Narrated by Paige:
It has been two days, and right now, I'm waiting for Riley at the airport. I'm worried about her seriousness when she spoke to me on the phone. She said she has something very important to tell me, and I can't help but think of a thousand scenarios.
I see her approaching me, and I expected a joyful smile, but what I see is one of pity. That sets off alarm bells in my brain about what she has to tell me.
"Friend, how are you?" she says, hugging me.
"Riley, you have no idea how much I've missed you. How are you?" I ask in return.
"I wish I could say I'm fine and that I'm here for a visit, but it's not the case. As I've mentioned in our phone calls, we have something very important to discuss," she says, taking my hand.
"How about we go to my car and find a place to talk, so we're not here in the middle of the airport?" I respond, smiling nervously.
"Sure, let's go to your car and talk," she says, sounding nervous.
We walk in silence, and we reach my car. I put her suitcase in the trunk and take a seat in the driver's seat, while she sits in the passenger seat.
I can't help but wait, I need her to tell me what's going on.
My friend looks at me and takes a deep breath before speaking.
"I'm going to tell you many things, and I'm doing it because you're my best friend, and I wouldn't want no one to tell me if something like this happened to me, especially when I'm far from home. I saw Mason a few days ago at a medical appointment with a girl. They were going for a check-up with a gynecologist. At first, I thought it was nothing bad, until when they came out of the appointment, he had an ultrasound image. That, coupled with the expression on his face, can only mean one thing it's his baby. Now, what I didn't understand at that moment was his audacity, until I saw the girl and remembered that I've seen her on several occasions, at the company and in the building where I used to live before moving in with my boyfriend. We pretended not to see each other, although we greeted each other in the elevator when we crossed paths in the apartment building. As you know, I couldn't let that doubt linger. I investigated, and boy, was I surprised to find out everything. Did you already know about this?" she pauses, waiting for my response.
"There's a lot I need to tell you, mainly the reason behind my marriage, and after that, you'll understand everything else," I say, looking sorry for lying to her.
"Alright, tell me your side, and then I'll tell you what I found out," she replies, giving me the space to speak.
"Well, our parents made a contract many years ago when Mason and I were young. We were supposed to get married for a period of three years in exchange for keeping our inheritances. At first, we did it mutually, pretending our 'love' to others without imagining that I would end up falling head over heels for him. As for that woman, I can't blame her for anything because I always knew he was in love with her and still is. When we returned from the trip where we planned to give our relationship a chance, as he told me he had feelings for me, we found out that the woman was pregnant with Mason's child. I couldn't stay with him knowing that I would be tearing apart a family. That's why I traveled, and since our contract ends in just two weeks, we'll each go on with our lives. He'll be with the new family he formed, and I'll go back to living as I did before I met him," I explain, trying to keep it concise.
"Wow, you leave me astounded with all this information. Now I understand some things, not everything, but something. I know that woman because she used to live next to a wealthy older neighbor. I even thought they were dating or something. The question crossed my mind, 'Could the baby be Mason's?' But if you say he has always been with her, then I guess it's not just love but also seeing each other from time to time. Am I wrong?" she asks, and I shake my head.
"I understand. Well, just so you know, even though you didn't tell me all of this earlier, I support you completely, and you can count on me for anything. Not only did I find out that, but I also used my social media to have a conversation with that woman. She's too materialistic, boasting about having a wealthy fiancé who will treat her and her baby like royalty. And they're going to live in the house you used to live in, which I find incredibly disrespectful of Mason. How can't he respect that place as something belonging to both of you? I can't wrap my head around his way of thinking. I mean, I understand he's in love and all that family stuff, but to bring that woman to live in the same house where he shared years with you” it's truly disgusting," she says without looking at me.
“If she could see me, she would understand the pain that her words are causing me. Now everything makes sense” the money he wants to give me for the house we shared during our marriage, even if it's fake. It hurts me that it's so easy for him to forget the time we spent together. I feel like he's replacing our memories with new ones with her in the same place where we created them together.
Tears stream down my face as I think about everything that will happen in the future, and it hurts too much. My friend looks at me and stops talking when she sees my expression.
"Damn it, I'm sorry. Sometimes I can be too harsh when I speak, and I don't think about how it hurts others. I'm sorry, friend. I didn't mean to hurt you," she says, affected, hugging me.
"Don't worry, it's better to know than to be surprised when I go to sign the divorce papers," I say through sobs.
"That's why I came. Now you're going to become a badass who won't let anyone hurt her. We're going to turn you into a boss lady, as Karol G says. You'll be the envy of that damn pregnant woman who wanted to take your house because, just as I found out about that, I also discovered that she asked him to live there. That woman has no dignity," she says angrily.