Chapter 10
Her name flashing against the glow of the screen brought me an immediate spike of irritation.
What could she possibly want now? The woman had a knack for inserting herself into situations that didn’t concern her, and right now, I didn’t have the patience. for her phony sweetness.
Against my better judgment, I answered the call.
“Sylvia?” Belinda’s voice was a little too bright, as if she was testing the waters, unsure of how to approach me. “I… I wanted to check on you. Are you okay? You’re not still mad at Dwight, are you?”
Her voice carried a hint of concern, but I could tell it was more out of curiosity than genuine care. She was fishing for information, which wasn’t a surprise.
I could almost see her leaning back with that smug little smile, twirling her hair between her fingers, pretending to be worried.
“Dwight can be so thoughtless sometimes, you know? He’s always been like that. Even back when we were dating, he’d disappear for hours without a word. I thought he’d change after marrying you, but I guess not…” She trailed off, her tone light, almost teasing. “But don’t worry, Sylvia, I can talk to him for you. Maybe he’ll listen to me.”
The audacity of it struck me like a slap across the face. How dare she even bring up their past, as if it was some harmless story we could all laugh about?
I could feel my hand tightening around the phone, my nails digging into my palm as anger surged through me like wildfire.
Was she really trying to paint herself as the mediator between us?
Chapter 10
“How thoughtful of you,” I said through gritted teeth, my voice a sharp contrast to
hers.
There was a brief pause on her end, as if she hadn’t expected me to respond so coldly. But that hesitation didn’t last long. I heard the shift in her tone, the subtle smugness slipping in. “Oh, Sylvia, come on now. Don’t be like that. I’m just trying to help. I know Dwight can be a bit much sometimes, but… don’t you think you’re
overreacting a little?”
I let out a harsh laugh, one that felt foreign even to my own ears. “Belinda, what gives you the right to talk to me about my marriage?”
Her response was immediate, but I heard the faint tremble in her voice. “I’m just trying to help. Dwight’s not a bad guy, he just… he needs someone to understand
him.”
“Someone like you?” I spat, my anger flaring again. “What are you, his therapist now? Or are you just trying to slide back into the role you had before I came into the picture?”
There was a pause, and I could almost hear her scrambling for her next line, her fake concern slipping. “Sylvia, it’s not like that! I swear, nothing is going on between Dwight and me. We’re just friends. You know that, right? I would never…
I could picture her now, her eyes wide with mock innocence, lips curled into that little pout she always used when she wanted sympathy.
The nerve of this woman.
I had seen through her games long ago, but this time, she had gone too far. The bitterness in my chest was too much to contain, the betrayal too deep to swallow. I was done playing her game.
“You think I don’t know what you’ve been up to?” I interrupted, my voice icy. “Belinda, do you really enjoy being the other woman that much? Is this fun for you?”
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The Ex Husband’s Regret: I Shot to Tibbie Overnight After Our Divorce.
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Chapter 10
The silence on the other end was palpable. For a moment, I thought she had hung up, but then I heard her shaky breath, followed by the sound of her trying to compose herself.
“Sylvia,” she whispered, her voice now trembling with what I assumed was practiced fragility, “how… how could you say something like that? I’ve done. nothing wrong. I care about Dwight, yes, but as a friend. You’re the one misunderstanding things.”
“Oh, cut the act,” I said, my patience long gone. “You’ve been after Dwight for
years, even before we got married. Do you think I’m blind? Well, you can have him. You don’t have to sneak around anymore. I’m divorcing him.”
Her sharp intake of breath was almost satisfying.
“Sylvia, no! You can’t mean that!” She stammered, her tone laced with desperation..
“Don’t say things like that. You and Dwight=”
“We’re done, Belinda,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “I’ve had enough. I’ve put up with enough. He’s all yours now.”
She fell silent again, and I wondered if she was still trying to process what I had just said. For the first time, it seemed like she didn’t know what to say, and that was a small victory in itself. But I wasn’t finished.
“Belinda,” I continued, my tone hardening again, “Dwight’s there with you, isn’t he? I know he’s hiding behind you, listening. Pass him the phone.”
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