Page 35 of Unfaithful

And I was just as afraid if he hadn't.

Because that would mean he had truly let me go. That he had discarded and forgotten me.

Which was a ridiculous thought because I would never, ever go back to him.

He cheated on me. Had a child with another woman.

He had destroyed any chance of us ever finding our way back to each other.

I shook my head, refusing to let my thoughts linger on him. He wasn't worth even a second of my time.

Work. I needed to just concentrate on work.

So far, I had only communicated with Dona through my personal email, and even then, I had only accomplished little. Honestly, I had barely done anything at all.

But she had been a godsend—sending me reports, keeping me updated on our progress. Most of the time, I didn't even reply.

I had been away for too long. My company was my pride, my creation, and I was still carving out my place in the industry.

Walking away felt like giving up.

And that wasn't me.

I was a fighter. I didn't back down.

It was Janet who finally pulled me out of my head, making me realize I couldn't go on like this forever.

All this time, she had never pushed me to talk, never pried. She knew that I still wasn't comfortable speaking about it to anyone. But one afternoon, as I helped her prepare lunch, I finally asked. I was desperate for advice.

"Janet... if you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

She looked at me, surprised that I was finally ready to talk. Janet considered her answer for a moment before saying,

"First, I'd head to the garage and grab the axe," she said, her expression completely serious. "Then I'd chase Herston out of the house."

She paused as if considering her next steps.

I grinned, unable to help myself. The image of her—an elegant lady with neat platinum hair—chasing a big guy like Herston with an axe was just too funny.

"After that, I'd spend a few days drowning in misery, eating ridiculous amounts of chocolate, crying until there was nothing left. And when I finally felt ready, I'd get up, take a shower, and call a lawyer."

She gave me a small smile, leaning closer.

"Then I'd get dressed, walk out that door, and take my life back."

So that's exactly what I was going to do.

I nodded to her and said firmly, "Yes. I'm going to take my life back."

*** *** ***

"Are you sure you're ready?" Archie asked, his voice laced with concern.

We stood side by side in front of my office building, gazing up at it, squinting against the morning sun.

"Yes." I hesitated. "No." I let out a sigh. "...Yes."

"Do you want me to come up with you?" he offered.

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