CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The second Seth disappeared behind his office door, I let out the breath I was holding.
I was quaking with so much pent-up adrenaline and rage that I shook out my hands, which tingled with the effort not to throw hands.
I needed to get out of here. Forget waiting to get my life in order. I needed out, and I needed out now.
A feeling of absolute dread started to take root in the pit of my stomach, and I wanted no part of what was to come.
I had enough money saved to stay at a cheap hotel until I could figure out my living situation.
I just needed to grab the most important items like my laptop, purse, and phone—and pack a few items of clothing that would last me a few days.
Decision made, I hurried the rest of the way down the hall and grabbed the bag I’d left by the door, quickly rifling through it to make sure I had my laptop and all my essential supplies for work.
Satisfied with my search, I turned, then halted as I came face to face with a smirking Lacey.
Lacey was bombshell-gorgeous, with big blue eyes and long blonde hair.
She was tall and toned, with surprising curves that wouldn’t look out of place at a Victoria’s Secret runway show.
She was twenty-two and had recently graduated from college, where she promptly secured the position of Seth’s assistant, and her presence had been a constant in my life ever since.
Even before I knew Seth was involved with her, she was always around.
From the late-night phone calls and texts to her boss, to her conveniently showing up whenever Seth and I went out on a date, to dropping off his files at home in the late hours of the night or early hours in the morning.
At which point she would have breakfast in hand, ready and waiting for him to get dressed and get out of the house.
The way I saw it, she was more of a wife to him than I was.
They were constantly around each other, so in some twisted way, I guess it made sense they ended up together.
Seth clearly had no values or self-respect, and Lacey willingly got with a married man.
It was a match made—obviously— in hell, because Jesus wanted no part in that.
Still, her proximity did nothing to soothe the anger churning inside me.
“Get out of my way,” I said firmly.
“Oh, Melodie,” she cooed, her tone saccharine sweet. “I’m never getting out of your way. Not until you divorce him. Seth doesn’t want you.”
“And you think he wants you?” I clapped back.
“God, sometimes I forget your brain hasn’t fully developed yet.
Here, let me break it down for you in small words so your mustard seed brain can understand.
Little girl, you are nothing but a toy to that man.
And the minute he tires of you, he’ll replace you with someone younger and dumber. So have fun while it lasts.”
Her face twisted into a scowl. “If I’m dumb, what does that make you? Hanging on to a man who can barely stand the sight of you. Divorce him so we can live our lives and be together like we’ve always wanted.”
I didn’t want Seth, and no part of me wanted to stay married to that asshole, but something inside me refused to say the words out loud and give her that win.
I smiled. “I don’t want Seth. You can have my trash, since you’re so eager.
But I’m not done with him until I want to be.
Which means the divorce will happen on my terms and when I want it.
Sure, he might tell you he’s gonna divorce me, but just so you know, he’s a coward who cares way more about his public image than he does your feelings.
How do you think he’ll react if I threaten to drag this divorce out way longer than it needs to be?
Don’t piss me off, child. Today ain’t the day, and I ain’t the one. ”
She smirked. “Well, I guess you won’t mind looking stupid when my belly starts to show.
” She cupped her flat stomach and smiled.
“That’s right, I’m carrying Seth’s baby.
You might be his wife, but I’m the mother of his child.
Let’s see who he’ll choose. He’s already made it clear that you need to take care of me—” she brushed a hand down her belly, “—of us.”
Deep down, a part of me knew this was coming. Sure, I was hurt. Not because Seth had gotten her pregnant, but because he’d promised me a family when we first got married.
I was equally—if not more—pissed off because the moment he realized he wasn’t going to follow through on that promise, he should have let me go instead of dragging this out with his bullshit open marriage proposition.
My heart was broken—a jagged, gaping wound that oozed blackness and pain. I hurt for the time I’d lost, for all the half-truths and broken dreams that were sold to me, for the time I’d wasted not following my instincts and walking away from him the minute he’d issued that ultimatum.
Lacey’s chuckle was low and dark. “Oh, don’t feel bad, Mellie. Since you don’t wanna give him up, you can babysit on our date nights. Honestly, now that I think about it, it’s more convenient this way.”
The urge to put my fist through her face was quickly clawing its way to the forefront of my mind, and since I didn’t want to end up in jail for laying out a pregnant woman, I shuffled past her, heading for my room.
