And I can seeeverything. Her gorgeous black hair and designer clothes. Her lithe body and perfect tan. Those expensive black and red heels with the French name I can’t pronounce.
Then the kissing starts. She’s moaning and telling him how much she missed him. Telling him how she never wants to spend that much time apart again. Saying how much she loves their new house. How she’s going to make it their home.
Does she mean this house? Is thistheirhouse?
Nausea overrides my senses, and suddenly, I’m suffocating. Cold sweat breaks out on my body, and I swallow—hard—so I don’t throw up in that asshole’s new Nikes, which are sitting at my feet.
“Are those balloons in the living room for me?” the woman asks excitedly in between attacking his face.
No, bitch. They’re not.
“You know it,” the liar says.
“And the Ranger tickets too?”
He laughs awkwardly, and his body turns toward the closet where he can probably feel me holding up my two middle fingers. Because he knows I don’t have any money, but I spent what little I did on him. To make today special. Because I, Tori Duran, am a dumbass.
At least he has the decency to look sheepish.
He coughs. “Yeah, honey. They’re for you. Thought we should enjoy a game together for once.”
I wipe away the hot tears spilling down my cheeks.
She “awws,” and I want to stab them both with her expensive heels.
“I can’t believe you got me presents onyourbirthday. We’ll get a babysitter and make a night of it!”
He’s seeing a woman with kids?
Except my horror isn’t over yet. No, it’s when she chirps, “I tell my friends that I have the best husband in the whole world!”
Jesus Christ.
It starts to sink in, and my world tilts on its axis.
Because she’s not the other woman.
I am.
My stomach rolls, and acid lurches up the back of my throat. I slide to my knees and brace myself against the wall, but I can’t tear my eyes away from the nightmare unfolding in front of me.
She pushes him down onto the bed and nestles herself over his body, and he moans the same way he did a few minutes ago when he was touching me.
Except now?
Now he’s fucking his wife.
Tori
One year later
There are a lot ofshouldsin this world.
Like…
Ishouldclean this pigsty of an apartment.
Ishouldeat at least one vegetable this week.
