jacqueline."

Rachel stopped and put her hands behind her head. Another officer came and hooked her up and guided her to the assemblage at the edge of the dance floor. I beckoned to Sofia for a dance, and she declined.

Courtney came out with a promise ring and gave it to me, I put it on my right hand so that I could still honor my husband.

Katie and Min had corralled the preacher, and he agreed to marry them. There was a worried look at me when he asked for objections, but I just shook my head. Courtney tugged on my hand, and indicated the preacher with her head. I told her to wait a little while, we had lots of time.

Courtney and I barely had a week together before Carmen came crawling back. I already knew what was going on when Courtney came to me with puppy-dog eyes.

Katie and Min had about the same amount of time to think about what 'forsaking all others' meant to them, and that meant forsaking me.

I don't know where Blake and Melanie ended up, I hoped it was just one level above hell.

My date with Sofia was the closest I got to her. Medic Bailey showed back up in her life two days after the wedding, and they found an apartment somewhere near mine so Sofia could keep a watch over me..

Polly and Rachel's au pair, Serena, brought the boys down to Vegas. Meghan followed a week later and after another week, they announced they were a couple. I didn't mind, I got to see my boys and I would be a part of their lives from now on.

Marcie had vanished when Jane and Jill vanished. When I asked Jonathon about it, he gave me a smile and told me they were okay.

I was alone in love. At least I had my boys.

Polly and Rachel signed over custody two months after the wedding. Polly died in jail six months later, not even getting the benefit of a full trial. Rachel was acquitted but still lost her medical license.

The morning after I found out Polly had passed, Courtney called and asked my secretary for a meeting in my office. I was still grieving over Polly, even though she had tried fucking me over, so I told my secretary to have Courtney meet me downtown at 'Retro.'

Courtney came up to me at my favorite blackjack table and sat down. During the dealer change, she laid an envelope on the felt. Curiosity got the best of me and I opened it up, inside was a card with a garbage word hand-printed on it.

"Courtney, this looks just like..."

"A release word," Courtney finished. "Carmen gave it to me last night before she took off. When she said the word, it was like every feeling I had for her was erased. I don't even miss her, Jackie!"

"Ma'am?" The dealer asked.

"I'm going to cash out. Can you take care of my chips for me?" I asked.

"Certainly, ma'am." Before he picked up my trays, I peeled off two hundred dollar chips and palmed them.

"Hey, Courtney, I'm still here, babe," I put my arms around her." I wanted to ask her why she had come to me, but it was sufficient that she was in my arms. The dealer returned with my receipt, and I slid the chips over to him as Courtney and I stood. We went into the restaurant, the hostess knowing my favorite booth and leading me to it.

After handing her some makeup wipes, I asked Courtney to give me a run-down as to what had happened. News of Polly's death had triggered something in Carmen, whether it was brainwashing or just the loss, and she released Courtney from her control. Knowing that their entire relationship was a fraud, Carmen packed her bags and left.

"What do we do now, Jackie?" Courtney asked. "Could you give me another chance? The real me, I mean? When Carmen left, everything I felt for you came rushing in, all the way back to when we met for the first time."

I couldn't deny it, I had feelings for Courtney as well. Whenever I had seen her in the building, whenever I had passed her in the office, I felt a twinge in my heart. If I had never met Courtney, I would not be the woman that I was today. Herman had said we were destined to meet, but neither of us knew how far our relationship would have gone if he had met plain, unimproved Jackie, or even Victor.

"Let's start here, with lunch. Then we'll go from there, okay?" I took her hands and gave them a squeeze.

"You know what, Jackie? I'd like that very much," Courtney squeezed back. "Very much."