Never Trust the Husband by Jessica Payne

Author:Jessica Payne [Payne, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-05T00:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-THREE

MADELINE

Four Years Ago

My plan was in full force. I didn’t know if Benji was cheating on me, but if he was, he was good at it. I had Gwyn keeping an eye on him at the winery as she added a decoration or suggested more built-in storage, but her time at the winery was coming to a close. I’d started dropping in on him at work, taking him coffee, delivering it with a kiss, but he was always alone, working on this or that. When I could get my hands on it, I’d scour his phone, but I never saw a call or a text suggesting anything besides loyalty.

Sometimes he worked late, and sometimes he went on business trips, and more than once I went so far as to call him at the hotel. He’d answer the phone, and I’d say, “Isn’t this fun? It’s like what our parents did, landlines and everything!” as an excuse for my behavior. He chuckled, because he remembered using a landline growing up, whereas I’d never had one.

Benji bought it all. And it wasn’t a lie—it’s who I really was. A devoted, loving fiancée, who never thought she’d meet a man worth her time. And now that I’d found him, I was determined we would have a happy life. There was no reason we shouldn’t.

Gwyn, of course, texted me updates every day: He’s selling some woman wine, as though that were a crime, giving me reason to lean into Kip’s reasoning that she was jealous, struggling through her own relationship. Kip, meanwhile, continued to hang out with the three of us, blending into girls’ nights flawlessly.

Elena, who still hadn’t hired a receptionist, figured out something was going on, maybe because we’re sisters.

“What’s up with you?” she asked one afternoon after the last patient left.

“What do you mean?” I shot her a look as I sorted forms into folders to be scanned into patient charts. The office wasn’t the same without Kip, whose playful humor I missed. I wished he’d stayed longer, added an elective block to continue learning about plastics, but he was off in pediatrics. Couldn’t say I blamed him—Elena, with her exacting standards, wore on people.

“I mean a few weeks ago you were happy as could be. Engaged. You bought the house. You couldn’t stop smiling.” She came up short of the hallway that led to her office and turned to face me directly. Her gaze softened. “You seemed… good. And now…” She stepped closer and pulled up the second chair. “Now you seem not so happy. Is everything okay?”

I shared eye contact with her, something we often avoided. My chest expanded, and for maybe the first time ever, I felt warmth in her presence. “Just… stressed. About wedding stuff.” I couldn’t tell her everything. And besides, it seemed more and more likely there was nothing to tell. Benji hadn’t met with another woman so far as I could figure. When I’d asked him about that night, he freely admitted you had stopped by the winery to grab papers you’d left there, though he made no mention of a woman.

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