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Archie thought he could get over her. He fell for a girl and married her, but it didn’t last. She would never be good enough. Not when he was thinking of Tabitha half the time. He was surprised his ex never caught him jerking off to one of her pictures.
Fuck.
He was messed up.
They could have been great together if he would have just said something.
Too fucking late now.
“I’m going to go and say a few more hellos. It was so good seeing you though.” He stood from the chair.
“Yeah.” Tabitha nodded. “You too.” She sighed with a smile.
He needed to walk away before he said something and ruined her marriage too. The idea of flirting with her and pushing her buttons came too easily. He didn’t deserve her. Archie shook his head as he moved to talk to someone else. Anyone else.
CHAPTER7
TABITHA
The ring light blinded her as she stepped closer to press the button to stop the recording. She dimmed the light before turning it off, then spun her camera around to send herself the footage and back it up. It was muscle memory as her finger moved across the screen.
Her phone buzzed nearby with notifications, but she ignored them as she walked across the room to her beauty station. She carefully removed the new wig and peeled off the fake lashes. Small steps to transform her into many of the characters she portrayed online.
After taking off the rest of her makeup and setting the costume aside with the others, she closed the door behind her and walked down the hall to her master suite. There was nothing wrong with what she was doing; she knew that. She loved dressing up and becoming a character she admired from books, movies, and games.
It was a solitary career, not that it started that way. It was supposed to be a way to have fun dressing up and escaping as a different character, and it was… most of the time. Sure, she’d collabed with some amazing people over the last few months and gotten to take a few incredible trips. It was all that she had right now though, and she didn’t know if that was enough.
Tabitha never thought she would be without a family in her thirties. Yet here she was, thirty-two and a divorce that had barely gone through. The ink was probably still drying from when they settled things last week.
No kids, even though she’d always wanted them. There was no way she could bring one into this world with her ex. The idea of being near family often had her considering moving back home, but she wasn’t ready. It was easier to hide her down days when she wasn’t around others. Her business was the only thing she could immerse herself in, so she did. She used it because it was the only thing she had. Her numbers grew because of it.
If she wasn’t staying busy making content or brainstorming for it, she would focus on the last ten years of her life. It was easier to stay upbeat and pretend everything was good if she stayed busy.
The signs were there from the beginning, but she ignored them. Even a few close friends had mentioned something about her ex, but she ignored them. She wanted to be loved and Ryan had put on this front. She believed the lies.
She should’ve known it was too good to be true.
She was destined to be a cat lady, and not in the good way like Catwoman.
Something that should’ve been wrapped up within a week, days even, took months. The selfish, entitled asshole drug out the divorce the entire time. He spewed more false promises at first, as if he could change. Then he got smart about it, unfortunately for her.
It took most of that time to come up with enough blackmail to have him back off. He wanted everything she’d worked for. She threatened to give it all up, but he called her bluff. Tabitha loved the community she’d found, especially in a time where she felt alone at home.
Ryan was always traveling for work. He was hardly home for a while until she started getting invited to go places. Then it mattered. Appearances mattered to him. As soon as a few events and red carpet moments were involved, he cared.
A crash sounded from the other side of the house, and she froze in fear. Nobody was home but her. She didn’t have any pets either.
Chills ran up her spine and the hair on the back of her neck rose to attention. She covered her mouth and nose in an attempt to quiet her breathing before creeping out of her room and back to her office. Her phone and the hidden panic button in her house were both in her closet, not doing her any good at the moment.
She kept her feet light on the hardwood floor as she cautiously stepped down the hall. Her hands fisted at her sides to keep from shaking. If she could just reach her office, she could lock herself inside and call for help. She rounded the corner and sighed in relief as she approached her phone.
She turned to close the door, but a large figure in a dark ski mask was holding a gun to her face.
“Not a sound.” The voice was altered beneath the mask, as if wearing something under there to distort their tone.
Her heart raced as she heard more steps behind her. Someone else was in the room. Tabitha had never feared for her life more than at that moment. Laughter came from behind her as she felt a hand cover her mouth and nose.
Her reflex was to scream, but she inhaled a sweet smell from the cloth covering the hand on her face.
