Page 26 of Cowboy Devil's Embrace

It hurt even worse, saying it out loud. As if he hadn’t done enough damage to my pride and self-esteem for the entirety of our seven-year union.

I wasn’t a total doormat. I had confronted him several times. But each time, Burt would cry and apologize while pointing out my own insecurities as the reason for his wandering eye.

“You’re so tired after work, Babe. I have needs.”

“You can’t leave now, Hon. I have finals and I can’t worry about all this stuff. I won’t do it again. Come on, we can really be good together. Have the life you always wanted. A doctor’s wife?”

I wasn’t shallow, and it hurt that he thought so little of my character. Truth was, I never cared about being adoctor’s wife.

I cared about beinghis wife. Something he conveniently forgot,and often.

But I was past the hurt now. I had moved forward, or at least, I tried to. The fact of his cheating was more of an annoyance than a pain these days.

Burt had no problem moving on. He was shacked up with one of the surgical nurses he worked with.

She was thin, blonde, and had animportantjob. All unlike me, of course. Things he shoved in my face every chance he got.

Fucking hypocrite.

Burt wasn’t exactly saving lives. He was a plastic surgeon. And not the kind that donated time to correct cleft palates or help accident victims.

Gem that he was, Burt refused to do anything but cosmetic surgery.

His biggest money makers were Botox, cheek implants, and lip fillers.

One of our biggest fights was because I refused any and all the treatments he offered. I was only now thirty-four. Younger when we’d been married, and he’d suggested I take him up on treatments.

Now, I wasn’t judging anyone for doing what made them feel good about themselves, it simply wasn’t for me. It just hurt that my own husband scorned me because of it.

I had hoped Burt could respect my choices. Unfortunately, I was just as mistaken about that as I was about the rest of him.

Of course, he’d brought it all up in the phone call he’d insisted on after I got the lawyer’s letter.

Prick.

“I can’t believe he brought all that up again!” Avery looked as horrified as Penelope had felt.

“Yeah, well, that wasn’t all he said. I mean, it was one thing when we were married to listen to him tell me how my aging naturally was bad for business, but I really don’t have time for his bullshit now,” I told her, shaking my head.

“I know. So what else did he say? You know, after telling you how entitled he was to your business,” Avery asked, and I could see her hatred for the man glittering in her eyes.

I loved the fact she had my back no matter what. Just like I had hers. I knew she had a lot on her plate, raising Rosie alone. But I needed a friend right now. I was having a difficult time processing how I’d ever gotten to this point.

“Don’t you worry about me, Pen. Go on, spill.”

I took a deep breath, trying to find the courage to say it out loud. See, as bad as he was, Burt had been my first big love.

We were supposed to do such great things together.

Have a family.

Grow old with each other.

Stuff like that.

But the truth was he never wanted the same things I wanted. He only pretended to because it was convenient for him at the time.

“Look, Pen, that creep is a user of the worst kind. He’s a manipulator,” Avery said.

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