It was time to get the hell out of here.
I made it two steps before Lacey grabbed my arm and whirled me around to face her.
“Not so high and mighty now, are we?” she sneered.
“Don’t run away, Melodie. Let’s talk woman to woman.
I mean, you work with kids, right? Maybe you can give me some advice on how to care for my growing baby.
Who knows, maybe he or she will be enrolled in your class, too.
Wouldn’t that be fun? Talk about a full circle. ”
“Let me go,” I hissed, but she dug her nails in and pulled me closer to her.
“You’re just pissed because I have everything you’ve always wanted. And now you’re old and running out of time and about to be divorced. Who’d want you now?”
“Let me go, Lacey,” I demanded, yanking my arm out of her grip, but she held on. “I swear to God, if you don’t—” I yanked my arm again, this time harder.
Lacey’s eyes flicked to something over my shoulder before growing wide with an unidentified expression.
The next thing I knew, she was stumbling backward, her back hitting the staircase railing as she crumpled to the floor.
Somewhere in the distance, I heard Seth scream her name, then footsteps thundered toward us as Seth pushed past me to kneel at his baby mother’s side.
“I’m sorry, Melodie!” Lacey wailed, big, fat tears streaming down her pretty face. “You didn’t have to push me. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Seth’s angry gaze shot up to mine, and it was then that my brain fully registered what Lacey had accused me of.
“Pushed you?” I squawked. “I didn’t push you. You fell on your own.”
“Why would I endanger my baby by flinging myself to the floor?” she accused. “How can you be so cruel? My baby is innocent.”
“You told her you were pregnant?” Seth scowled, sounding annoyed, and Lacey let out another wail.
“Yes! I thought she would be happy for us. Instead, she got so angry and accused me of stealing you from her, then she pushed me.”
Seth shot to his feet then, murder in his eyes as he grabbed my arms with bruising force, fingers digging into my biceps.
“You pushed a pregnant woman?” he seethed.
“I didn’t push her. Let me go!”
“Why would she lie? She’s carrying my baby. She wouldn’t put herself at risk like that.”
“I don’t care if she’s carrying your baby,” I spat. “I didn’t touch her!”
“Why are you lying, Melodie? You were angry, and you pushed her. Just admit it and apologize.”
“I’m not apologizing for something I didn’t do. Now let go, you’re hurting me.”
His grip tightened, and I yelped in pain as I struggled to wrench my arms free of his hold.
Lacey cried out again, her hands folding protectively over her stomach. “Seth, it hurts!”
Seth’s gaze dropped to her tiny form still huddled on the floor, and I used the momentary distraction to yank my arms free.
The only problem was that Seth was letting go at the same time I was pulling, and the force of that momentum sent me tumbling.
I stumbled back, then cried out as I hit the staircase and tripped, twisting my ankle as I went down, pain blurring my vision.
“Melodie!” Seth cried, hurrying toward me with outstretched hands. “Oh, fuck, baby, I’m so sorry. Are you hurt?”
“Don’t touch me!” I shrieked, and he froze, hands hovering midair. “Don’t you fucking touch me ever again.”
“Mellie, I… I’m sorry,” his voice broke. “I didn’t mean to… I was just… I thought—”
“Divorce!” I barked.
“What?” he rasped, his expression crumpling.
“I want a divorce, Seth. I’m done!”
“Wait, Melodie, no. This… this is all just a big misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?” I glowered at him. “You put your hands on me and threatened my safety. You will not get another chance to do so ever again.”
“I’m sorry, I was just—”
Lacey cried out again. “Oh God, Seth. I think I need to go to the hospital. It hurts so bad. I don’t want to lose our baby!”
Seth tore his pain-filled eyes away from me and focused them on the mother of his child.
“Okay,” he choked out. “Okay, Lace, I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Then he picked his keys up from the entry table and scooped Lacey into his arms in a bridal carry.
Somehow, between the two of them, they managed to wrench the door open and ambled outside.
On the porch, Seth turned to face me.
“Can we talk when I get back?” he asked, sounding so heartbroken, I might have believed him if I didn’t know he was a master manipulator.
I shook my head and was surprised to find I had tears streaming down my face. I wasn’t even sure why I was crying, but in that moment, it felt right—fitting somehow.
“Goodbye, Seth,” I said softly, and as if the universe had spoken, a gentle breeze ushered the door back into place with a quiet snick.