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Trisha walked through the door a little after noon. “What are you doing home?” I asked her.
“I called the office and found out you went home sick,” she said. “You weren’t answering your cell. I was worried.”
“Here I am,” I said with a sigh.
She walked around the couch and sat down. “I take it you saw it?”
“You saw it?”
She grimaced and nodded. “Yes. What the hell?”
“I have no idea,” I said. “Everyone was right. He’s a player. He’s still the same guy Brandon said he was.”
“It could have been innocent,” she said. “Maybe a cousin or family friend? Did you ask him?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I was going to, but when I got to the office, he was on the phone. I heard him say my name and decided to do a little snooping. I picked up the other line and listened to his conversation.”
“Macy,” she chided. “You didn’t.”
“Yes, I did and I’m glad I did. It was all a setup. A revenge plot.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“He was talking to a friend or something,” I said. “He was bragging about how successful he was at fooling me. He set me up, and I’m so damn stupid, I fell for it.”
“I thought you already knew it was a setup,” she asked gently.
“I did, but I didn’t realize how calculated it was,” I replied. “He was laughing at me. That night in the hotel, I could have forgiven him for. I got it. I understood it. That was water under the bridge. But now to hear him laughing about it, I know it wasn’t over with that night. This whole thing was a game. He wanted to hurt me. He laughed about it, Trisha. He laughed!”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Did you talk to him? Confront him?”
“No, I just left.”
“Do you think he’s seeing the woman in the picture?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging. “Maybe. Probably. It’s not like he’s serious about me. He’s still the same guy. He had me on one side and this girl and maybe several others on the other side. I’m not special. I’m just the woman he wants to get revenge on.”
“I’m so, so sorry,” she said. “I can’t imagine what you’re feeling. Are you going to keep the job?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “It sucks because I really like the job. I like the people I work with. It’s a great job. I just don’t know how I can sit outside his office and cater to his every need while he sits in his office all smug and satisfied. He broke me and he doesn’t give a shit. How can I look at him and take care of him when I know what he did to me? The temptation to dump laxatives into his coffee is going to be very, very strong.”
“I’ll buy it,” she said.
She hugged me while I sobbed. My heart hurt. Everything felt like it was upside down. “I don’t understand,” I said. “I’m not a bad person. He’s treating me like I committed some heinous crime. Seriously, I walked out on him after what should have been a one-night stand. The dude needs to get over it.”
“I agree,” she said. “I’m so sorry I put you up for that job. I should have asked around. I should have known who he was. I wouldn’t blame you a bit if you quit. I’ll do my best to help find you another job. You don’t have to worry about rent. I’ve got it covered. I do not blame you a bit for not wanting to go back there. I don’t think I could do it. He used you. It’s unforgiveable.”
I wiped my tears away and took a deep breath. “I need to think about the next step.”
I reached for my phone and powered it on. I had shut it off immediately after leaving the office. He would want to know where I was. I couldn’t talk to him. It might have been a cowardly option, but it was the only thing I could think to do.
“I’ll pour you a glass of wine,” Trisha said.
As expected, there were several voicemails from Jon. He had texted several times as well. Trisha handed me the glass. “Has he called?” she asked.
“Yep,” I said and took a healthy sip. “I have nothing to say to him. Well, that’s not true. I have a lot to say to him, but he doesn’t deserve my time and energy. That feeds his revenge plan. He’s going to think he’s won. I have to find a way to rise above. That’s the best way to get back at him. If I let him see he got to me, that he hurt me, then he wins. He gets the satisfaction of screwing me over. I’m not going to let him win.”
“You have to take a step back,” she said. “Walk away. This game is going to kill you. It’s going to tax you. I think you just have to let it go.”
