After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 709

Janetta had seemed warm and friendly when they first met, but Laura couldn't shake off her wariness. Her mind spun through all the possible reasons for this sudden visit. There was no way Janetta just dropped by for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. She had to be here because of Jesse.

Was this one of those classic moments where the mother thinks you’re not good enough for her son? Was Janetta about to ask her to stay away from Jesse? Maybe even try to buy her off with a check? Laura pictured Janetta sliding a five-million-dollar check across the table, telling her to take the money and leave Jesse for good.

Five million felt like pocket change. Laura’s own net worth was more than that now. If it were fifty million, maybe that would actually surprise her. But even then, she didn’t think Janetta would offer that much.

Lost in these wild guesses, Laura almost missed Janetta’s friendly voice. “Laura, I hope I’m not intruding by stopping by like this. I just wanted to say hello.”

“Not at all. I’m glad you’re here.” Laura forced a smile, deciding to cut straight to the chase. “Were you coming just for the coffee and pastries?”

Janetta returned her smile. “Jesse keeps talking about how good your pastries are, so of course I wanted to try them. But honestly, that’s not the only reason I’m here today.”

So Laura’s instincts were right. Her shoulders tensed as she waited for Janetta to go on.

“Laura, I’ve known about you for a while now. I’ve always wanted to meet you, but Jesse wouldn’t let me. Even today, I kind of snuck out without telling him. I just felt like it was time to come and see you.”

Janetta believed that if she didn’t step in, Jesse might never win Laura over. She understood what was holding Laura back. No matter how much Jesse tried, Laura would never really let herself fall for him unless his family showed their support.

Janetta must have noticed Laura’s nerves. She reached across the table, her voice soft and reassuring. “Laura, you don’t have to be nervous. I’m not here to make things hard for you.”

Janetta reached into her purse and started rummaging through it.

This was it. Laura braced herself. Any second now, Janetta was going to pull out a check or a bank card, set it in front of her, and say, “Laura, there’s five million dollars on this. Take it and leave my son.”

But Janetta didn’t pull out a check. Instead, she set a thick envelope on the table.

Laura stared at it, trying to figure out what was inside. Was it cash? The envelope was full, but if it was money, it couldn’t be more than a few tens of thousands, right? Was Janetta really here to pay her off with just a few thousand dollars?