The Next Wife by Kaira Rouda (speld decodable readers txt) 📕

of their lives. That’s the biggest thing. Us next wives waltz in after all the potty training, the shots, the school selection, the homework. I watch as she picks up the youngest, a baby who looks to be nine months or so, heavy but not yet walking. The baby arches his back and wails.

“Oh my god, Jill, can you get him to shut up?” says the young dad.

Jill bursts into tears along with the baby.

I glare at the young dad. How rude. She’s doing her best. She’s a first wife. I imagine she lives not far from here, in a small one-story rural home. She has no help, no money for good clothes clearly, and vacation means babysitting her own kids with the extra pressure of making sure the children make the dad look good in public. Likely they saved money all year just to visit for the weekend, and now this. No thank you.

I like my men wealthy and broken in, and the kids, if they have to be around, happily away at college. That’s why a man like John seemed so perfect. That’s why I asked if he had any single friends.

Turns out, he didn’t want to share me with anyone. His choice. And I felt like I’d hit the jackpot. He was trained by Kate, his first love, a strong woman who became his business partner. Check. He only had one child, and she was potty-trained and ready for college. Check. He dressed nice, but not flashy. He smiled easily and told corny jokes. He didn’t make a move until he made sure I wanted him. Such a gentleman. Check, check, check, and check.

No one is going to take him away from me. I’ve provided the training on how to treat a young, gorgeous new wife. I’m the one who has created our exciting life. Kate will not waltz in and take it all back. She will not.

As we step off the gondola, away from the crying baby, I turn and face him. “Tell me what’s not working? We need to figure things out.”

He looks up at the sky. “Let’s discuss this back home.”

I shake my head. “No, let’s discuss this now. How long have you been seeing Kate? Sneaking around behind my back? Tell me the truth. I will forgive you, of course. Everyone makes mistakes. As long as it doesn’t happen again. You’ve been under stress. The grass seems greener, yada yada. And of course, she must resign. I can’t have her working there with you. Not anymore.” My hands land on my hips before I realize it. I tell myself to breathe. To calm down. I’m shaking with fury. There is a regular parade of gondola riders walking past us. I fake-smile at a couple, and they look away.

“What are you talking about?” John acts puzzled, but he’s not. I guess he’s just surprised I know so much.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Look, you and I did the same thing. Tell me the truth.” My voice is a hiss. I poke him in the chest for emphasis.

John blinks and backs away, hands held up like he’s surrendering to the police. “The truth is that this isn’t working. Us. You and me.”

How dare he? He’s tossing up his hands and trying to tell me it’s over. Here? Like this? I stare at him, searching for an answer. He drops his head.

I’m so mad I can barely speak. “We are fine. You don’t get to claim it isn’t working. No, that’s not how it’s done. You just need to pay attention to our relationship again. Come back to me. Stay away from Kate.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” John is such a bad liar.

I don’t say another word. I turn and walk toward the condo. In my mind, the image of our perfect family, our perfect life, crumbles into dust. He seemed like just what I’d been looking for, and for a while he was. Now, he’s a disgrace—weak and disloyal.

I stomp into the lobby of the condominium complex, aware I’m still shaking. I take a deep breath and calm myself. I can handle anything. That’s why I’ve survived on my own for so long. I thought John was different, I thought I could count on him. I learned growing up that you have to keep your options open. It’s time to pivot from love to revenge.

The elevator doors open, and I step inside, stabbing the button for the penthouse. John arrives at the elevator just as the doors shut, him on the other side. I give him a quick shrug but don’t make a move to reopen the doors. I guess he’ll just have to wait in the lobby for a bit. It will give him time to think about what he’s done.

It’s too bad he’s turned into a liar. It really is a shame. The truth can set you free, I’ve heard. So what does lying do for you?

CHAPTER 10

JOHN

When the doors of the elevator closed, I almost left. I could have called the pilots and flown home. I did call Ashlyn and cheered myself up with the sound of her voice. I almost walked out, but I didn’t. I promised Tish one night here, and I would keep my word.

By the time I walked into the condo, it was like nothing had happened between us. As if we’d never fought. Tish made a big pitcher of margaritas, and we’re sitting out on the deck watching the sun drop behind the mountain. The air is turning crisp, and in a few minutes, I’ll need a jacket. I soak up the beauty of the purple sky and take a sip of my drink. All I need to do is get through tonight and get back home. All the way home.

I inhale a deep breath. In my opinion, this is the best time of day during the summers up here. The light, the warm breeze that turns a little