Page 45 of Choices

I pull myself away from her. She'll meet with me. We'll draw up divorce papers. She'll finally be free of him and be available to be mine. Fuck yes.

I stride towards the front door, happy in my victory.

"Your clothes!" She whisper-shouts. Her kids are still upstairs.

"I justkissed Hannah Cahalan. My diary will never believe it!" I laugh, throwing a fist in the air.

"Matty!" She shouts, laughing and holding my suit coat and shirt. But I couldn't care less.

"Best night ever!" I shout, fisting my hand into the air, while I waltz out of her front door and walk my way down the street to my car, in just my boxers, fully soaked from the rain.

Chapter sixteen

Hannah

That crazy fucker stalked me, scared me, then kissed the shit out of me before leaving and making me even more confused in his stead.

But honestly? More aroused and attracted than I've ever felt before.

And I still have his clothes I need to hide from Alan before I dry clean. But do I really need to hide it? The bitter part of me wants to leave it on display. But honestly, I just don't want the drama.

The next day is Viv's ninth birthday party.

I called up Amelia to take the kids to an early movie while I decorated the house for the party.

Viv's best friend Erin will be here, but the rest are just classmates. Big, elaborate birthday parties are also part and parcel of the upper-class production of our lives. Every year the wives try to both out-do last year's party as well as everyone else's parties.

This year, I'm not so worried about that, but more about hosting a party Vivy won't get teased for next week at school. Balloons, ribbons, a 'happy birthday sign' and an inflatable bouncy house in the backyard. Viv's not big on decorations, so I'm sure it'll all be good for her.

I'm a hot, sweaty mess by the time Amelia and the kids come back. Jack squeals and runs to the bouncy house outside.

"Why don't you go shower, Mom, and I'll keep an eye on them." Amelia offers. Gratefully, I take her up on her offer.

I shower as quickly as I can, throwing my wet hair up in a messy bun. I swear those women who can put together a birthday party and host in heels and pearls are another breed.

A breed I no longer have any interest in becoming.

The doorbell rings and Amelia answers it, greeting my guests with a charming smile, just as I hit the bottom of the stairs.

I wrap my arm around her shoulders. "Tell Matty to give you a raise."

We both chuckle. Amelia offers to help for the rest of the party and I'm stunned that it never occurred to me to ask for or hire help for these parties. Would make my life 100x easier.

I never think of ways to make my life easier. There's a warning or a lesson in that realization, I'm sure, but I'll have to worry about it another day.

I turn back to the kitchen to pull out the fruit and veg trays I bought from Whole Foods, but when I turn back around I almost drop them.

Walking through the front door is Alan...and his mistress, Kathleen.

The wave of emotion that hits me causes my lungs to seize and my heart to clench painfully. I don't love Alan. I'm not sure I ever did, even if young, naive me thought he hung the moon. But this? This blatant disrespect, the blatant show of power? The fact that he can flaunt his mistress at his own daughter's party and I can't do anything about it. It's gutting.

I ignore the overwhelming clusterfuck that is my emotions right now and plaster my fake smile on so I can play the perfect hostess.

Until I think about her talking to my children. The mama bear in me wants to pull her out by her hair before I let her talk to my kids. But, she's holding a present for Viv. Logically, I know she wouldn't do anything or say anything to hurt them. Which is more than I can say for Alan. I'll pull Amelia aside and ask her to keep an eye on Kathleen. A step out of line and I have no problem kicking her out.

Maybe I could invite one of the guys over. Tit for tat. I scoff. The petty bitch in me would love that, but I'd only be inviting drama.

But damn that would feel good.

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