Chapter 6
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It was my best friend, Diana Yates. Her excited voice burst through the line the second I picked up. “Annie, I’m home.” “No way?” Instantly, my lingering sadness disappeared. I’d felt her absence deeply since she moved overseas three years ago -she was my confidante and my favorite shopping partner. I’d missed her so much.
She smiled, “My flight just landed. I’m gonna crash at home for a bit, but we have to meet up tonight, okay?”
“Yes, absolutely,” I laughed, the excitement carrying me until I ended the call.
And then, reality crashed down. I wasn’t free anymore. I needed Charles’s permission to go out tonight. Given how difficult. he’d become, the chances of him agreeing felt slim.
Frustration curled in my chest. I sighed, pushing the thought away. I’ll just have to figure it out later.
*****
Time had flown by while I was asleep. I woke up and it was already after six. When I asked Bella, she said Charles still hadn’t come back. Then Diana texted me an address to some bar and said she was waiting for me there.
I was about to head out when I remembered what Charles told me before he left. He was my sponsor now; pissing him off was the last thing I wanted. So I figured I’d better check when he was coming back first.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled forever, almost to the bottom of my chats, before I found his name.
Looking back, I’d never actually messaged him first. Our chat was pretty much blank except for the friend request notification. I wasn’t even sure if he still used this account.
After a second, I sent him a cute emoji.
To my surprise, he replied right away, but all he sent was: [?]
I had no idea what that was supposed to mean. The instant reply made me wonder if it was really him. So I wrote back: [Charles?]
Charles: [Hmm.]
Oh my, it really was him. I didn’t expect him to be so free that he’d reply within seconds. He was a busy CEO now, no?
I’d typed out: [Can I go clubbing with Diana tonight?] But right before hitting send, I deleted it.
No way. Charles had always hated my going to bars and clubs. Back in the day, if he couldn’t talk me out of it, he’d just follow me and wait outside like a statue.
But now things were different. If I told him, he’d probably lose it.
So after a moment, I asked: [When are you coming back?] and tacked on another cute emoji.
Charles: [What? Didn’t get enough last night? Want me now?]
I almost choked reading that. He always came off as so gentle, quiet, and reserved, but now he was texting like this? Seriously?
Thinking about how wild he was last night, my face went completely red. I’d had no idea he had this in him.
1/3
3:48 am Pppp.
Chapter 6
Just as I was trying to figure out how to respond, my phone rang. It was him.
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My heart skipped a beat. I picked up immediately. Ugh, it was ironic. In three whole years of marriage, we never once called. each other. Honestly, it never really felt like we were a real couple.
“Why are you suddenly asking what time I’ll be back? Is something wrong?” Charles’s voice was cool and detached, completely at odds with the flirty text he’d just sent.
I forced a light laugh and put on my sweetest tone. “Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know if you’d be home for dinner. Thought I might cook something.” Truth be told, I was really hoping he’d say no.
“Charles?” A woman’s voice floated through the phone before he could respond.
I froze. Was that his first love? Is he with her right now?
“Don’t bother. I’ve already eaten. Don’t wait up. Just go to bed,” he said coldly.
“Oh… okay,” I mumbled, but he’d already hung up.
Well, he was with his beloved. Of course he wasn’t coming home. I should have been happy about it, but instead, I just felt hollow.
I shook it off, threw on a slinky dress, and got ready to go out.
That was the reality of it. Charles got his precious first love back. And I was just the affair, the temporary entertainment. He’d dump me the moment he was bored or his little game was over. So I absolutely couldn’t catch feelings. Ever.
Once I reminded myself of that cold, hard truth, I felt a whole lot better.
It was just a little past seven in the evening, still early for the bar scene. The place was quiet, not yet buzzing with the night crowd.
I spotted Diana as soon as I walked in, waving enthusiastically. She hadn’t changed a bit in three years, with the same short hair, sharp eyes, and a laugh that suggested nothing in the world could bring her down.
Diana always used to say she had a tomboy vibe that guys just didn’t get. She called me the “classic beauty” with the kind of curves that turned heads. She was convinced I’d end up with the perfect guy.
So when I married Charles, she lost it. She said it was like putting a vintage gown on a scarecrow.
Now looked at us. Charles was some untouchable business tycoon, and I was basically the dirt under his shoe. How times changed. Just thinking about it made me sigh.
“Annie, I heard what happened with your family as soon as I got back,” Diana said, pulling me in the moment I reached her. “Are you okay? Whatever you need, just say the word.”
I smiled, “It’s all taken care of. Really.”
But she pushed a card into my hand anyway. “There’s a million in there. Use it if you need to.”
I tried to give it back. Diana’s family might be loaded, but her stepmom made her fight for every penny. No way was I taking
her money.
She didn’t press further but huffed, “So… I heard Charles divorced you?”
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Chapter 6
I paused. Guessed Charles had already spread the news. Shrugging, I said with a nod, “Yeah.”
“That bastard,” she exploded. “He dumps you the second he makes it big?”
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“What did you expect?” I patted her shoulder lightly, almost amused. “After how I treated him back then, I’m lucky all he did was divorce me.” I didn’t mention the part about being his mistress. No need to set her off even more.
Diana sighed, “You know what? Forget him. I never liked him anyway. You’re better off.”
Then her eyes lit up, and a sly grin spread across her face. “So… do you still like Ethan?”
Before I could even answer, she gushed, “I ran into him at the airport today. He was just flying back too. I invited him. He should be here any minute.”
My stomach dropped. She invited Ethan.
“Annie!” A voice I hadn’t heard in years called out from behind me.
B
