“Addison,” I said, greeting my ex.
She was the polar opposite of Grace. Two-faced, tall, thin, and angular. Though she was conventionally pretty, she was lazy and had a bad attitude.
“Still working part-time at the bookshop?” I asked.
“It’s a major publishing house,” she bristled. “And funny you should ask, because I saw your dumpy little wife there today. She had a whole pile of condoms in her bag. Not your size.”
“Hm.”
Addison fumed when I didn’t give her the reaction she wanted.
“She’s cheating on you!” Addison insisted. “She’s not the woman for you. Clearly she doesn’t respect you.”
“You mean like you?” I asked acerbically, turning to Addison. “You pretended to love me. You sucked up to my friends and family and made everyone think you were so in love with me and wanted to build a life with me. Thank God my father dug into your bullshit and exposed the truth.”
“He fabricated that story!” Addison said, tearing up. “I would never!”
“If you’re over here thinking that you can tear Grace down to make me take you back, you’re not only an idiot, but a slimy cheater as well. You’re engaged, for God’s sake!”
“I don’t think you’re going to come back to me,” she said, furious. “But I have friends who would be better wives to you than Grace.”
“Like who?” I said dryly.
“Like Linneah.” She pointed.
“She’s married too!” I said, incredulous. “She is on that stupid show with me.”
“She doesn’t love her husband,” Addison insisted. “She would be a wonderful wife for a man like you.”
“A man with money,” I said, mouth turned down.
“Not like that. She just appreciates the finer things and won’t embarrass you.”
“Grace didn’t embarrass me.”
“You don’t love her,” Addison hissed at me. “She’s using you!”
“No, you were using me.”
Addison glared at me.
“I know you don’t believe me, Chris,” she said, switching tactics and resting a hand on my arm, “But I only want what’s best for you. I wasn’t using you, but I know plenty of girls who are using their husbands. They are acting just like Grace.”
She grabbed the lapels of my suit jacket.
“Get rid of her.”
But I didn’t want to.
33
Grace
“How many pictures are you going to take?” Chris asked above me as I rearranged the empty plates, cups, and some streamers around the tired dog. The dachshund wagged her tail at me.
“Tired puppy pics are gold,” I informed him. “Besides you can leave without me.”
He glowered down at me stubbornly. “No.”
