Page 34 of Heal You (The Study You #3)

Jan exited her car, the gravel beneath her heels crunching as she pulled her shoulders back and walked towards the offices.

She was mildly anxious to be here today—she hadn’t stepped foot on business soil since Gareth had exposed the truth to her—but she had nothing to be ashamed of.

Phil had done the dirty, not Jan. If the staff thought any differently, then she would set the record straight.

With a slight sense of love and belonging sitting in her chest at the brief thought of Morgan, Jan took the steps to the main offices and forced the heavy steel door open.

Anais would be sitting at her desk, and Phil would be holed away behind his private office door.

Clients and other employees would likely be milling about, some frantic…

others not so much, but it was all just noise to Jan today.

She was still high on life and the Spanish sun.

She stopped and scanned the room. Her eyes immediately landed on Anais, her appearance different today.

Jan couldn’t put her finger on what it was, but yes, Anais seemed different.

As they glared at one another, Jan’s stare didn’t waver.

She wouldn’t be intimidated by the very woman who had stolen her husband.

Only as Jan stood here, she found a smile curling on her lips.

Anais may have stolen her husband, but after the last several weeks she’d spent getting to know Morgan, Jan was in some ways thankful for that.

Morgan had tilted everything Jan had ever known.

She had shown her what life could be like post-divorce…

even before the divorce had been finalised.

And instead of spending days, sometimes weeks, alone while Phil was out of the country on business, her evenings with Morgan were a refreshing change.

She turned and eyed Phil’s office door. The small square window in it gave Jan a glimpse inside, and she could just about see the top of Phil’s head. He would be on a call, he usually was, but Jan could wait. She didn’t exactly have anywhere pressing to be right now.

She stepped towards the door and knocked lightly.

Phil’s head shot up, he peered at her through the window, and then he waved her inside.

She entered quietly, took a seat, and waited for him to end his call.

When he did, Phil looked up at her with tired eyes.

Was he unable to sleep lately? Huh, Jan didn’t have that problem.

Perhaps it was the guilty conscience he possessed. “Jan, hi.”

“I won’t keep you long, I know how busy you are, but I just wondered if you had a few minutes to discuss the divorce?”

Phil nodded and lowered his eyes. “I was hoping you’d eventually change your mind, but as the weeks passed, I knew you wouldn’t be coming here to tell me you forgive me.”

“Is that what you need me to do in order for you to move on? Forgive you?” Jan didn’t have it inside her to forgive Phil right now, she wasn’t sure it would ever be possible, but she would lie if he desperately needed it from her.

“Your face has always given you away, so it’s no use lying to me.”

Jan nodded and watched Phil across his desk. He had something on his mind. Jan had spent long enough with him to know when he was stressed, and now was one of those times. Potentially the worst she’d seen him in many years. “Okay.”

“I…have something I need to say to you.” Phil clicked his pen, then set it down on top of the files in front of him. “Before we go any further. It’s pretty important.”

“What is it?” Jan straightened herself in her seat and watched her ex-husband expectantly. “Phil?”

“Anais is pregnant.”

Jan’s world slowed as she processed that information.

It would take far longer than a few seconds in Phil’s office.

This was going to require a lot of contemplation.

The only thing Jan knew in this moment was that she wouldn’t give Phil the satisfaction of watching her thoughts unfold via her face. “I see. Congratulations.”

“I’m sorry, Jan. None of this was ever meant to happen.”

“I assume you’ll be doing the decent thing and staying with her.”

Phil chewed his lip. “It wasn’t planned. I swear to you it wasn’t.”

“You’re no longer my husband or my responsibility, Phil. What you do with your life is none of my business. But if you’re doing this, if you’re ready to become a father, then I wish you the very best.”

“It’s going to change things with the divorce, obviously. I’ll have a child to take into consideration now.”

Jan could scream and shout, she could seethe and be bitter, but what was the point of that?

She would be the only one hurting. Not Phil or Anais.

And no matter what she thought about either of them, it wasn’t an unborn child’s fault.

“Can I give you my terms first and hope we can end this amicably?”

Phil rocked back in his seat, steepled his fingers, and nodded.

