Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 11

“Then there’s Carter,” Kelly said, her tone light as she smiled, almost casual–yet laced with something poisonous beneath the surface. “One phone call from me, no matter what he’s doing–work, meetings, anything–he drops it all and comes to me. Even if you two are… in bed together, he’ll still leave you and come to me.”

Sharon’s hand tightened into a fist before she realized it, her nails digging into her palm. But she didn’t feel the pain.

Because it was true. More than once, in their most intimate moments, Kelly’s call had pulled Carter away.

She had pleaded with him not to go.

But all he left her with was a cold, dismissive reply. “Don’t be unreasonable.”

And then he walked out. As if the heat of a moment ago had been a hallucination. As if she meant nothing at all.

Left behind, disheveled and humiliated, Sharon had sat in the quiet, her skin still burning from his touch, her heart colder than ice.

Now, she smiled faintly and looked Kelly straight in the face.

“So,” she asked, “he left me… to sleep with you?”

Kelly’s expression twitched–barely noticeable–but then she quickly recovered, masking it with a placid look.

“It’s not as dirty as you’re imagining,” she said. “Between me and Carter… it’s not like that.”

She could lie about a lot of things. But not this.

Even if she had once been Carter’s first love, as long as Carter and Sharon hadn’t officially divorced, she had no rightful place. To the world, she was the other woman. The mistress.

And of course, those righteous voices online never hesitated to weigh in–mocking the pathetic wives who couldn’t keep their men, preaching that all love outside of marriage was betrayal.

But they didn’t know. Kelly had met Carter first. Before everything

“Dirty?” Sharon repeated the word softly, without anger. “If there’s really nothing between you two, what exactly are you proud of? That your feelings are pure? That you never managed to give him a child? Or… that he never married you?”

smile finally cracked, like glass

married him, never had his child–if I asked for the moon, find

he’d

in her again, and she

say, but that wedding you were supposed to have with Carter? It ended up being mine. The dress? My favorite style.

much, Kelly? If you’re so capable, why didn’t you

head–on. “Don’t you

moment, something hateful flashed across Kelly’s eyes. She

doesn’t like you. His friends don’t like you. Not even your husband or your son are close to

you. His friends adore you. Even Carter and Theo are bewitched

Chapter 11

+25 BONUS

course, Kelly heard the sarcasm. It wasn’t flattery–it was a death knell. She was mocking her.

bothering to feign civility, stabbed directly

unwilling to say things that lacked grace or dignity. But now—now, she understood. Whoever made her

to

frail, pitiful. “Sharon, you don’t need to remind me. I know… I

sorrow in her words carefully measured. “You’re right. Everything Carter has given me was

words could settle, a furious

prefers Kelly‘? Sharon, who

her gaze landing on the three figures standing just

was charging forward, rage written all over his face. He looked like he wanted to

about Kelly

Julliard Macaron frowned slightly, a crease forming between his

so two–faced! She puts on a show in public, pretending to be

with satisfaction. “Finally caught you red–handed,

expression calm. There wasn’t a trace of guilt or panic

had known–there were people watching. Kelly was using her

in greeting before quietly saying to Nate, “Nate, Sharon

too, didn’t you? Are you