White Lies (Book 1)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

A tall, elegant Vietnamese woman was standing on my front porch, her expensive grey suit tailored and measured to her exact figure. She looked painfully sophisticated against the peeling paint and scrubby floorboards of her surroundings.

It had taken me three whole seconds to recognize her. Once I did, I couldn't help but gawk. There I was, jaw-slaked and standing with my front door wide open.

Mei Nguyen had been one of the people I had come across at Angelica Blight's meeting, where I had lied about witnessing Jenny kill Robert.

At my telling of the tale, Angelica had broken down to tears. Everyone else had been too speechless to speak. I remembered Mei's reaction well, how her eyes narrowed in calculation...

Okay, that was a lie.

Her glittering eyes now regarded me blankly, objectively. She stuck out a bony hand. I shook it numbly, still shocked by her unexpected appearance. "Jesabel. I'm sure you remember me from—"

"Yes. I remember," I interrupted her. Her eyes narrowed. She didn't like being interrupted.

"Who is it?" My mother asked warily. She came to a halt once she saw who was at the door. "Oh. Hello."

"Hello, Mrs. Griffin. My name is Mei. We'd like to speak to your daughter privately, with your consent," she stuck her hand to my mother as well, which she took slowly.

"Wait, we?" I asked, my astonishment increasing.

I then noticed she wasn't alone. Standing behind her, was the ever gorgeous, ever self-important, Nathan Ericson. I was pretty sure my jaw had just smashed a hole through the earth and found its way to Indonesia.

He gave a cheery wave. "Always good to see you, Jess." He was leaning against the railing, his large hands tucked into designer jeans. He looked just as carefree as always.

Yet... not quite.

I knew better. There was something there that he couldn't quite hide.

I couldn't fathom how not only Mei Nguyen, but also Nathan, were right there standing at my doorstep. Both being the total contradiction of the other, they seemed to have been randomly plucked from thin air and placed in the scene in front of me.

What did they both want from me?

Realizing that my tongue wasn't capable of forming words, Mei Nguyen continued. "We have some private matters to address with your daughter. We hope we haven't interrupted anything, but the matter is urgent."

"What kind of private matters?" my mother asked warily.

Mrs. Nguyen smiled – a thin, secretive grin that made the back of my neck prickle. "Confidential matters."

"And what if I say no?"

"Then I apologize for taking up your time," she answered. "But you have to understand, Mrs. Griffin-"

"Ms. Griffin," she interrupted.

"Ms. Griffin," Mei corrected herself. "I'll only come back tomorrow. And the next day. Or the day after that. This isn't something she can run away from. Sooner or later, it has to be done. And for Jesabel's sake, it would be better if we discussed things sooner."

Her posture was calm, but her words suggested otherwise. This hadn't been a formal request. This was a threat.

My mother hesitated, scrutinizing our current position. Mei was right, of course. Whatever it was – and it sounded important – it had to be dealt with. Immediately.