The Other Woman Was Me - Chapter 2: Chapter 2
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I glanced at the calendar. Today marked eight years of marriage. Felix had completely forgotten our anniversary, yet somehow remembered tomorrow was Debra's birthday.
How pathetic.
After straightening up the house, I grabbed a cab straight to the law firm. This ridiculous marriage needed to end.
"Hailey, are you absolutely sure about this?" Isaac Whitman asked.
I gave a firm nod.
With a sigh, he slid the divorce papers across his mahogany desk. "Thank you, Mr. Whitman."
Isaac had been my favorite law professor, always insisting I was meant to be a brilliant attorney. Instead, against all logic, I'd become a housewife.
"Good. Frankly, this marriage has been draining the life out of you."
I offered a tight-lipped smile. No argument there.
Felix had convinced me to quit law school, claiming he needed me at home so he could focus on building his career. Love had clouded my judgment—I'd abandoned the bar exam for aprons and grocery lists. My mistake, my consequences.
Isaac lectured me for ten solid minutes before producing an application form. "Now that you're ending this farce, retake the bar. Join my firm afterward—with your skills, it'll be a cakewalk."
I stared at the form with bitter amusement. "Professor, I haven't touched a law book in eight years."
He slapped a pen down with finality. "Then start studying! I'm assigning someone to help—your junior, but you'll learn from him."
Enter Oscar Wellington—mid-twenties, unfairly handsome, radiating enough energy to power Manhattan.
Everyone agreed Felix had been gorgeous in his youth. Oscar made him look like yesterday's leftovers. The guy turned heads just walking down the street.
Now I understood why men chased younger women. That kind of vibrant energy was contagious.
Oscar's sunny grin seemed at odds with the serious legal documents in his hands. When he spotted my divorce papers, he looked downright thrilled.
"When you're with the wrong person, cutting ties fast is crucial," he declared. "Ditch that washed-up middle-aged loser before he wastes another second of your time."
The venom in his voice surprised me. Did Oscar have some personal beef with Felix?
"Bet he cheated, right? Neglects his gorgeous wife to chase some skank around town—guy's got a death wish."
An image of Felix's smug face meeting karma flashed through my mind. I actually laughed.
Years of pent-up frustration evaporated. For the first time in ages, I felt light.
Why be angry? Let the cheater have his trash—they deserved each other.
"Oscar, if law doesn't work out, you'd kill it in stand-up comedy."
His whole face lit up. He leaned in suddenly, close enough that I caught his citrusy cologne. "Hailey, you get me! My backup career is absolutely roast comedy—the brutal kind."
My pulse did an unexpected flip.
It had been... how long since I'd been this close to a man?
Felix and I hadn't touched in ages. Early in our marriage, we'd tried for kids. But every time things got heated, Debra would magically "fall" or have a "stomachache" or claim her damn cat was dying.
Felix would yank his pants up and sprint to her rescue. By the time he returned, the mood was deader than her imaginary cat.
His apologies always followed the same script: "She's just a friend, like a little sister. I have to take care of her." Promises of "next time I won't go" piled up like unread legal briefs on my old desk.
Eventually, I stopped keeping track. Stopped preparing for pregnancy. Stopped caring.
Some nights, I wondered if he'd already moved on to someone else's bed.
"Hailey," Oscar said, snapping me back, "with proof of your husband's affair, Mr. Whitman and I can make sure he leaves with nothing but the shirt on his back."
"Don't bother. I just want out."
I'd been with Felix when he had nothing. Money meant nothing to me now.
Oscar's grin turned wolfish. "With me on your team, sweetheart, you're getting every penny you're owed."
A car screeched to a halt inches from us. Before I could react, the passenger window rolled down to reveal Debra's smug face.
"Well, well. Hailey—out on a date?"
How pathetic.
After straightening up the house, I grabbed a cab straight to the law firm. This ridiculous marriage needed to end.
"Hailey, are you absolutely sure about this?" Isaac Whitman asked.
I gave a firm nod.
With a sigh, he slid the divorce papers across his mahogany desk. "Thank you, Mr. Whitman."
Isaac had been my favorite law professor, always insisting I was meant to be a brilliant attorney. Instead, against all logic, I'd become a housewife.
"Good. Frankly, this marriage has been draining the life out of you."
I offered a tight-lipped smile. No argument there.
Felix had convinced me to quit law school, claiming he needed me at home so he could focus on building his career. Love had clouded my judgment—I'd abandoned the bar exam for aprons and grocery lists. My mistake, my consequences.
Isaac lectured me for ten solid minutes before producing an application form. "Now that you're ending this farce, retake the bar. Join my firm afterward—with your skills, it'll be a cakewalk."
I stared at the form with bitter amusement. "Professor, I haven't touched a law book in eight years."
He slapped a pen down with finality. "Then start studying! I'm assigning someone to help—your junior, but you'll learn from him."
Enter Oscar Wellington—mid-twenties, unfairly handsome, radiating enough energy to power Manhattan.
Everyone agreed Felix had been gorgeous in his youth. Oscar made him look like yesterday's leftovers. The guy turned heads just walking down the street.
Now I understood why men chased younger women. That kind of vibrant energy was contagious.
Oscar's sunny grin seemed at odds with the serious legal documents in his hands. When he spotted my divorce papers, he looked downright thrilled.
"When you're with the wrong person, cutting ties fast is crucial," he declared. "Ditch that washed-up middle-aged loser before he wastes another second of your time."
The venom in his voice surprised me. Did Oscar have some personal beef with Felix?
"Bet he cheated, right? Neglects his gorgeous wife to chase some skank around town—guy's got a death wish."
An image of Felix's smug face meeting karma flashed through my mind. I actually laughed.
Years of pent-up frustration evaporated. For the first time in ages, I felt light.
Why be angry? Let the cheater have his trash—they deserved each other.
"Oscar, if law doesn't work out, you'd kill it in stand-up comedy."
His whole face lit up. He leaned in suddenly, close enough that I caught his citrusy cologne. "Hailey, you get me! My backup career is absolutely roast comedy—the brutal kind."
My pulse did an unexpected flip.
It had been... how long since I'd been this close to a man?
Felix and I hadn't touched in ages. Early in our marriage, we'd tried for kids. But every time things got heated, Debra would magically "fall" or have a "stomachache" or claim her damn cat was dying.
Felix would yank his pants up and sprint to her rescue. By the time he returned, the mood was deader than her imaginary cat.
His apologies always followed the same script: "She's just a friend, like a little sister. I have to take care of her." Promises of "next time I won't go" piled up like unread legal briefs on my old desk.
Eventually, I stopped keeping track. Stopped preparing for pregnancy. Stopped caring.
Some nights, I wondered if he'd already moved on to someone else's bed.
"Hailey," Oscar said, snapping me back, "with proof of your husband's affair, Mr. Whitman and I can make sure he leaves with nothing but the shirt on his back."
"Don't bother. I just want out."
I'd been with Felix when he had nothing. Money meant nothing to me now.
Oscar's grin turned wolfish. "With me on your team, sweetheart, you're getting every penny you're owed."
A car screeched to a halt inches from us. Before I could react, the passenger window rolled down to reveal Debra's smug face.
"Well, well. Hailey—out on a date?"
End of The Other Woman Was Me Chapter 2. Continue reading Chapter 3 or return to The Other Woman Was Me book page.