Page 13 of My Ex's Best Friend

I dream about a loving family, someone to share my likes and dislikes, my love for art, someone to come home to or who chooses to come home to me. With Derek, it was never about that.

Derek was a practical choice.

Having to put myself out there, take time out of my busy life to meet someone is hard and scary. And he was there and he was interested.

In retrospect, I now realize what a terrible idea that was. And because of that, I have to go in to work with Derek and have his infidelity thrown in my face every day.

“No, he wasn’t the one. Even if he was hinting at an engagement. Which, now that I think about it, might have been him overcompensating for the cheating. It really doesn’t matter, though.” I sigh.

“I’m just angry but not heartbroken. I’m maybe even a bit relieved. Is that normal?”

“No, that’s not normal. But it is good in a way.” She smiles. “Heartbreak is awful. But in your case, you just feel bad because of what happened, not specifically about him.”

I lie back against the couch with a groan. “Why do I always attract the worst men you’ll find?”

“I think it’s already decided that he’s the one who sucks, and you just happened to get the short end of the stick.” Ellie pats my leg. “I propose we get everything he got you during the relationship and burn it to a crisp. It’ll be a fresh start.”

“Thanks, but I don’t want to burn down my apartment,” I tell her with a snort.

“I’m not saying we have to do it here.” Ellie nudges me with her elbow. “We can go up to the terrace and do it.”

“And burn down the entire building instead?”

“Don’t be a pessimist.” She playfully slaps my arm.

“It’s hard not to be when you keep getting cheated on in your long-term relationships,” I say. “And it’s always like at the one and half year mark.”

“I admit, that’s a little crazy.”

She flicks her finger against my forehead.

“Hey! What was that for?”

“Snapping you out of it,” she says. “It’s not that your relationships fall apart in that mark; it’s just the fog of hormones lifting, and you finally see the truth.”

I consider that for a second. “Fair.”

I shake my head. It was the same with Chris.

I was more broken up about Jake’s betrayal than his.

“You need to get yourself out there—not romantically. I know you’re not ready,” she says. “I mean professionally. If you don’t want to work with Derek, you don’t have to. You graduated magna cum laude in your year. You’re that bitch.”

“I don’t think many opportunities are waiting to line up for an art history graduate.”

“And that’s where you are wrong.” She’s on her phone, scrolling through it.

“Are you even listening to me?”

She turns the phone toward me.

“A job opening. You’re right; there aren’t many openings in museums or galleries, but there are in the private sector. This one here is looking for, and I quote, an art consultant with at least two years of experience for a full-time position.”

I sniff. “I’m not going to work for a multi-national company.”

“Let’s see… You’ll get health insurance, three weeks of paid annual leave, and the option to travel across the country, fully funded. Tell me that doesn’t entice you.”

I hesitate.

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