Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 59849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
“There’s a work party next week,” she goes on. “I work in finance with all men and I just cannot risk showing up with this guy if he’s doing something shady.”
“I got you,” I say, nodding even though she can’t see me. “Send me a picture of him and I’ll be there.”
Chapter
Four
MIRA
For all the years I’ve lived in Chicago, I’ve only been in the historical Palmer House Hotel only a few times. It’s a beautiful hotel with an impressive lobby, and a place I would have gone to in my youth if I was looking for a rich guy to hook up with. Though meeting men in hotels is a surefire way to accidentally end up being the other woman.
I make a detour to the bathroom so I can take a few selfies to send to my friends. I don’t give them details of what is said between clients and me, of course, but they always know where I am, who I’m meeting, and are able to track my location.
Finding the best light to stand under, I take a few pictures and then send them in the group chat. Kat replies first, as her phone is pretty much glued to her hand.
Kat: Damn girl! Looking good. You’ll make anyone flirt with you. Kinda not fair LOL
Zara: haha true. And ewww…I saw your ex and his mistress today.
Me: Yuck. I’m so sorry. You know, you may be entitled to compensation.
Kat: LOL
Zara: Dude, I need it. They looked at me and his eyes widened in fear. It’s been two years and the loser is still terrified of me.
Elsie: You did key his car…
Zara: And I should have slashed his tires.
Me: Hahaha you know I love you!
Elsie: Oh, I did see that your former monster-in-law left you another one-star review as a comment on TikTok. Dummy made a username but forgot that it shows her real name on her account.
We all send a bunch of laughing emojis and I just shake my head. It’s been over two years since I filed for divorce. Six months since the divorce became final. And my former mother-in-law is still on a mission to ruin me. It’s sad, really, and I truly feel sorry for her. We were close, she knew her son was abusive and tried so hard to get him help.
But he didn’t and after five years of being a punching bag—literally and figuratively—I left. And it was like a flip was switched and she went from telling me that she was worried for my safety to replacing all photos of me in her house with pics of her son and the woman he cheated on me with.
And that is exactly why I got a degree in psychology in the first place. Wild, wacky behavior that most people cannot understand fascinates me. So much of what people do is out of fear and sadness. It’s easier to be angry and to make someone the villain than to admit the truth, and that’s exactly what she did.
Which is fine with me. If she needs to make me the bad guy, if she needs to obsessively screen record all my reels and take pictures of me in public if we happen to cross paths, then so be it. It doesn’t actually hurt me, though her mission to report and bring down my business had me worried for a hot minute…until I realized that even nasty comments boost my visibility.
Me: Wish me luck…or not. Maybe this guy isn’t a piece of shit.
Kat: HE’S A MAN! Ofc he’s a piece of shit.
Elsie: There’s a chance he’s loyal…
Zara: Go back to your romance novels, E. That’s where the good men live.
Elsie: *eye roll* I’m already tucked in bed reading about Lucas King, my favorite vampire husband.
Kat: Just keep us informed so we know you’re safe.
Me: Always. ILY guys <3
I quickly use the bathroom, make sure my hair is good, straighten out my dress, which is short and tight and emerald green—not my usual choice of color, but it stands out and matches my eyes, as the sales woman pointed out more than once. Then I head back to the lobby, running my eyes over the bar to look for Matt Baker.
Whitney sent over a few photos of them together to go off of. He’s a pretty average looking man, a little overweight, but was dressed well in expensive suits. He told her he worked “in finance” but she didn’t know the details. I couldn’t find a single thing about this guy online, making me wonder if he’s a catfish. Whitni is a gorgeous woman who used to professionally model and is now the head of an expensive clothing line. She’s been sleeping with him, making me wonder if he’s just stringing her along so he can bang a pretty woman. Wouldn’t be the first or last man alive to do that. Still, I took what little I was able to find out and will use it to work my magic.