Chapter 7
“How was your day?” Brandi asked as she walked in the door around six that evening.
“It was good, but the strangest thing happened.” Willow said as they began trying on dresses to wear to the dinner party that night.
“I met some kid today who said he knew Charlie.” Willows mind was still occupied by the odd encounter earlier. “It was weird, though. He thinks Charlie is some guy named Greg. He says he’s a true crime addict and knows him from some crime show.”
“No way,” Brandi’s eyes widened. “What else did he say?”
“Not much,” Willow sighed. “He was being picked on by some kids, so I invited him over to sit with me. When he told me he recognized me because of my husband, I was sure he’d gotten confused… the weirdest part was he seemed so convinced.”
“Well, I told you how I felt about Charlie a long time ago. Honestly I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
Brandi continued getting ready while Willow paused for a moment to think more about it. Why didn’t she ask the kid more questions? What kind of crimes did he think Charlie was involved with? No, she was getting ahead of herself. Richy had just mistaken him for someone else.
“It’s probably nothing.” Brandi tried reassuring her friend when she saw the sad look on Willows face.
“If he’s a local kid, you’ll probably see him out on the beach again soon. Maybe then you can ask him what he’s talking about, but right now there’s nothing else you can do, so we would only be jumping to conclusions.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Enough about Charlie tonight, okay?” Brandi said. “We’re gonna have a great night. No more thinking about him and what he’s up to. Let’s make tonight about getting out and having fun. Which is probably exactly what he’s doing right now.”
She’s right again, Willow thought. If Charlie can go this long without checking on me, I have to take that as a sign. He just doesn”t want this anymore. And that’s okay. It’s not okay that he ghosted me, but it’s okay for him to want something else. Same goes for me.
Another night of being bedazzled and dressed to impress was on the roster for Willow that evening. She planned to let her hair down even more than she did for the first party. She even hoped she’d end up meeting a few more district attorneys.
The mansion party they attended that evening was in a different location. The house and crowd was bigger—there was more food and service providers. There was even a dance floor and 360 photo booth in the midst of it all.
“Wow!” Willow shouted over the music. “This is crazy! I feel like we’re 21 and in a nightclub all over again. Except everyone is way better looking.”
“I told you,” Brandi grinned. “Tonight is gonna be epic! Make sure you have a good time, ok? Let’s celebrate us being back together. I’m so happy you came down here to be with me.”
While they made their way through the crowd, Willow smiled at all the excellence she saw. Everyone looked so fashionable and successful. She wished she had some kind of fancy career under her belt as well, but all she had was her failed marriage and a degree which she never took into the workforce. Sometimes, the thought of leaving behind a career to get married haunted her. Willow knew that if she had sat the bar instead of getting married, she would’ve been on top of the world just like Brandi and her peers…
The more she thought about it, the more it angered her. She looked around at the party and saw a glimpse of what her life could’ve been. How did her life end up like this? How was she so happy to throw away everything she’d worked so hard for, only to end up with a man who couldn’t care less about her? In that moment she wanted to scream at Charlie for ruining her life. Or at herself for ruining her own life.
“You okay?”
Brandi noticed Willow’s change in mood.
“Yeah,” she said. “It’s just me and my overthinking.”
“Let’s get a drink and we can go out on the balcony for some fresh air.”
She followed Brandi over to the self-serve bar, grabbed a cocktail and headed for the balcony. It was a beautiful balcony with a gorgeous view of the island—something that made Willow appreciate being where she was in that moment.
Instead of being angry with herself, and Charlie, she felt like she was exactly where she needed to be, to appreciate where she was going.
Maybe this was her wake up call. She even nodded her head when the realization set in.
“You know,” she said, as she continued to look out over the island. “Being here tonight almost made me feel like a failure. But seeing this…looking at this beautiful view, I needed this. I”ve wasted so much time on something that wasn’t meant for me. I realize I haven”t grown at all being in this marriage. I put my goals and dreams on the back burner for someone who didn’t love me back.”
“Yeah.”
Brandi’s nods of agreement emphasized the moment even more. Willow knew her friend meant no harm or judgment. She simply wanted what was best for her and encouraged her to see it for herself.
