I nodded as I closed my car door. “Jessica, hi.”
My throat felt like closing up. I had no reason to feel threatened by this woman, but with all that I’d experienced, coming face-to-face with her wasn’t exactly on my agenda.
“I hope now is not a bad time,” she began.
I shook my head. “No, just finished up for the day.”
She nodded. “Congratulations, by the way, on the exhibit. I hear it was a huge success. The press is eating it up as we speak.”
I nodded with a slight grin as an uncomfortable silence ensued. “Thank you.”
She said nothing else, and I rubbed my lips together. “Well, I have to get going. It was nice to see you,” I lied through my teeth as I made my way to my car door.
“He’ll move on, you know.”
Turning toward her, I furrowed my eyebrows as she gave a shrug. “When he ultimately finds a new obsession, a new woman to pine after, he’ll move on from you.”
“I have no clue what you’re even talking about,” I responded, attempting to calm my growing anger.
“I’m telling you, you’re not special, Rosenna. No woman is going to change Beckham, and you ruined your marriage in denial of that fact.”
“Are you sure thatyoudidn’t ruin my marriage thinkingyouwere special enough to be with my husband?”
“Only because his wife wasn’t tending to his needs,” she snapped back.
I narrowed my eyes at her as I stepped closer to her. “I’m sorry?”
“You didn’t play your role as a loving wife.”
“And I’m sure you’re proud of your role as the other woman and the homewrecker, right?” I retorted.
Jessica looked me up and down, a look of disgust passing in her eyes.
It was bold of her to come up to me like this, even bolder of me to put the assumption out there that I knew of her affair with Gavin.
“I gave your husband what he needed when you were too wrapped up in your own world to notice. He wants a woman who understands him—”
I cut her off. “Gavin doesn’t want someone to understand him. He wants someone he can control and who he can manipulate. My only regret in all of this was not being able to notice that fact sooner.”
“So you don’t regret ruining all that you’ve built for a man who will leave when his obsession dies out then?”
I let out a scoff. “No. I don’t regret it. I’m not perfect. Beckham isn’t perfect, and Gavin sure as hell isn’t. But I’d rather take a chance on somethingreal, something flawed, than stay trapped in a life built on lies and control. If my fucked-up marriage is the kind of relationship you’re happy to have broken apart, then by all means, let me celebrate with you, because I am fed up with all of this. Come to think of it, you actually did me a huge favor by showing me that the man I was with never loved me to begin with.”
Leaving her on the sidewalk, speechless, I walked over to the driver’s side of my car and got in, slamming my door.
Jessica knocked on the window.
I contemplated whether or not I would accept going to jail for running her over, but I decided against it as I rolled the window down reluctantly.
“All men are the same. Gavin moved on. And when Beckham is done with you, he’ll move on to.”
Ignoring her words, I reversed before pulling off, ignoring her smile of triumph.
The bathwater had gotten cold. I hadn’t even noticed how long I’d been sitting there, staring at the wall as I was lost in my thoughts.
Stepping out of the tub, I wrapped the towel around my body as I blew out my stress relief candle. Running my hands down my face as I stared into the mirror, Ibreathed in deeply, trying to calm my thoughts as Jessica’s words repeated in my mind.
He’ll move on, you know.
