Jess got to the front door of Polly's apartment on Watery Lane. Through her tears she was fumbling to find the key. "Let me help," she heard behind her and jumped. "John you scared me. I told you not to follow me home. Why does everyone think I need a babysitter?" She started to cry more and more. "Hey hey its ok Jess. It'll be ok," John tried comforting her. She slid down the brick wall with her hands over her eyes and John sat down next to her. "John why did he say that. Why doesn't he see how horrible shes been to me?" Jess leaned into John's shoulder and cried. "Michael is a good guy. I don't think he meant it the way Gina said it to you. She's just trying to get under your skin." Maybe it was the vodka, but Jess wiped her tears one more time and stood up. "Fuck that bitch I am going to bed. Thank you John for walking home after me. Really, it means a lot." And with that she walked in and closed the door.
Monday came quickly. Then Tuesday, then Wednesday. Jess and Michael still hadn't spoken about what happened at the pub. It has been 2 weeks since the wedding and she found that all she had been doing with Michael was defending their relationship. It was as if the past few days he would pick a fight about something and Jessica just didn't have the energy anymore. She had a pounding headache and was trying to write up new documents for the business deal with the Blake family. She put on a fake smile and pretended. Jess was good at pretending. It was something she learned at an early age from her mother. "Fake it till you make it." She didn't understand what that meant at 4 years old, but learned later in life. She was pretending to be nice to Gina for the sake of the company even though all she did was bad mouth Jess. That's what upset her the most. Since the night at the pub, Gina had not cared what she said about Jess. Of course, she would only say it to Greg, but Gina knew Jess was in ear shot and could hear every word. Today it started off with Gina talking about what Jess had been wearing. Jess thought she heard her tell Greg she was a slut, to have Greg then shut his sister down. Gina of course said out loud to make sure Michael would hear, "Why are you always defending Jess." This time Michael snapped.
Michael slammed the door in his office. He didn't want to do this at work, but he couldn't handle it any longer. Jessica walked in after angry. "How dare you," she started to speak. "How dare I?" Michael yelled. "Do you know what it's like being with you? All these people assuming I am not good enough for you! That I can't provide you the life you deserve?" Polly tried to keep everyone in the office working so they wouldn't eavesdrop on the conversation; especially with Gina and Greg there. The looks on their faces seemed to be of happiness. "Michael what are you even saying? How does Greg defending me from his sister calling me a slut have to do with our relationship? Firs of all, I don't care what other people say I love you and want to be with you! Why isn't that good enough for you?" She pleaded with him. Polly could tell she started to cry. Michael's voice cracked, "You don't see the looks people give us when they see us together. You don't get the question of how are we together." Jessica cried out, "Yes I do and you want to know what I tell them? I tell them we are together because we love each other. I tell them we are together because you make me the happiest girl in the world." Jessica had his hands pleading to get him to understand he was the one she wanted to be with. Michael turned his back towards her unable to say the words to her face. "Jess, I think we should break up for a little and do our own thing." "Turn around and say it to my face if thats the truth. Turn around and say it to my face if thats really how you feel," she demanded. Michael couldn't do it. He couldn't look her in the eye, instead keeping his back towards her. Jessica found the courage to speak her voice cracking more than ever trying to speak with blurry vision, "Well I guess this is the time to let you know. I have to go to New York this weekend, my sister in law is giving birth. I wanted you to come and see New York during Christmas, but since you feel we need a break maybe its best I go alone. Ill stay at my fathers." With that she walked out of the office. She went to Polly and whispered something in her ear. They hugged and Jessica walked over to Gina, "You happy now? He's all yours," and she walked out.
Polly waited till Jess had left and then walked into Michael's office. "Mom I really don't want to talk right now," Michael said annoyed. Polly was not taking his shit. "Michael you made it everyone's business in this office when you decided to break up with Jessica in this very room where everyone could hear. I don't know what your problem is, but you've been a raging asshole for the past 2 weeks. What is wrong with you?" He stood up angry. "Whats wrong with me? Whats wrong with me is I can't live up to what she wants and needs and I might as well cut my losses short now. Just get out mom I have work to do." Polly walked out into Tommy's office and closed the door. She said lowly, "Tomorrow we tell the family the truth at the meeting. No more hiding it. These people need to go." Seeing Polly walk into Tommy's office, she took the opportunity to go to Michael's office. He heard a knock, "I'm busy." Gina walked in, "I am sorry about you and Jess. She seems like such a nice girl," she picked up the picture of them on his desk. She turned it to him, "When was this?" Michael looked up a tear fell down his cheek and he wiped it. "That was the day I told her I loved her." Gina put the picture frame facing down. She put her hand on the papers he was working with and Michael looked up, "Why don't we leave and get a drink." Michael moved her hand, "Gina I really need to get this work done." She walked out towards where her brother was. "I didn't see this coming as quick as it did," Greg commented.
