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“It only feels weird because you’re making it weird. Go. Have fun. Have a conversation with an adult that’s not your family for a change.”
“He most probably won’t call. I’m sure it was one of those in-the-moment ‘we should catch up’ deals, but then nothing happens.”
“Maybe. But if he calls, you should go. How did your meeting go?”
“Awful.” I sigh. “It made me sick having to think of custody, splitting our lives apart, and who gets what. It makes it all too real, you know?”
Her eyebrows draw together and her mouth turns down.
“Don’t you dare do that. Wipe that sympathy right off your ugly face.”
She gives a little laugh. “What? You want me to laugh instead?”
“No, I want you to look all vengeful and shit.”
The way her face contorts has us both in stitches.
***
Lucas
The adrenalin pumping through my bloodstream is heady, and the high I’m getting from it is almost indescribable. On the outside, I’m relaxed, my body reclining against the sofa, but inside, I’m vibrating with anticipation. I had impatiently counted down the hours, hardly being able to concentrate on any of my meetings. It’s not like me to be so distracted at work. Usually, I’m able to compartmentalize, put things in a box where they belong until I’m able to unpack them and give them the attention they deserve. But the anticipation of what I’m about to do has made that impossible.
I had warned her. I warned her to stay away from Alexis, that I would destroy her if I saw her anywhere near Alexis again, but she didn’t listen. In fact, she went out of her way to hurt her, to destroy my marriage. So now, I’m going to destroy her life.
A better man than me would feel bad for what I’m about to do, but that’s not me. I had a feeling that Monica wouldn’t just quietly disappear, so I got Clayton to do some digging on her. Clayton is a guy we’ve used in the past to dig up information on potential clients we were unsure about to see if they’re on the up and up. He’s extremely good at his job, and if there’s any dirt, he’ll find it. And what he found was a goldmine. A goldmine that got my senses tingling and encouraged me to do a little breaking and entering. I knew my instincts were justified when I saw what was on the pink glittery flash drive I found in a shoe box stuffed in the back of her closet. It gave me the last piece I needed to keep my promise of destroying her. Initially, I wanted something on her I could use to force her compliance, but she beat me to the punch. So, instead of blackmail, I’m going to pull the trigger and watch while her life goes to hell.
I hear a key in the lock, and my heart beats faster in anticipation. Nineteen times I’ve been here, give or take, and thank fuck, this will be the last time.
Monica startles when she sees me reclining in her lounge, letting out a small scream. I grin, enjoying her momentary fear. It’s just a small taste of what’s coming, and I’m reveling in it.
“What are you doing here?” There’s not a trace of concern on her tight expression as she places her bag and keys on the kitchen counter, watching me out of the corner of her eyes. That will change. Soon.
“I thought we could talk.”
“About what?”
I motion for her to sit down, and she does, taking her time. She slowly crosses her legs, giving me a glimpse of the lace between her legs, her already short skirt riding up. Her lips tip up when she notices where my gaze is. I lift my gaze to meet hers, making sure the disdain I feel is firmly in place. It’s ridiculous how she still thinks she can tempt me.
“I made you a promise, remember?” I watch as the thoughts spin through her mind.
“You made a lot of promises. Which one exactly are you talking about?”
I bark out a laugh. “I promised you nothing. Except for one thing.”
She arches an eyebrow, waiting for me to go on. Instead, I look around her lounge, taking everything in.
“It never made sense to me. How you could live the way you do on a Hostess’ salary. I didn’t pay any attention to it because, quite frankly, I couldn’t give a shit about your life. Then you messed with Alexis, and I really started paying attention. This place, the rental alone costs more than what you earn in a month. You can probably afford the payments for that Mustang you drive, but that wouldn’t leave much left over,” I muse.
She frowns and sits a little straighter.
“Your furniture. It’s not your run-of-the-mill stuff. And your clothes, definitely not items you’d buy at Target.” I wait a few beats, watching her closely. “So tell me, how exactly can you afford all of this?”
She crosses her arms, her face defiant. “It’s none of your business, seeing that you made it quite clear you want nothing to do with me.”
I lean forward, resting my arms on my legs. “But it is, you see. The moment you fucked with Alexis, you made it my business.”
“You forced me to do it,” she sneers. Finally, her carefully crafted facade she presents to the world cracks, allowing her true nature to shine through. “You thought you could use me, make me think there was something between us, then discard me like I meant nothing and run back to your precious wife. Well, it doesn’t work that way. You can’t play with me and expect there to be no consequences.” She glares at me, a snarl twisting her mouth, venom coating each of her words.
