After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 272

“You think I don’t want to?” Cynthia shot back. “I wish I could just tell Jordan everything right now. But I need to make sure I get out of this without getting hurt. If I’m the one who tells him, Jackson will never let me off the hook, even though I’m the one who’s been wronged.”

She knew better than anyone that Jackson had never really loved her. If he had, he would’ve protected her back then. He wouldn’t have stood by while Jordan’s uncle forced her into getting her tubes tied. The only reason she’d married into the Lane family was to use Jackson’s status to keep Isabella safe, and maybe one day help her find a good match.

Isabella mulled it over for a moment before laying out her plan. “Mom, just tell Jackson you want to go on vacation. If he asks where, pick a city and buy a ticket for it.”

“When you get there, rent a car and head to another city, somewhere a bit farther away. Mail the evidence of the affair from there, anonymously, to our address in Cabinda. Put your own name as the recipient. Once you’ve mailed it, drive back to the city you told Jackson about.”

“Then just relax and enjoy your trip for ten days, maybe two weeks. By then, Natalie will have had the procedure and left the hospital.”

“When you get home, the envelope will be waiting for you. Open it in front of Natalie. Act shocked and upset when you see the photos. Let them slip out so she can see what’s inside. That way, they’ll find out the truth, but no one will be able to trace it back to you. You’ll have your vacation tickets as proof. Even if Jackson tracks where the package was sent from, he won’t have any evidence it was you.”

A sudden thought hit Isabella. “Mom, do you know who she is?”

Cynthia hesitated. “At first, she seemed like a complete stranger. But after watching the video over and over, I started to remember. I think she was one of his secretaries from years ago.” That night, after her tears had dried, she’d kept replaying the video, and slowly the woman’s identity came back to her.

“If you know where she’s from, that’s even better!” Isabella said, her eyes lighting up. “Mail the photos from her hometown. I promise, Jackson will only suspect her. There’s no way he’d ever think it was you.”