After Fifteen Years, I Learned I Was the Other Woman

Julian had already given someone else the life that should have been mine. He'd made me the outsider. And now I listened as he said:

"I figured, you know, you're getting older. Pregnancy would be hard on your body..."

Getting older.

Hard on my body.

What a joke.

"So," Julian looked at me, "I thought she could have the baby. It's really for your own good."

For my own good.

My nails dug into my palms hard enough to break skin, but I didn't feel a thing. He was still talking.

"Just forgive me! I'll agree to anything!"

"Anything?"

I swallowed every ounce of rage and met his eyes.

"Anything!"

A smile broke across my face. I rose from the couch, walked to the front door, and pulled it open. The person standing on the other side got the full force of that smile, which only widened.

"So. Did you catch all of that?"

"Who's the other woman here?"

I looked straight at Lucille, then pulled out my phone and turned it toward the screen, where Natalie was still on the video call.

"This footage goes out unedited. Every single word. Send it straight to the press."

"I don't care how much it costs. I want maximum exposure."

Then.

Someone seized my wrist and yanked me backward. I stumbled, caught my balance, and looked up into Julian's fury-filled eyes.

I smiled.

"Julian."

"You did something wrong."

"You don't get to walk away clean."

"So tell me. Are you satisfied with how this turned out?"