But my stupid insecurities didn’t care.What if it’s true? What if that’s why Jules never mentioned her list until last night?No wonder she wanted to divorce you. You’re her second choice. You’re everyone’s second choice.
“Excuse me?” Jules said. “But no. My list very specifically says that one day I will marryGriffinDupree. Not Liam.”
That seemed to be exactly the opening Sariah was looking for. She crossed to Jules, sticking the mic in her face. “Are you sure about that?”
Juliette yanked the microphone from her hand, looking angry enough to beat Sariah over the head with it. “I think I know whatIwrote.”
One of the cameramen handed Jules his phone. I crowded close enough to see the screen. Sound off, captions on—there was an anchorwoman talking about the list. And right behindher, projected onto a flatscreen TV, was a picture of Jules’s supposed list.
My name was nowhere to be found.
But Liam’s was.
“What do you think, Griffin?” Sariah asked, shoving the mic in my face. “Is your wife telling the truth or not?”
I couldn’t form words. My confidence was gone.
“Don’t believe it,” Sophie said. She swung on Sariah. “It’s been photoshopped, obviously, you sad excuse for a journalist. I mean, use your brain.”
Sariah’s brows flicked up, seeming impressed by Sophie’s spitfire attitude. But confrontation fueled this woman like a bowl of Wheaties. “Or, and I think we can all agree this is more plausible, Juliette is lying.”
“I’m not,” Juliette spat. “Why would I lie about something like that? If I wanted Liam, why would I marry Griffin? It makes no sense.”
I turned at the sound of someone chuckling off to my left. Quentin Pike stood five yards away, arms folded, the picture of someone enjoying a show.
“Are you certain?” Sariah pressed. “Because from what I understand, you’re not exactly the queen of morals.”
Um, what?
Jule’s shoulders curled in.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Holden asked. He pointed at one of the cameramen. “This isn’t upstanding reporting, what y’all are doing here. You’d better watch yourselves, or you might get sued for slander.”
Sariah didn’t flinch. “That’s your subjective opinion, Counselor Dupree. But I’m not saying anything that wasn’t already aired on the national news tonight.” She moved in on Jules. “So you refute the claims made about you?”
“What claims?” Jules’s voice quivered.
“Hey.” I knocked the mic aside. “Leave her alone. Leave all of us alone.” I stepped between Jules and the cameramen.
At least one of them had the decency to lower his camera.
Sariah dodged around me and lifted her microphone again. “As soon as she admits the truth.” She rolled her shoulders back and asked...
“Juliette Serrant, have you or have you not prostituted yourself out to over sixty men?”
The gasp was collective.
My hands shoved into my hair. “What the…?”
Jules staggered back. But she said nothing.
“J-Jules?” My voice broke. “Tell her she’s wrong.” Why wasn’t she denying it?
Eyes wild and desperate, she glanced from me to Liam to… Pike? What did he have to do with this?
He and I locked eyes. His smirk widened. Then he nodded.
Wait. Was this why Liam had been so rattled when I brought Jules over to meet the family?
