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I probably should’ve invested in therapy, but seeing how the bills were behind, I’d have to do what every other poor soul did—find TikToks where random people shared their therapists' advice and apply it to my life until I felt somewhat okay. A false Band-Aid of healing, if you will.
After work, I headed home and prepped for Sip & Dish. I made piña colada cocktails since the Real Housewives of New York were going on their group trip to an island that evening. It seemed very on-theme. Around seven, I was surprised when no one had arrived yet. Jenny was always on time. Rory and Rachel normally showed up early to any and every event.
I sent out a few text messages but received no replies.
Around seven thirty, Lori buzzed my door to be let inside the apartment building, easing my nerves. That was until she arrived at my door.
I smiled at my friend as she stood in the apartment hallway. “Hey, Lori! What’s going on? Everyone’s late and not answering my texts. The show already started, but I’m recording it so we can restart when—”
“We’re having Sip & Dish at Rory’s house tonight, Yara.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Oh? I didn’t get the update. I can grab my keys and head over—”
“You’re not invited,” she cut in.
“Wait, what?”
She frowned and shook her head slightly as she combed her red hair behind her ears. “Sweetie, we heard your divorce was finalized the other day.”
“Yeah, I know you heard that. I was the one who told you.”
“Exactly. We went along with everything over the past year because we truly thought you’d come to your senses and get back together with Cole. But when you didn’t…” She sighed. “Sip & Dish was started for the wives of the police department, Yara. For the wives,” she repeated as if she wanted to clarify that I was no longer a wife.
I stood a bit perplexed at what she was getting at. “I started the group.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “And you did great, trust me. But…you’re not a wife anymore.”
I snickered, stunned, as I shook my head. “You can’t be serious, Lori.”
“Unfortunately, I am. Plus, it does look a little bad with us girls hanging out with you. Our husbands all work with Cole at the department, and well, he’s heartbroken over this, Yara. Cole has always been such a stand-up guy. No one understands why you broke his heart like this.”
Then why don’t you marry the man, Lori Peterson?
I huffed, feeling tears burning at the back of my eyes. “He broke mine first.”
“How?” she asked. “He told me you blindsided him with the divorce. He told us he was in therapy and trying, and you didn’t care. You walked away as if he hadn’t given you an amazing life. How do you think that made him feel? You know… I wasn’t going to bring this up, but he mentioned that he feared you might’ve been seeing someone else. Is that true?”
Seeing someone else?
Me?
I laughed. I laughed so hard because I didn’t want to cry. I was stunned by the words she was saying. The lies Cole was spreading. He was making himself out as a good guy, and I turned out to be the story's villain.
“Is that right? Is that what he said?” I asked.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Lori said, shaking her head with a grimaced expression. “He said a lot more than that.” She leaned in and whispered. “Like how you only did missionary. That breaks my heart for him. A man can’t live on missionary alone. They have needs. You could’ve asked me for advice in the bedroom. My Eric and I are quite adventurous.”
My mouth couldn’t even form words to speak. Over the past year, I never uttered a bad word about Cole. I didn’t want to have the ladies form opinions on him based on my situation. I knew they all got along with him. Why wouldn’t they have loved him? He was great in the sunlight. It was in the shadows where he hurt me the most.
I didn’t want to be the ex who tainted someone’s name because they hurt me. I remained humble when they didn’t know my struggles behind closed doors. They didn’t know how cruel Cole could get. How he’d cuss me out before events just because he needed a punching bag. How he’d sometimes find it funny to judge my body during intimate moments. How he’d laugh when I’d cry. I was so good at hiding it from the rest of the world while he crashed his rage and humiliation against me. I was so good at protecting his image as he quietly destroyed mine.
Yet this whole time, he was out on a smear campaign. He spread vile lies about me to make himself the hero of some fictional story.
And why was he speaking to Lori about our intimate sex life? That crossed a million lines and made me feel more vulnerable than ever. I might as well have been standing there naked in front of Lori because of how much embarrassment I was dripping in.
