Chapter 23

UNEDITED

Three months later…


Jacob and Clarissa moved on from trying to reconcile. They created a co-parenting relationship where they shared responsibilities and avoided each other. Jacob especially. He seemed to be moving straight along. He was gone most of the time and when he wasn't he was looking at his phone. Only when he was spending time with the kids was the present. He didn't talk to her unless it was about the children and with them being old enough to talk for themselves there wasn't anything to say.

It was all okay for her. It was exactly what she wanted. At this point all she saw Jacob as was the father of her children and nothing else. She busied herself with charity work for Alden Enterprises and her family.

She was just getting in from dropping the children to school when a thick envelope was hand-delivered to her. “Thank you.” She tells the courier and shuts the door. She takes the mail over to the kitchen island and rips it open. It didn’t even register to her that this was coming or inevitable, but here it was in her hand's divorce papers with Jacob’s signature on it.

Neutral, that’s how she felt. She opens a drawer, grabs a pen, and doesn't hesitate to sign her name.

This was cause for celebration. It suddenly sparked in her that she was going to have fun. She didn’t care that it was a Wednesday. She was officially a single woman.

That night she called the babysitter because her kid's father was supposedly gone on one of multiple business trips. Then she called up Mikey.

She met him at the private entrance of a club for the rich and famous. It was where the Paparazzi had no access and nothing she did would be in the paper.

She was handed a glass and was led to the VIP section by a waitress. She and Mikey take a seat in their small private booth and order more drinks.

They toasted Clarissa's single life. “To starting over…”Mikey holds up his fruity drink.

She blinks in what feels like slow motion. “cheers.” The alcohol was starting to hit her already. One was enough but she didn't care.

She pulled Mikey out of their private section and onto the dance floor. She didn’t know this side of her existed. She began showing her best moves and she didn't have many but she could care less at the moment what she looked like. Her eyes close and her body sways from side to side as if she was making love to the music.

She was attracting a lot of male attention. It was clear as water that Mikey was gay so a handsome gentleman dressed in grey jeans and a designer collared dress shirt cut right in and began dancing with Clarissa. She seemed so wild and in her own world, all the men wanted her.

Another guy dressed in a suit and seemed to be a bit older approaches and whispers in her ear. “I’m Alvin, Can I buy you a drink?” She opens her eyes and smiles at him with a nod. He leaves to get the drink and the other guy “What’s your name?” He asks.

“Clair…” She knowingly gives him the name Jacob called her.

“Ralph.” He introduces himself.

Her drink gets there and Ralph takes it and dismisses Alvin.
All the men there were rich and powerful, and ego was their strong suit.

“She is mine.” He made one move and Ralph with two glances showed his team of security. Big huge muscle buff men. He then lifts his shirt to show the silver gun he had tucked in his jeans.

Calvin rolls his eyes and walks away shaking his head.

Clarissa was oblivious to any of it. When Ralph gives her a drink. She downs it and continues dancing.

“Clarissa…” Mikey calls. “Come on.”

She ignores him.

Ralph was really liking her. Her style and beauty. He had to have her. He was going to have her.
“Let’s go to my private section.” He insists with a whisper in her ear.

With her impulse- control being controlled by the alcohol. “Sure.” She agrees.

He circles her waist and guides her to the room.

Mikey goes outside where there is no noise and dials Baylee’s number. “Hello…” she responds.

“Hey… your sister has gone wild or something... she is drunk and just went into a private room with some guy she doesn’t even know.”

“What? Go get her.” She demands.

“She won’t listen… and I don’t know who this guy is but he and his hot bodyguards are packing.”

“What do you mean packing?”

“Like they have guns…”

