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Pulling into my garage, I let Sadie out into the yard to stretch her legs. Her tail wagged happily as she began her post-trip sniffing expedition. Despite the tension of seeing Andrew's truck, I found a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth watching Sadie. She had a way of making everything better, no matter the situation.
After scooping out the contents of my mailbox, I flipped through the stack of letters and bills, but my gaze kept sliding back to the monstrous truck, which was empty. A shiver ran down my spine. The realization crept up slowly, raising goosebumps on my arms. Andrew wasn't in the truck, which could only mean…
With my heart pounding in my ears, I rushed into the house, a silent prayer on my lips. As the door swung open, the sight that greeted me was like a punch in the gut. Andrew sprawled out on my couch, his eyes glued to my television. As if the invasion wasn't enough, he had the audacity to rearrange my carefully placed Christmas decorations!
Anger bubbled up from deep within, hot and raw. My fingers clenched around the stack of mail, the edges digging into my palm. My house, my sanctuary, violated by the one person I'd happily erased from my life, or so I thought.
I stood there in the doorway, my pulse thundering in my ears. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the confrontation. This was not how I planned to end my rejuvenating weekend, but then again, life had a funny way of testing my resilience.
The sight of the rearranged Christmas decorations was the final straw. He had invaded my home, my space, and I was not going to allow it any longer. I took a step forward, the familiar feeling of determination solidifying in my chest. If Andrew wanted a confrontation, he was going to get one.
He grinned like a wolf as he laid eyes on me. “Good to see you, gorgeous.” His eyes moved over my body in a way that made me sick to my stomach.
The memory of his deceit still stung. I remembered the countless arguments where he would spin my words, manipulating the narrative to make me second guess myself. It was classic gaslighting. Each time I accused him of infidelity, he would twist my words, undermine my confidence, and manipulate the situation until I doubted my own perceptions, making me feel likeIwas the one in the wrong.
But he had slipped up. I’d finally caughthim red-handed with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. I would never forget the look on his face that day, the shock in his eyes mirroring my own heartbreak. Andrew Paxton, the charismatic, smart, handsome man I had once loved, was nothing more than a cheater.
As I looked at him now, sprawled on my couch, my stomach churned with resentment. His charm had faded, replaced by the bitter taste of betrayal. His handsome features no longer appealed to me, only serving as a painful reminder of the heartbreak he'd caused. His intelligence, once so attractive, was now just a reminder of his manipulative tactics. The man I had once loved was gone, replaced by this stranger who bore his face.
Sadie dashed into the room, her barks echoing throughout the house., No doubt she felt the same way about him being there that I did.
Andrew narrowed his eyes. I see you’ve still got that damn, loud-ass dog." I felt a jolt of anger at his insolence.
"Get the hell off my couch and out of my house, Andrew," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
"But it used to beourhouse, Jude." An arrogant smile painted his face as he spoke.
"Not anymore." I countered his words sharply as I busied myself with putting my displaced Christmas decorations back in their rightful places. Each piece I touched brought an added layer of violation; this wasmyhome and he had intentionally invaded it.
"How did you even get in, Andrew? I changed the locks."
His smirk widened. "You didn't change the garage code, darling."
A wave of annoyance at myself washed over me. I had forgotten about the garage code, one more thing to add to my to-do list for the day.
"Why are you here, anyway?" I asked, my tone frosty.
He seemed to falter for a moment. "Your parents... they couldn't get a hold of you. They were worried so they called me to check on you, seeing as they're all the way in Oregon."
A pang of guilt hit me square in the chest. I should've called them the moment I'd descended the mountain and regained phone service. But my thoughts had been tangled in a web of confusion and indecision about Tony. I hadn't given a second thought to reaching out to my parents.
As I prepared to eject the prick from my house and hopefully my life, an unexpected sight appeared from around the hallway corner. It was none other than Ashley, the woman Andrew had cheated on me with, stepping out of the guest room.Myguest room—the one that until recently had housed a bunch of Andrew's old things.
She was pretty, undoubtedly so, with youthful exuberance radiating off her. She had that doe-eyed innocence that I remembered once possessing. Her wavy blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, complimenting the electric blue eyes that were currently wide with surprise.
Beneath that youthful, innocent facade something else lurked, a keen, calculated look in those striking eyes that immediately had me on guard. Ashley might’ve been young, far too young for Andrew, if you asked me, but she was no dummy. Her slender fingers clutched a cardboard box filled with what I instantly recognized as Andrew's belongings—a mixture of books, clothes, and old college trophies.
Ashley shifted under my gaze, a too-sweet smile playing on her lips. Her eyes flicked from me to the box in her hands and back again, the veil of innocence momentarily disrupted by what seemed like unease.
The sight of her, in my home, handling my ex-husband's belongings with a sense of ownership left an unpleasant taste in my mouth. There was an inherent audacity in her actions that caught me off guard, like she was claiming territory that was never hers to begin with. The gall of it was unbelievable.
"What is she doing here?" I asked, raising an accusing finger toward the other intruder. Neither one of them was invited nor belonged in my home. But at that moment, it didn't matter. What mattered was the intrusion, the violation I felt. Ashley, with her blonde hair, blue eyes, holding that box of Andrew's things, was the very embodiment of it.
A tide of fury swelled within me as I marched toward her, my gaze zeroing in on the box she cradled. Ignoring her shrill protests, I yanked the box out of her arms.
"Be careful," Ashley snapped, her eyes narrowing into slits. Her very presence oozed smug satisfaction, a woman who always got what she wanted and didn’t care about who got hurt in the process.
Peering inside the box, I was met with a familiar sight among Andrew’s belongings. My crystal wine glasses, each one carefully swaddled in my kitchen towels. A bitter laugh bubbled up from within me. These were not just any glasses; they were a wedding gift from Andrew's parents.