“It’s not too late, you know?” Brandi said. “You can still go back to school, and my door is always open for you. You can stay here for as long as you need to. You can work at the firm and move up the ladder when it’s time. You know that.”
Tears came to Willow’s eyes as she and Brandi talked about the new life that was on the horizon. Brandi was so good to her; she jokingly asked how come they never got married. They were soulmates, and Willow cherished every moment of their friendship.
“You know I can take care of the divorce for you,” Brandi said. “I know I”ve offered to do it several times, but as soon as you’re ready I’ll get started on it. I know you think you’re doing the right thing by staying, but he’s completely torn you down. For the sake of your mental health, your peace, your self worth. Charlie isn’t the man you think he is. I can’t exactly speak on who he is right now, but I know he’s not right for you. You deserve so much more than what he has to offer and I hate that you can’t see it right now.”
Willow took a drink from her glass and nodded in agreement. She took into account that she put herself last when it came to Charlie and that was the wrong thing to do. She lost out on a lot during her marriage—opportunities, trips, vacations, family time, and good jobs. And for what? Charlie did everything he wanted to do, while she did nothing.
“Look! There’s Sean.”
Brandi pointed toward the handsome man laughing with his friends and colleagues. Instead of the black suit he wore the last time she saw him, he sported a red suit with a white undertone.
“Wow,” Willow gulped. “He is gorgeous.”
“Right! A jerk in the courtroom, but a very gorgeous man indeed. You should go talk to him.”
“What?” Willow blushed. “I can’t interrupt.”
It turned out that she didn’t need to. The minute Sean wrapped up his conversation, he turned and spotted her, and immediately made his way over. He had the largest smile on his face the entire time and it only grew wider once they were face to face.
“Hey there, Willow,” he said. “I didn’t expect you to be here tonight.”
“Neither did I,” she blushed. “Thanks to Brandi, here I am again.”
“Right,” he chuckled. “Hey, Jacobs.”
“Lloyd.”
Brandi gave him a peculiar look and playfully waved him off. They had their vendettas in the courtroom, but outside of that, they were cordial. For the most part, anyway.
“I’ll give you two some time to chat,” Brandi said. “And Sean, if you do or say anything to hurt her, I will bury you.”
She playfully tapped his shoulder as she walked away to mingle. Willow laughed at their exchange, but felt it really set the stage for her and Sean’s conversation.
“Please ignore her,” she chuckled. “She’s just worried that I can”t tell when a man is taking me for a ride or not.”
The truth was, Willow felt like she couldn’t. It was clear that Charlie had taken her for a long ride and never stopped for gas.
“Ahh,” Sean chuckled too. “I know how Brandi is. She needs to be the Queen Bee at all times. It’s all in good fun. So, how’s your night been going? This is a bit different from the last party, huh?”
“A lot different. It’s okay though. I like the more up-tempo scene. I needed it.”
As she and Sean talked, she took note of how different he was from most of the men she’d met in the past. Sean seemed more mature and more laidback. He was a respected man who had a lot going for himself, and it showed in the way he dressed and spoke.
He was an open book. Anything she asked him, he was straight forward about. He even gave her insights into his life she didn’t ask for.
“You’re married?” he asked. “Where’s your husband? If you don’t mind.”
Willow had forgotten all about her ring until he pointed it out.
“It’s complicated,” she said. “To be honest with you, I have no idea where he is right now. I feel foolish for even saying that, but it’s the truth. I’m trying to get past whatever stage this is, and I hate to say this, but it is a struggle.”
“Oh, for sure,” Sean agreed. “I went through a divorce of my own three years ago. It was one of the hardest things I”ve ever had to do, but it”ll get easier once you get to that breaking point.”
She felt like she was at that breaking point. She just needed something to push her over the edge. Whatever her driving force would be, she hoped it wouldn’t push her too far over the edge, just enough to open her eyes even more and make her be done with Charlie for good.
“Do you have kids?” she asked.
“No kids.”
Sean looked a bit down.
“I wanted them for sure,” he said. “But it just didn’t happen at the time. Whenever I decide to settle down again and start a family, I want to be at a point where I have time to spend with them. That’s why I’m working so hard now, to set myself up for when that comes. I want to be a good parent who is there for their family.”
“Amen,” Willow agreed.