“You’ve got to be kidding me…I’ll call you back.” She hangs up.
~~~

Clarissa leaned back while sitting on a loveseat. Her eyes were so lazy they were barely open and her legs crossed. Ralph hugs her and rests his hand on her thigh. “You don’t seem like you do this often.” He comments.

She giggles.

“I like that…” He admits as he nudges his head under her jaw and lays a kiss.

She realized that second she didn’t like what was happening. She clears her throat and shakes her head slightly. She had to snap out of this haze. She leans away from him and meets his eyes. “I…”

“Clarissa…” She was interrupted. Jacobs's stern voice sends chills down her spine. Her gaze shifted and her heavy eyelids lifted and met him. Ralph too turns his face to see who was disrupting them.

Jacob stood before them dressed in a black suit and looking sharp. She noticed stubble on his jaw and the distress in his eyes. His hands slide into his pockets. “Come on…”

“Who are you?” Ralph interjects.

“My ex-husband…” She emphasizes the word.

“Come on Clarissa, let’s go home.” He states again.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Fine… I’ll get you a different car… now come on…”

“You heard her,” Ralph leans back and pulls her closer to him. “Get lost… She’s with me now.”

Jacob's eyes glance at his arm around her and grind on his jaw. She could be the death of him.

“Leave me be and let me celebrate being a single woman.” She throws out.

He steps in front of her and his hands leave his pockets and one of them reaches out and grabs her arm. “You’re not staying here.” He declares. At the same time, Ralph grabs his hand.

“Let go of her.” He growls.

Jacob shifts eye contact to Clarissa. “You want another incident because I’m telling you right now Clair, you’re coming home with me.”

She yanks her arm away. “No, I’m not.”

“What are you doing? Do you know this guy? Do you forget that you are a mother?”

Ralph stands up causing Jacob to release and meet his eyes. The two men stand a foot apart glaring at one another.

He lifts his shirt giving Jacob a peek at his silver gun.

Jacob laughs. He looks over at Clarissa. “This is what you want right?.”

“I think you should leave before things get ugly,”

Jacob laughs again. “Make me.” He challenges and with force shoves Ralph back.

Ralph’s team grabs Jacob immediately and he seemed to expect it, to be waiting for it actually.

“Okay okay...I’ll go with you.” Clarissa realizes that too much was happening. “Let him go please.” She pleads to Ralph.

“Let him go,” he orders and turns to Clarissa. “Clair, it’s okay… you don’t have to go with him.” His hands fall on her waist.

“Stop touching her,” Jacob warns.

He smiles and snakes his arms around even more. He dips his head down and attempts to kiss her cheek but a fist hits his face first.

“I told you not to fuckin touch her.” Jacob barks.

He stumbles back and of course, the team intervenes. They grabbed Jacob and pulled him back; it took three of them.

Viciously, Ralph looks at him and then grabs Clarissa. “You don’t like this?” He pulls his gun out and points to where he was holding her on her arm.

“Tell your men to let me go and then touch her.”

“Jacob stop please…” Clarissa begs. She was panicked and more sober than sober.

“No,” He states bluntly.

She squeals when Ralph hauls her up to his chest and slides his hand down to her butt.
“Don’t please.” She protests. “Let him go.”

Jacob was turning into a rabid animal and giving the security team hell to keep him back. “Be a man and tell your security to let me go and try that again.” He shouts.

Ralph just took a punch for this girl and she was now pleading for her ex. The tolerance he had was gone. He releases her and turns cynical towards Jacob. “Hold him right there.” He orders and stalks toward him and shoves his gun back in his pants. “Let me show you how a man hits. He punches Jacob straight in the jaw.

“Stop!” She pleads. One of his men grabbed her from getting in between and Jacob was just taking hits. Hit in the face, gut, and the ribs. Blood was dripping from his eye and each time he took a hit, his eye focus was on Clarissa screaming and crying. “No Please!!... Jacob! Let him go! Let him go!” She sobs.

Then suddenly Ralph stopped swinging. “Release him” He orders.

Jacob falls to the ground on his knees. He wipes his bloody eyes clear and unsteadily tries to get to his feet. He glances to Clarissa. “Let her go.” He takes a few steps towards her and falls on his knees again.

“Jacob!” She screams.

“Let her go!” He angrily demands while trying to stand again.

Ralph laughs. You don’t have a leg to stand on and you’re demanding my men…” He pulls out his gun but didn’t point it at anyone.

“Don’t hurt him please.” Clarissa was desperate. “Why are you worried about him anyway? It’s me you want right?”

His gaze shifts to her.

“Clair!” Jacob yells.

“Take me home.” She tried to convince him and diffuse the situation.

He scans her face and her body as if contemplating. Slowly he takes a step to her.

“Don’t touch her.”

“Stop Jacob…” she orders. “It’s over between us.”

Ralph smiles. “Let her go.” He orders his men. He goes nearer her and circles her waist then looks back at Jacob. “This should teach you not to involve yourself in my matters.”

As Ralph smiles in satisfaction at his victory, in walks Nathan into the private area with a security team of his own. Four men walk in behind him and pull out guns when they see the scene. “You might want to put that away,” Nathan warns as he glances at Ralph's weapon.

Clarissa was so happy to see her brother. She immediately pushed Ralph's hands off her and rushed to Jacob who was barely standing. “Are you okay?” She puts his arm around her neck and her arm around his back.

“Are you?” He responds.

Her heart ached. “We need to get you to a hospital.”

“No... I’m fine…” he glares at Ralph. “He hits like a bitch.”

Ralph tucks his gun back away and so do his men. He gave Nathan a seething glare before storming out with his team in tow.


Jacob moves his hand from around her. “Let’s go home…to our children...” He slowly begins walking away.


~~~~~~~~~~~~

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