Page 6 of Cinderella Screwed Me Over
My heart dropped. Surely she didn’t mean—
“Is that Alicia?” I recognized Allen’s voice. “Tell her I’ll be right out.”
“Actually, it’s Darby,” I yelled back, rage taking over as I realized what this meant. “And I think you’d better get out here now.”
A few seconds later, Allen walked into the waiting room. “What are you doing here?” he whispered. “I really wish you would’ve called first.”
I didn’t bother whispering back. “I thought I’d surprise you and take you to lunch. You know, since you’ve been so busy lately. But I was just informed that you’re having lunch with your wife. I was sure she meant ex-wife, but she made it sound like there was no ex in front of it.”
“Look, it’s complicated. We were about to get a divorce, but then…” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “She’s pregnant. What am I supposed to do? Leave her anyway?”
I shoved him. “How about not keep calling me.” I stepped forward and shoved him again. “How about not telling me that you love me?”
“Idolove you. Look, what I told you about her is true. She’s demanding. She makes me feel like I’m not good enough. Then I met you and you just lit up the room. You made me feel special.” He reached out for me. “Is it so wrong I tried to hold onto that?”
Instead of yelling all the insults I wanted to, I clenched my teeth, feeling like screaming and crying and not knowing which one to grab onto. I’d sworn that if this ever happened again—if a guy ever did me wrong again—I wouldn’t freeze up; I’d let the guy have a piece of my mind. But the giant lump in my throat made it impossible to say anything.
The door swung open and a raven-haired woman with a round, protruding belly walked in.
Allen’s eyes widened as he looked over at her, then back at me. “Please don’t say anything,” he whispered. “She’s already having a high-stress pregnancy, and they’re worried about her losing the baby.” He raised his voice, turning to his wife. “Honey, hi. Just give me a minute.”
He tried to tug me toward the back, but I was done being jerked around. I didn’t know if what he said about his wife’s pregnancy was true. She deserved to know her husband was a cheating dirtbag, but was I willing to risk her health? No. Besides, she’d probably just blame me anyway.
“He’s all yours,” I said as I bolted past her, out of the office.
For two days I called in sick to work. It wasn’t even a lie; I felt ill every time I thought of how I’d been with another woman’s husband.
Allen called off and on for a few weeks, leaving me sorry excuses and apologies in my voice mail I couldn’t believe. He told me how much he wished things were different. He said he still loved me.
See, in the end ofAladdinit was all okay because Aladdin came clean, admitted his feelings…and let’s face it, Jasmine was rich enough to take care of him, so it didn’t really matter. I think she should’ve held out for longer—maybe even ruled the kingdom without him—so girls out there wouldn’t think a little apology and flying off into the sunset repaired all. I mean, how did she know he wouldn’t lie again? He probably did.
But they never bother showing what happens after.
In real life, coming clean doesn’t always make a difference. Because some dirty laundry is too ruined to get clean again.
Time Wasted:Five months
Lessons Learned:
Don’t date someone obsessed with his car.
Insist on seeing his place.
Don’t buy sob stories.
Dentists are evil.
A person who lies about one thing won’t hesitate to lie about something big.
Never EVER date a liar!
Chapter Two
Nadine, my partner at work, insisted we go to lunch at Blue to get away from the office—our boss was on some kind of warpath today, and it was best to steer clear when she was looking for someone to blame. After what happened Saturday evening, I’d been planning on staying away for a while. Even though Jake didn’t own the place, he might actually work there, and I didn’t want to have an awkward run-in with him. Especially since I couldn’t stop thinking about his handsome face, his smile, and the way my heart jumped into my throat when he put his hand on my hip.
“Hey, Darby. Nadine,” Mindy said when we walked in. “Just you two today? Or do you have clients joining you?”
“Just us,” Nadine said.
