Page 43 of The Twelve Months of Christmas
Sunny saw a look of betrayal settle over her friend’s face. She didn’t even get to finish her sentence before Arianna lit into her. “Sunny, if they weren’t divorced, then you did break up her dad’s marriage, didn’t you?”
“Wait. No.”
Arianna’s eyes narrowed. Sunny had never seen this side of her friend and she found herself backing away from the counter.
“I can’t believe you’ve been playing the victim all this time. No wonder Bella hates your guts and I don’t blame her. You have no idea how it feels to be the wife of a cheater, and you can make all the excuses you want for what you did, but dating a man who’s still married—that’s cheating.”
Sunny stared at her friend. Arianna hadn’t even let her finish explaining, had no desire to hear her side of the story.
“I don’t believe what I’m hearing,” she said.
“Neither do I. I thought you were better than that.”
“Now you’re judging me? Seriously? I thought we were friends.”
Arianna said nothing to that. She dropped her gaze, shook her head.
“I don’t need this shit,” Sunny growled. “You can find someone else to manage your website and social. I’m sure you won’t have any problem finding someone as perfect as you.” She marched out of the kitchen, grabbed her purse and coat, and left.
“Fine with me,” Arianna muttered as the door closed on her friendship and all her anger from the last year bubbled back up.
She didn’t need Sunny and her ridiculous Christmas-all-year-long parties. She pretended to be so sweet but she was pond scum. Arianna had been consoling her, telling her she wasn’t the bad guy, and her stepdaughter would realize that eventually.What a joke.Sunny was a bitch, a home-wrecking, man-stealing bitch.
Mia entered the kitchen. “Where’s Sunny? I thought I heard you two talking.”
“She’s gone,” Arianna said shortly, and began to make herself a coffee. “Can you help me film this?”
“I’m not good at that sort of thing,” Mia protested.
“All you have to do is aim the phone,” Arianna said. So there wouldn’t be any fancy bells and whistles. So what? She could make her own stinkin’ videos. She could manage her website and YouTube channel.
What was the password?
“Arianna,” Mom said firmly. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not using Sunny anymore.”
“What on earth happened? You two are friends.”
“Not now. You know why her stepdaughter hates her? It’s because Sunny wrecked her husband’s first marriage, that’s why. I can’t be friends with someone who doesn’t respect someone else’s marriage.”
“So, she told you that?” Mia sounded doubtful.
“Yes, she did.”
“Are you sure there isn’t more to the story?”
“Other than excuses? I don’t have time for those, Mom. You know I’ve been on the other end of that kind of thing. You’ve seen how much it hurts.” Just remembering how abandoned and unloved she’d felt when she learned Wyatt was moving on without her, moving on with someone else, a woman...more upbeat and fun, drove the tears to Arianna’s eyes. “I can’t be friends with someone like that.”
Mia hurried to her side and hugged her. “I’m sorry, darling.”
“Women like her, they swoop in and make us feel so...inferior.”
“It’s the men who do that,” Mia said.
“The women help!”
“Darling, no one knows what goes on in someone else’s marriage. You don’t know what was going on in Travis’s.”
