Chapter 1
The day after registering our marriage, I held two plane tickets and waited at the airport for my newlywed husband, Simon Godfrey.
He arrived, with his childhood sweetheart Angela Newsome behind him.Angela Newsome
"Honey, Angela just went through a breakup. I brought her along to relax," he explained gingerly.
Angela wore the same beach dress as me and gave me an apologetic smile. "Joyce, I hope it's not an intrusion. I simply want to share your happiness."
I looked at the third ticket in Simon's hand. The seat number was16B.
Mine was 16A. Simon's was 16C.
He had arranged for Angela to sit between us.
A surge of anger shot up to my head.
I pulled him aside and lowered my voice. "She leaves, or I do."
He looked troubled and helpless. "Baby, don't be unreasonable. Angela said she felt scared staying home alone. She just wants to join us for some fun.
"I've known her since childhood. Traveling together didn't mean anything."
I cut him off. "If she doesn't leave, we divorce right now."
*****
Simon reached out, trying to pull me closer, but I sidestepped him.
"Come on, don't get mad over something so little, alright?" he said, his voice softening as he tried to coax me.
I kept quiet, giving him a cold, hard stare.
He finally broke under my stare and sighed.
"Alright, I'll talk to her. I'll ask her to leave," Simon said.
He raised both hands in surrender.
"You're the boss, okay? Happy now?" he said.
With that, Simon walked straight up to Angela, leaned in and spoke quietly.
Angela's shoulders slumped instantly.
She looked up, her eyes rimmed with tears.
"Simon, does your wife not like me?" Angela asked. "Did I do something wrong?
"I'm simply feeling miserable after my breakup, and I simply want to share your happiness."
As she spoke, Angela gave me a pitiful look, then turned back to Simon and clung to his arm.
"Simon, I know your wife's misunderstanding us," Angela said, "But you already explained it to her, and she still doesn't trust you?"
Here she went again with that pitiful face and the 'poor me' act, all sneakily manipulative.
My brain short-circuited.
Two months ago, Angela turned up at our door, dragging two massive suitcases behind her.
She had that same pitiful look plastered all over her face.
That day, Simon had his arm around me, but he looked at her with nothing but pity.
Simon said, "Honey, Angela just broke up with her boyfriend and got kicked out by her landlord. She's got nobody in this city. It's heartbreaking.
"Let her crash with us for a bit. She'll be out as soon as she finds a job and a place."
But what happened after that? Once she moved in, she acted like she was here to stay.
And then there was the pre-wedding party, held two weeks before we got married.
Angela put on her teary-eyed act for Simon in front of everyone.
She turned to me, voice trembling. "I'm so jealous. You get to marry someone as amazing as Simon.
"My ex never treated me even half as well as Simon does."
Our friends started making a fuss, urging Angela and Simon to do a wedding toast together.
Simon looked unsure, hesitating for a moment.
But Angela jumped right in, linking her arm with his at once.
"Come on, Simon, just treat it as an early wedding celebration," Angela said.
Simon gave in, letting her pull him along for the toast.
When we took the group photo, Angela pushed right past me and squeezed herself in so close to Simon that her face was practically pressed against his cheek.
That night, Simon and I ended up having our worst fight ever.
"Simon, do you understand what boundaries are?" I snapped at him.
"Honey, don't overthink it. Angela and I were only fooling around, you know? We've always been like this since we were kids," Simon said.
I was so mad I was literally shaking.
We didn't speak for a whole week.
I'd already packed my bags, ready to walk away from this relationship for good.
It wasn't until the night before we registered our marriage that Simon finally pulled me into his arms and apologized.
"Honey, I was wrong. I promise I'll keep my distance from her from now on," Simon said. "I swear, that is the last time."
I looked into his bloodshot eyes and believed him.
But now, standing in the airport lobby, his promises felt like a total joke.
Simon looked at Angela with all the tenderness in his eyes.
That tenderness wasn't meant for me.
He walked over to me, exhaustion written all over his face.
"Honey, just look at Angela. She's crying her heart out. Maybe we could..." Simon said, his voice hesitant and trailing off.
I didn't wait for him to finish. I simply turned and walked straight out of the airport, not looking back.
"Alright, I'm leaving. You two can have your honeymoon without me," I said.
Simon panicked. He caught up to me and stopped me, canceling Angela's ticket right then and there.
He held up his phone, apologizing to me.