My stomach drops. Oh my goodness, did Mitch tell him about last night? Does he know everything that almost happened?
It takes me a moment to get my next words out of my dry mouth.
“Did....Did Mitch tell you that?”
“Mitch?” The name comes out in disgust. “No, Mitch didn’t tell me. Cameron told me.”
There is a moment of relief that washes over me. That is until he opens his mouth to speak again.
“Do you think now is a good time for you to be dating?”
My thoughts come to a screeching halt like a record scratch. Is he serious?
“And why wouldn’t it be?”
He gives one of those condescending laughs that really pisses me off.
“I mean really, Ella? You're trying to date right after I make the announcement I’m getting married? We both know what this is about.”
“No, we don’t. How about you enlighten me?”
I pull into my driveway and turn my car off.
“Look,” he gives another one of his chuckles. “You need to be focused on the things that matter. Like that little business you started. See, that’s the reason I never agreed to open up that bakery with you. You don’t know the first thing about running a business.”
I shut my eyes as the anger rose in me. Andrew has always known about my bakery dream. It’s the main reason I got a business administration degree with a minor in accounting. He knew from the very beginning that it was what I wanted. My dreams got a little off track after I got pregnant with AJ.
However, years later, when we were a little more established, I went to my husband with my business plan and asked if he’d partner with me to start my dream. He turned me down. Told me it wasn’t the right time. Of course, it was never the right time for him. So for him to bring it up now only pisses me off more.
“I may not know the first thing about it, but after a few months of taking orders online, I’ve paid off my car, remodeled my new home, and taken care of my household all without your income. It’s been so successful that I didn’t need your alimony and your child support goes into savings accounts for your boys.”
I used the lump sum of money I received from the sale of our large marital home to buy my current house. The rest of the money is put away in a savings account for a rainy day. Granted, my job as a medical receptionisthelps keep my bills paid, but that online money has been a large boost.
“I didn’t call to argue—”
“Are you sure about that?”
That’s exactly what he called to do. This argument just didn’t go the way he had planned. Every time I fight back against his bullshit, he tries to change the subject.
“No, I didn’t. I have better things to do.”
I roll my eyes at his bullshit.
“I’m trying to help you out since you are the mother of my children and you don’t know any better. You shouldn’t be out there dating. Men are going to take advantage of you. All they want is sex, Ella. No one is looking to commit.”
“And maybe that’s all I want.”
The line went silent. Look, I was lying, but I was tired of him dumping his bullshit on me. I didn’t need his advice, especially when my first date had already proven to be awful. And hey, what if all I got from these dates was some good dick? I’m not mad at that either.
“Wow! Is that the type of woman you’ve turned into? I thought you had more respect for yourself than that. I guess I left you at a good time.”
“I guess you did. Goodbye, Andrew.”
I quickly pressed the end call button on my phone. It's in moments like this that I miss those flip phones where you could simply snap the phone closed to hang up on a caller. I refused to let him take up anymore of my thoughts. He didn’t deserve my time or attention.
Grabbing my purse off the passenger seat and my phone out of the cup holder, I climb out of my car and shut the door.
“El,” Mitch calling my name nearly causes me to stop, but there is no way I was facing that man right now. I lift my phone to my ear.