Later that night, Tommy sat at the bar waiting and watching. From the corner of his eye he could see Michael, John, Finn, Isaiah, Michael, and Gina in the corner taking shots back. He told John to keep an eye on her. Michael was upset and drowning his sorrows with alcohol and the only girl right now that would give him any type of attention was Gina. Tommy didn't need him making a mistake. Next to Tommy someone sat down. She handed him an envelope with papers. "I finished it. Looked it over a few more times. Take a look tonight and give me a call on what you need changed for the final copy tomorrow," she said. "What time are you leaving?" he asked. "The family meeting is at 12?" she questioned. Tommy nodded. "I want to get the papers to you before then so I don't have to see him. I'll be coming back early the 25th. The papers will be sent in the mail on the 23rd and they should be looking at it by the time I am back here. If there are any complications, my brothers will be there and my father is sending several men to protect me." Tommy nodded and looked at his watch. "It's getting late, you should head back."
The next morning, Tommy sat there looking at his watch. It was almost 12:00 and the family meeting was about to start. He was waiting on the last draft of the business outline and thought it would be coming earlier so he could look it over. Everyone sat around the table. Arthur spoke first at 12:10, "Alright Tommy are we going to start?" Tommy looked at his watch one more time. "I am waiting for our lawyer to drop off the final draft that we will be discussing." A few minutes went by before the front door opened. Jessica came running in, "I am so sorry I was late. There was a tree branch that had fallen in the road." She handed Tommy the envelope. "Final draft is done." She turned and looked at the family, "Ill see you all for Christmas," and Jess ran out the door. "What the fuck is going on," John asked. Polly butted in before anyone could say anything else, "You're going to let Tommy speak and get everything out before anyone else speaks. Understand?" All nodded their heads. "No mom what the fuck is going on?" Michael shouted out.
Tommy put his hand up. He began to speak, "As of today, we will no longer be doing business with the Blake family. Jess, who has become the Shelby and Co lawyer had been looking over the paperwork and noticed some questioning statements. Polly, Jess, myself, and her father had been going over the paperwork they had written up and what they had written was not how things would be running in the United States in regards to our business." He handed the paperwork to Polly and continued. "Jess's family caught wind in the states that the Blakes were working on taking over several territories and blaming us so these people would come after us and not them. Jess will be serving their lawyer papers to end any type of business deal and coming back here as soon as possible. Her name will be on these papers and we are trying to get her back as soon as we can and as safe as possible." Michael couldn't believe what he had been hearing. He stood up and his chair fell back, "Why is she going? Why didn't any of us go? What happens if something happens to her." Tommy walked over to Michael who had been pacing and lifted up his seat to have him sit back down. Tommy continued, "Janik has not been feeling well so Jess took his place. Our new business venture will again be going through the Swavorski's company and the money will be cleaned. Again, our main goal is to get Jessica in and out of America quickly. The Blake family will not be happy and we need to make sure she is safe. Are there any questions?"
The family sat in silence. "Why?" Michael asked. "Why didn't anyone tell us she was the new lawyer. I thought we weren't going to get her involved. I can't have her putting her life in danger. Mom did you know?" All eyes turned to Polly. She lit her cigarette. "Michael, just like you Jessica wanted to be involved. Tommy and I had a long talk with her and her father. We needed to make sure that as our lawyer she felt safe. We needed to make sure she could handle this. When she found the mistakes and then had her brothers find out what had been going on, we knew she was invested. We knew she was the best thing for this company." He was angry. How could the woman he loved hide something like this from him. Now he knew why she was working late, now he knew why she was constantly writing documents. It all started to make sense. But then his heart began to hurt and Polly knew what he realized. So she said it, "Thats why she wanted you to go to New York with her Michael. Her sister in law isn't having a baby. She wanted to tell you the truth." Michael couldn't stand to listen to his mother anymore. He got up immediately and walked to his office and slammed the door. Polly followed and closed the door behind her. Her son sat broken in front of her. "Mom, how could we let her go into something this dangerous. I am not there to protect her. How can I save her." How could he let her go. He loved her so much and this is how he ended things.