“I’d like you to give me whatever half of the house is worth. I don’t know if you plan to sell it or keep it for your new…family, but I had it valued while I was in Spain, and the estate agent believes we’d be looking at offers over eight hundred thousand.”

“You had it valued? And you’ve been to Spain?” Phil sat forward and perched his elbows on the desk. “Why didn’t I know about this?”

“Why would you have known about it? I’m not your wife anymore, Phil.

The sooner you realise and understand that, the sooner we can all move on with our lives.

” Jan crossed her legs and settled her hands on her knees.

“I’d also like to keep my position here at the office and remain a partner in the business. ”

“T-that’s it? That’s all you want?” Phil rubbed at his stubble, his brows drawn. “Half of the house and to keep your job?”

“My position , Phil. I built this business with you, and hell will freeze over before your new squeeze gets her hands on any of it. So, half of the value of the house and half of the business in the form of me remaining in my position as partner until I decide I no longer want to be here. If that day comes, you can buy me out.”

Phil nodded. “Okay.”

“When can I expect the money? I currently have nowhere to live…through no fault of my own.”

“I’ll have it sorted out by the end of the week. I’ll call the bank and have everything you need ready to go when you find a place you’d like to put an offer on.”

Well, that was that. Jan rose to her feet and smiled.

“Thanks. I’d like us to remain as calm as possible through this.

I have no desire to fight with you. I suggest you make sure Anais is on the same page as you regarding my position here, or you’ll both have one hell of a fight on your hands. Understood?”

Phil pushed his seat back and stood up. “I don’t want to fight with you either, Jan. I just want you to have what belongs to you.”

Jan took a step towards the door and looked back at Phil. “Did you have the affair with her because you wanted a family?”

Phil lowered his eyes as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. “Jan, I?—”

“You knew for over twenty years that I couldn’t have children.

You told me we were okay as a couple and that we didn’t need a child to complete us.

If you’d explained that you needed more, none of this would have happened.

I would have let you go to find someone who could give you what I couldn’t.

But to do it this way, to hurt me and humiliate me…

I can’t forgive you, Phil. I want to, I’ve spent the best part of my life so far loving you with everything I had inside of me, but I can’t. ”

“I fucked up, Jan.”

“You did.” Jan nodded. “And now , you have to step up.”

Jan pulled her shoulders back and walked out of Phil’s office. She didn’t look in the direction of Anais or any other employees, she simply strode out of the building and headed for her car. Once she was back in her hotel room, Jan could fall apart.

* * *

“Hey, Eric! Do you want another Guinness before I sit down for five minutes?”

Eric lifted his empty glass and nodded. “Go on then, love.”

Morgan smiled and went about the usual routine.

She poured half and left it to settle, wiping down the bar counter where a customer had recently vacated.

Could she drop Jan a message to say she was thinking of her?

She knew Jan was heading into the office today to discuss the divorce with Phil, but Morgan didn’t want to come across as though she was fishing for information.

Jan’s divorce wasn’t her business. Not at all.

She finished pouring Eric’s pint of Guinness and set it down in front of him.

He handed her a five-pound note, sending Morgan on her way with a wink.

She rung it up on the register, took her glass of lemonade from the shelf behind the bar, and perched herself on a stool.

She chose not to sit with the customers today.

She gave them enough of her attention when she was working her shifts.

Morgan just wanted a moment to herself. Yesterday, she had woken up in Spain, and right now…

she would rather be there. It hadn’t stopped raining all morning, but thank God the sun was beginning to break through the clouds.

As she reached for her phone, her brows rose. Jan had sent her a text about thirty minutes ago.

Are you free to talk? I’m on my way over x

Morgan would always make herself available. That wasn’t a question Jan ever needed to ask.

Of course. I’ll see you when you get here x

As Morgan locked her phone, Jan walked into the bar and headed directly for her. Honestly, she looked like she’d seen a ghost. “Hey, are you okay?”

Jan’s hand shook as she held on tightly to her handbag, frown lines between her brows concerning Morgan. “I, um…I’ve parked my car up outside. Will it be okay there until tomorrow?”