Page 34 of The Regrettable Mistake

“I’m just trying to help.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Everything is…” I huffed in frustration. “Everything sucks right now, Hutch.”

“What can I do to help.”

“I think you’re already handling more than I can afford.”

“This isn’t about business, Steph. I’m here for you, outside of being your lawyer, I’m also your friend.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that. Honestly, what I really want is a stupid cheeseburger and some French fries, but I can’t leave the house without people following me everywhere.”

“We’ll get you taken care of. Sit tight and get some rest for now. And don’t worry because all of this shit, from your soon-to-be ex-husband to the school system, is going to be handled.”

“Thank you.” I murmured and then hung up.

The house was still and so quiet. Denmark hadn’t been home last night, so our usual morning routine never happened. This was what it would be like in the future. It was still very much up in the air whether I’d have any rights to Denmark when all was said and done. Ollie might just decide to go search for a replacement nanny-wife, since there would be two children involved. He hadn’t been able to handle it on his own with one, so I had no doubt that was what he would do.

While he got to play happy families with my replacement, I would sit here on the days when he had our child and feel the emptiness of the house that should have been filled with laughter and shared joy at watching our children grow before our eyes. That dream was lost to me now. Knowing that didn’t make it any easier to wrap my head around what the future would look like from then on.

My phone dinged in my hand. Figuring the new text might be from Hutch, I glanced down at frowned because it was an unknown number.

Unknown Number: You think you can turn things around? Blow up my life? Make me look like the bad person? I have news for you, bitch. You forgot that I own your husband. Heart. Soul. And sex tape.

“What the hell?” I asked my phone as my eyes kept tracking over the message. It felt like it would change at any moment, if only I read the damn thing one more time. I quickly forwarded the message to Hutch.

Hutch: What was that?

Steph: A text some unknown number just sent me.

Hutch: …

While I waited on him to continue typing, another text came in from whoever it was. There was a sinking feeling in my stomach as I saw the thumbnail image on the video that was sent to me. It was Ollie, head thrown back, no shirt on, sweaty. It looked like he was in the middle of… “Oh God!” I gasped. The last message had said “Heart. Soul. And sex tape.”

“She wouldn’t.” I said as my finger hovered over the message. I debated for only a minute before I had to see for myself. Up until this point, I was hurt, upset, angry, and all the range of emotions one could possibly have when faced with the many betrayals my husband dropped at my feet over the past few weeks.

The thing that still felt unreal was the fact that he really did cheat. It felt like fiction, a lie someone cooked up to make me take the rest of it seriously. I knew it was true, since he admitted to it, but it was this arbitrary thought since I’d never caught them and Steve’s PI hadn’t even caught them in the act.

Hutch: Do not open any more texts from that person!

His warning flashed on my screen in a notification that I quickly ignored. I had to see it for myself.

The video did not start out with sex. Ollie and Jia sat there on the end of the bed. Ollie stared off into space or at the wall or whatever as Jia tried to gently pull his face toward her.

“Look at me, please!” Her voice sounded desperate, even to me. I believed she might break if he didn’t shift his focus to her.

“Julia, this isn’t right. You know I’m married.”

“What I know is that you still love me. You always have and I’ve never gotten over you. Maybe I was overwhelmed before, it could have been postpartum stuff that made me throw everything away,” She surmised, though that part hadn’t been very convincing as far as I could see. “I’ve always regretted losing you, though.”

She didn’t even mention regrets about abandoning their son, just him. The need to vomit hit me hard and fast but I managed to breathe through it as the video continued to play.

“I know you remember all the good times. I also know that you didn’t marry for love.”

“You know nothing, Julia.” Her tinkling laughter mocked me. From the look on Ollie’s face, he found the sound endearing. “What’s the laughter for?”

“Come on, Ollie. The only person stupid enough to believe you married that woman for love is her. God only knows why she would believe that. From what I hear, you never even showed her any affection. For heaven’s sake, Marcy Davenport told me that you didn’t even tell the poor little mouse that you loved her at your damn wedding.” I paused the video there and examined what she said.

That hurt because it was true. I also remembered Marcy being there because she had been Caleb’s date and had shown up in a fire engine red dress that turned more heads than my wedding dress because the parts that covered her body were like a beacon with their brightness when my entire wedding was done in subtle pastels. Then there was everything the dress exposed that seemed to be the talk of the night.

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