15 Chapter 15

“You okay?”

“I’m fine, really.” Turning away, I took a deep breath and shook out my hands. “Do you know when she finally told me? Christmas Eve. She casually announced she was spending Christmas Day with Carmel. Carmel? Who the fuck was she?”

“Christmas Eve?”

I nodded. “The tree was decorated, presents wrapped. The fucking Christmas dinner was all ready to be cooked. And there was no escape after that. Oh, I moved out, sure, but I still worked with her, still saw her every day. I had to work my notice, I couldn’t just leave. I didn’t wantto leave.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I’m an idiot. Didn’t see it. Shanice and I were a solid couple in my eyes, as good as married. I mean, we’d been together nine years, had jobs together, a joint mortgage—you can see why I’d think that?”

“Of course.”

“Then she cheated, humiliated me. And she twisted it around to make it look like my fault, like I was this…this…stalkerclinging on to a dead relationship.”