Mike, a quiet guy in her econ class, noticed her right away but kept his distance. To him, Jessica was like a Rocky Mountain peak—beautiful, daunting, untouchable. Her roommate Sarah teased her constantly about her laser focus.
“Jess, you’re gonna crash!” Sarah said, lounging with a latte. “Come on, let’s grab burgers at The Hill!”
“And who’s passing my poli-sci midterm?” Jessica shot back, her nose in her notes, a half-eaten granola bar by her side.
Her professor, Dr. Harris, was a grump who thought students were coasting. Jessica sat front row, firing questions, debating points, and proving she knew her stuff. By semester’s end, Harris gave her the only A, muttering she was “a rare one.” Mike worked up the nerve sophomore year, catching Jessica after she nailed her finals. He stammered a congrats outside the lecture hall, his warm brown eyes making her heart skip.
“Uh, thanks,” she said, blushing, unused to the flutter in her chest.
Her friends ambushed her later at the dorm, giggling over pizza. “Oh my gosh, Jess!” Sarah squealed. “Mr. Shy finally made a move? We thought he’d just keep mooning over you from the quad!”
“He’s been watching me?” Jessica laughed, her cheeks hot.
“Yup, and he’s the dean’s kid!” Sarah said. “His mom’s Linda Carter, that terrifying econ professor. You snagged the golden ticket!”
“The dean’s son?” Jessica’s eyes widened. “No kidding.”
Linda Carter, a recently retired professor, was a nightmare—flunking half her class, nitpicking every answer. Jessica studied harder for econ than anything, but Linda always found a flaw. She retook the final twice, fielding brutal extra questions to earn a B. If Linda had known Jessica was dating Mike, that B would’ve been a D. Linda’s disapproval stemmed from more than Jessica’s tenacity. Years earlier, Linda’s husband had left her for a younger woman—a sharp-witted grad student much like Jessica. The betrayal left Linda bitter, seeing in Jessica the same ambition and charm that had upended her own life. She never said it outright, but her barbed comments about “pushy” women hinted at a wound that hadn’t healed.
By senior year, Mike proposed over tacos at a spot overlooking the Flatirons, the mountains glowing in the sunset. Jessica, in grad school for public policy, said yes without hesitation, her heart soaring. They skipped a fancy wedding—money was tight—and went for a courthouse ceremony, followed by wings and beers at a dive bar with friends, their laughter echoing into the night. Mike held off introducing Jessica to Linda, knowing her sharp tongue would spark trouble. He’d heard her rant about “that know-it-all girl” in her class, and Jessica had vented about Linda’s unfair grading. Keeping them apart was smarter.
“Mike, you’re marrying her?” Linda snapped when he told her, two days before the courthouse. “That girl from my class? The one who thinks she’s smarter than everyone?”
“Mom, she’s not like that,” Mike said, frustrated. “You don’t know her.”
“I know plenty,” Linda shot back. “She’s all ambition, no heart. You deserve better.”
“You’ve never given her a fair shot!” Mike said. “You just hate that she stands up to you.”
Linda’s disapproval hung heavy, but Mike and Jessica forged ahead, renting their LoDo apartment to build their life. When Emily was born three years later, she was Mike’s spitting image—curly brown hair, dimpled grin. Linda softened toward her granddaughter but kept Jessica at arm’s length, tossing shade about her remote job as a policy analyst.
“Working from home, huh?” Linda smirked at a family tailgate, her voice dripping with judgment. “Just tapping a laptop? Guess anyone could do that.”
“Actually, Mom,” Mike countered, “her firm recruited her. She’s damn good.”
Jessica wasn’t thrilled about Emily’s weekends at Linda’s Boulder condo, but Mike insisted it was good for their daughter to bond with her grandma. Jessica suspected Linda was badmouthing her, whispering doubts to Emily during those visits. She’d overheard Emily once mimic Linda’s tone, saying, “Mommy’s always so busy,” and it stung. But Mike brushed it off—until Emily’s “Uncle Pete and Vic” bombshell. As his face darkened, Jessica felt a wave of betrayal, not from him, but from whoever planted this lie in their daughter’s head.
“Mike, I swear, no one was here,” Jessica said again, her voice trembling with hurt, her eyes searching his. “You know me. I’d never risk what we have.”
Mike nodded, his anger easing, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “Let’s ask her,” he said, opening Emily’s door. She was curled up with her doll, watching Bluey on her tablet, the familiar theme song filling the room.
“Em, honey,” Mike said, kneeling, his voice soft, “where’d you hear about Uncle Pete and Uncle Vic?”
“It’s a secret,” Emily mumbled, eyes on her tablet, clutching Barbie tighter.
“Sweetie, you can tell Mommy and Daddy anything,” Jessica said, sitting beside her, stroking her hair. “We won’t share it.”
Emily glanced up, her big eyes hesitant. “Grandma told me,” she whispered. “She said not to tell you.”
Mike’s face froze. Jessica’s heart sank, but relief washed over her too—it was Linda, not Emily’s imagination. “Grandma said that?” Mike asked, keeping his voice gentle.
“Yeah,” Emily nodded. “She told Aunt Karen, then me, to say it. Said it was important ’cause Mommy’s not good for you.”
Jessica leaned close to Mike, her voice a whisper. “I knew it. She’s trying to tear us apart.”
Mike sighed, his jaw tight. “I’m sorry, Jess. I didn’t think she’d stoop to using our kid. That’s unforgivable.”