Chapter 123
That night, I pleaded with him to remember the love we shared and to break it off with Wendy.
Antonio was on the couch, fiddling with his phone.
Wendy must’ve texted him something funny, because he was grinning, his eyes all warm and fuzzy.
Then he turned to me, cold as ice. “Lila, why do you always spoil the fun? Can’t you not take relationships so seriously? No one is indispensable, and it’s really stressful the way you’re always checking up on me.”
I lay awake all night.
“Honey, can you forgive me?” Seeing I wasn’t biting, Antonio begged with tears in his eyes.
“Alright.” I nodded.
Antonio’s eyes lit up. “Seriously? You’re really going to forgive me? Babe.”
I said, “Forgiving you doesn’t mean I’m calling off the divorce. I’ll see you in court.”
And with that, I walked out the door, not even turning back to see Antonio’s face drain of color as he sat there, floored.
That night, Antonio caught a late flight back.
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12.12
Chapter 120
2013
A few days later, Wendy hit me up again.
She sent a bunch of pictures with Antonio.
All the anger and sadness from before was gone, replaced by a cocky pride in her messages.
“I knew it. Once he got out there, he’d realize I’m the best, the one who loves him the most.”
“Look at this huge diamond ring he bought. It’s all sparkly and gorgeous.”
“By the way, we’re heading to Adaleth for a holiday in November. Lila, I’ll snap some pics for you.”
I kept my cool and replied, “Get a move on with the divorce, and claim your spot as his legal wife.”
“So you can sleep easy, without the threat of someone else sneaking in.”
The moment I sent the messages, Wendy lost it, unleashing a tirade.
“You’re a natural–born sucker for getting played, and you’ve got it coming. I’m just glad I’m not stepping into your mess.”
I let her rant, and then quietly turned off notifications.
I didn’t block her because I had a hunch.
I was sure Wendy would hit rock bottom before me.
Six months later, my hunch paid off.
L
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12:12
Chistes 123
Antonio and Wendy had a major blowout.
It turned out Antonio got wise to Wendy’s game, figuring out she was after his cash instead of loving him.
A man with his standards for love couldn’t tolerate this.
So, Antonio had Wendy’s kid, just four, whisked away in the night.
He played the kid card to force Wendy into signing the house back over to him.
And that new Mercedes? He made Wendy unload it and hand over the money.
Wendy just lost it right then and there.
She ditched all concern for her image and ripped into Antonio in the cafe.
“You’ve got more money than you know what to do with, so why are you pushing me to the edge? Does it even matter if I love you or not? Haven’t I been right here for you the whole time?”
“It does! Love is important,” Antonio shot back, playing the part of a romantic lead.
But he was no romantic hero.
He was just too grasping, wanting everything under the sun.
What he wanted was a woman who was totally devoted to him and loved him wholeheartedly.
When we were a couple, I gave him all my love.
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But once he had me, he wasn’t cool with the idea of being locked down by marriage.
I recalled catching Antonio making out with Wendy in his car. It made me feel sick, and I lost it.
Antonio just looked at me with a cold stare, completely unfazed.
“I’ve married you. Aren’t you content? Every guy’s got his side gigs. Isn’t that what makes a man?” he argued.
That night, it dawned on me that even though Antonio had a solid, blissful marriage, he was still after the rush of the new and the freedom to play the field.
He even craved the rush of first love.
So once Wendy’s husband was out of the picture, Antonio was all over her, throwing money at her like there was no tomorrow.
The reason he could act so shamelessly was because he was using my love for him as a way to keep me on a leash.
Yet, he had forgotten that love, no matter how deep, could run dry.
When I dropped the D–word, Antonio flipped out.
Antonio wasn’t stupid. He got that a solid marriage beat a one- night stand.
He was also aware that I loved him more than Wendy ever could.
So he came crawling back, even down on his knees, pleading.
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But no matter what he pulled, I was done trying to patch things up, just aiming for a split.
When it came to Antonio getting Wendy to sign over the house and fork over the cash from the car sale, that was no surprise to
- me.
From the reduced dowry, it was clear that Antonio had secretly put a price tag on everyone around him.
Wendy was just a flavor in his steady go.
Once that steady go was gone, Wendy turned into dead weight.
Without value, why would Antonio even give Wendy a second glance?
From start to finish, Antonio had been nothing but consistent, loving only himself.
I figured the farce with Wendy and Antonio was about wrapped.
Three months later, Janessa filled me in that Antonio had a new girlfriend, a senior college girl.
“Sweetie, it’s 3 PM. Time to dig into the dirt. Didn’t we all figure Antonio gave Wendy the boot because she wasn’t feeling him, and that was why he got her to hand over the house and the car?”
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