Page 182 of Stuck With You
“Uh. . .when did he sleep with them, or when did they come forward?” She doesn’t wait for my answer. “They reported it when he was announced as the new anchor on The Morning Show. Apparently, text messages and details were just leaked. My guess is they’re either looking for their five minutes of fame or payback for being used and dismissed.”
I put her on speaker and Google it. My screen fills with the two young women’s faces. I could be angry at them, but I’m not. They were likely lured and manipulated just as I was. I wonder if there will be more.
My empty stomach rolls and swirls. I blow out a slow breath.
“You know what this means?” Roxie sings as I scroll through another article. “His lying, cheating ass is sunk. Bullseye, baby. Those executives are seeing him for who he is. They must know that he was intentionally misleading them about your relationship. I’d like to see him stand before a judge and claim parental superiority now. Ha!”
My finger stalls on the screen.
What if this is it? What if this is the end, and he no longer has the power he’s always held? What if I can finally be free?
“Hey, you ok?”
I don’t know. I’m shocked and feel a little queasy. I stare at the wall across the room.
I’ve always just let everyone assume the worst of me, but now they’ll know the truth.
I let out a little laugh. “I don’t even care anymore.” I don’t care if people know the truth. The damage was done long ago, and I’m still standing.
“Sarah, what are you talking about?” Roxie’s tone is serious.
“All I wanted was to start over. I wanted stability for Ollie and Frankie and a chance to be happy. It seemed so far out of reach every time I turned around, and Miles was there holding something over my head. Rox . . .” My heart beats faster, and my eyes sting with tears. “I’m not sure I really believed it was possible for it to ever be different.”
I rest a hand on my chest. The enormous weight of years’ worth of fear and anguish lifts, and a hope I haven’t allowed blooms and spreads in its place.
“It should never have been this way,” she says softly. “But you made it. You did it, and this is just the beginning.” Her voice quivers, and a tear slips out and rolls down my cheek.
“Do you really think this is it?” I hold my breath, unsure if I should let myself look toward the light shining at the end of the tunnel.
Slade. I have to tell him.
I swallow my emotions, and the urgency to see him shoves me out of bed. I want to run across the street and jump into his arms and tell him that I’m not going anywhere.
I pull clothes from my drawers.
She sniffs, and her sassy voice returns. “Sarah, they’re filing lawsuits. I can’t imagine any lawyer would advise him to move forward with suing you for custody. He’ll be too busy trying to save his own ass.”
“I have to call Kat and tell her.” I hold the phone between my ear and shoulder, trying to tug on my leggings.
“Yes, and then you have to tell me what she says.”
I pull on a sweatshirt.
“Rox, I love you.”
“I love you, too!” she squeals.
“Call you later.”
“You better.”
We hang up, and I use my fingers to pull my hair up into a ponytail, not giving a crap what I look like. Slade has seen me at my worst.
I sit on the edge of my bed and type out a message to Kat. It’s still early, but she’ll message me when she gets it.
There’s a knock on my front door, and Grover barks. I rush to open it, ready to fling myself at him.
“Grover, shhh. No barking.” I hush him, hoping he doesn’t wake the kids.
