AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She’s already dating.
How could this be happening?
The slider door opens, and I take a spoonful of my now-cold soup, straining for nonchalance. I nearly gag when I try to swallow.
“Everything okay?” she asks, her tone wary.
She knows. She knows I was eavesdropping, and it somehow doesn’t matter. Nothing is as I thought it was.
I haven’t made progress with her. This whole time, she was only humoring me. Her soft heart made her tread lightly because she didn’t want to crush me.
“I’m fine,” I say quickly.
She takes her seat across from me, but I can’t look at her yet. I don’t want to see her expression. I don’t want to see the ghost of a smile left after talking to the man who might be her future. I don’t want to see those cheeks still flushed from when he made her laugh.
I want to haul her over my shoulder and carry her upstairs intoourbedroom. I want to show her with my cock who still owns her. Who will always own her.
Except I don’t own her. In my stupidity, I’d assumed she’d never leave, and I let my rage and agony consume me.
This is the consequence. I’ll be watching her move on. Watch another man take my place.
“I have to go,” I say, nearly jumping from my seat. My thigh knocks the table, making my bowl clatter. “I’m not feeling well.”
She frowns, and I catch a flash of pity in her eyes. “Is there anything I can get for you?”
I’m only able to shake my head. I’m afraid my voice might break if I speak.
CHAPTER3
Whitney
“He said he was sick?”Lisa asks as the manicurist sets her feet in a small bubbling tub.
Getting pedicures together has become our weekly routine since Mark and I split up. One of the many luxuries about being newly single is that I get to vent to my best friend in public about my soon-to-be ex-husband without the fear of stirring town gossip.
It’s exhilarating to think about how something like that used to terrify me. Mark is well-known in Santa Barbara because of Walker Industries. The humiliation of everyone knowing about his affairs used to haunt me.
No longer giving a fuck makes me feel like a queen.
“He said he wasn’t feeling well and left without a goodbye.”
Lisa narrows her eyes. “He was listening by the door.”
I frown. “I didn’t see him in the family room. I think he might have gone outside to listen.”
“Creep.”
The manicurist hovers over my feet, massaging in lotion. I lean back into the cushioned seat and hum. “If he did, I’m glad. The sooner he realizes I’m moving on, the better. We have only two weeks before the Christmas Ball.”
“Speaking of the ball.” Lisa grins. “We should start looking for dresses. I want him to eat his heart out.”
I sigh. “It’s weird… I thought I would, too. When he first locked me into this agreement, I thought it would be satisfying to force him to see how well I’m doing. I saw it as his punishment for manipulating me.”
“Are you saying it’s not satisfying? Because it’s the most entertainment I get every week.”
I shut my eyes as the manicurist massages the ball of my foot and sends pleasant tingles up my leg. “It’s not anymore. It’s just sad. He’s really not doing well.”
“Good. Don’t feel guilty. It’s not your fault he threw away your marriage. Don’t let anything get in the way of your self-care.”
