When I returned with a second cup of coffee and nestled back into my chair, she asked, “So what now? I’m sure you’ve been thinking about it.”
I sighed and then laughed to myself. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know? Surely you’re not considering a future with Rory.” She tilted her head to the left and asked with one raised eyebrow, “Are you?”
I avoided her eyes and drank my coffee.
“As your best friend, I will rip the Band-Aid off here and now. Right now. Rory Simpson is not good for you. What happened yesterday is a signal you need to make a move. The Big Man upstairs is giving you an out.” She hit me on the leg. “Don’t you dare think of forgiving Rory for this.” She added with disgust, “He’s the devil.”
“It’s so easy for you to say, Erica. The ink was barely dry on your divorce papers when you stumbled upon one of the most amazing men in America. That doesn’t happen for everyone.”
“Oh, so I’m the only woman in the world who will ever find true love?”
“It’s not black and white. What if Rory is my true love? We all make mistakes.”
Erica shook her head. “This isn’t you. Margot Simpson would never forgive her husband for cheating. You deserve so much more. Are you going to stay married to a man you, yourself, call the Dream Killer?”
“Like I said, it’s not black and white.”
“Help me understand then,” she said. “Because from where I’m sitting, I see you as a damaged woman whose been broken by a first-class jerk husband who doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you.”
“What if I leave Rory and die a lonely death?” I asked. “What if…what if I never meet someone else? I’m not the kind of person who can be alone forever.”
She raised her hand in the air, her long slender fingers tightened into talons. “You’re not the kind of person who settles. A man is out there waiting for you. Trust me.”
“You don’t know that,” I said, pulling the blanket up farther. “Besides, it’s not about me anyway. It’s about Jasper. I don’t want him growing up without a father. Even if Rory is not himself lately.”
“Not himself? He’s the same asshole I’ve always known.”
“He used to be different,” I said. “He’s different around me.”
“That’s what every abused woman in America says.”
“I’m not abused. He made a mistake.”
“You might not be physically abused, but you have to know you’re emotionally abused. Jasper would be way better off being raised by you alone. The less Rory rubs off on him, the better. And I don’t want to hear all this fear about you not finding anyone else. It’s about you, too, Margot. You need to be happy. What? Do you want to raise Jasper in a sad home? That boy deserves better than that. A happy broken home is better than what you’d give him if you stayed with Rory. I can’t believe you. How could you even consider staying? This ‘thing’ would always be in your home, like a hovering dark ominous cloud.”
I picked up Philippe and hugged him tight. “Your divorce was different. You guys were a disaster. Talk about abusive. You were abusing each other. I’ve never seen a couple fight so much. Rory and I aren’t like that. We never fight. He’s just overworked.”
Erica raised her voice. “Overworked? The reason you two don’t fight is because you’re not even living in the same universe. You tell me all the time he doesn’t even see you!”
I audibly exhaled and squeezed Philippe tighter.
Erica sighed. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t need all this right now. I know you’re falling apart. I just…I care about you, honey. Rory is a selfish prick, and he’s never deserved you. Don’t even think this was an isolated incident. Cheaters always cheat. He’s probably been cheating on you for years.”
“That’s not true.”
Erica shook her head. “Don’t fool yourself.”
“You don’t know him like I do.”
“Even if yesterday was the first time, it won’t be the last. Not if you give him another chance.”
Was she right? Had this been going on for a long time? Had I been living my life in ignorant bliss? I couldn’t voice my thoughts to Erica. I ran my fingers along Philippe’s snout. “What would you have me do, Erica? What would I do with my life? I’ve dedicated the better part of twenty years to this family and living in this town. Should I just walk away? Grab Jasper and try to start over in a new town somewhere? Leave my best friend? Leave my home?”
“That’s exactly what I think you should do, and if you could see clearly and stop feeling sorry for yourself, you’d realize that’s what you’re supposed to do. Go open that bed-and-breakfast you won’t stop talking about! Go start over. Look at you. You’re the catch of a lifetime. Rory is the only one who doesn’t see it. He’s an effing idiot.”
I rolled my eyes.
