Lost Me, Gained Regret (Jane and Bryant Ferguson)

"What? You're kidding, right?" I was utterly stunned.

Bryant just shrugged casually. "I mean, Mark."

"That night, wasn't it him who dropped you off? He had just flown back from abroad, and you couldn't wait to see him." His tone was a mix of sarcasm and self-mockery.

I furrowed my brows, looking at him in disbelief and asked, "Are you saying I have a crush on Mark?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Bryant's lips twisted into a bitter smile, cold and mocking. It felt like a slap in the face.

A wave of anger, nothing I'd ever felt before, surged through me, and I slapped Bryant hard across the face. "Bryant, you bastard!"

Despite trying to hold it back, tears streamed down my face. I found myself crying, then, absurdly, starting to laugh. It was all just so ridiculous.

To think, after all these years of being hopelessly devoted to him, it all came down to him insinuating I wanted a divorce because of another man.

How pathetic it was.

Christine appeared out of nowhere, followed by Steven.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Christine said, pulling me along. She shot Steven, who looked utterly shocked, a look of annoyance. "What are you waiting for? Grab the luggage. Did you think you were here to watch a soap opera?"

Steven glanced at the suitcases, then at me, then at Bryant, then back at Christine. He looked lost.

Turning back to Bryant, his voice barely above a whisper, he stammered, "Bry, Bryant?"

I felt like I was on pins and needles until Bryant finally said with an inscrutable expression, "Just do it."

After seven years of having a crush on him and three years of being married, I never thought it would end in such an embarrassing way.

It seemed when people felt guilty, they lashed out first. Bryant was no exception.

The black SUV merged back into the traffic.

While driving us away, Steven hesitated before saying, "Are you going to divorce Bryant?"

"What's it to you? Just drive." Christine rolled her eyes at him, then explained, "You called out of the blue, wanting to move. Couldn't find a moving company on short notice, so I roped him in for the heavy lifting."

Hearing that, I looked at Steven through the rearview mirror. "Give me a couple of days to settle in, and I'll treat you and Chris to dinner."

"Deal," Steven replied with a grin.

Christine sighed, checking the car's GPS. "Are you sure you don't want to stay at my place?"

"I'm sure," I said.

For my birthday a few years back, Bryant promised to take me to watch the Northern Lights in Iceland. We were at the airport when he got a call that Margaret had escaped home. I was left stranded at the airport.

He didn't come home for three days, and when he did, he presented me with a deed to a spacious apartment in the city center as an apology.

Riverview Estate was one of RiverCity's most sought-after properties. Men were always the most generous when they'd done something wrong.

I hadn't known then about the nature of his relationship with Margaret. I was just thrilled he was trying to make amends. I took great care in overseeing the apartment's renovation and even hired someone to clean it weekly. Little did I know it would become my refuge post-divorce.

The apartment offered a 270° view of the river. Walking in, the skyline across the river greeted me, neon lights twinkling in the distance.

After Steven dropped off my bags and Christine shooed him away, he cheekily asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to wait for you in the car?"

"Why would you? I'm not going anywhere tonight." With that, Christine pushed him out and closed the door.

Feeling slightly better, I chuckled. "So, what's the deal between you two?"

"Let's just say it's a grown-up thing." Christine plopped down on the couch, began ordering food on her phone, and gave me a thumbs-up. "It blew me away when seeing you slap Bryant today. But he deserved it. I've rarely seen you so angry."

I slumped beside her, feeling drained. "I never thought it would get this ugly."