You think I’m falling apart?
Jake, you have no idea how calm I am.
Calm enough to watch everything you built collapse.
Alex lightly tapped her fingernails against her glass.
“So you’re really leaving her?”
Jake sighed dramatically.
“Of course I am. I need you to trust me, Alex. I’m doing this for us.”
Alex let her napkin slip to the floor.
OUR SIGNAL.
I rose slowly and stepped behind Jake.“Hi, honey,” I said sweetly, pulling off the wig and dropping it onto the table. “Looks like your big deal is almost closed, huh?”
The color vanished from Jake’s face.
“Martha? What the hell…”
Alex smirked.
“Surprise, Jake. Looks like your wife and your girlfriend finally agree on something.”
Jake forced a laugh, but it sounded hollow.
“You were both ready to give me your money. Who’s the fool here?”
Alex lifted an eyebrow.
“Oh, you’re not getting a dime from me now. Not after this.”
“Fine. Don’t. But Martha already wired me everything anyway. You should learn from her. Loyal to the end.”
I leaned closer.
“No, Jake. I didn’t send you a damn cent. One call from Alex saved me. Remember when you left your phone at home? Next time, be more careful when you’re playing two women at once.”
Jake opened his mouth but couldn’t find a single word.
I stepped back, pulled one dollar from my purse, and tossed it onto the table.
“Enjoy the dinner, sweetheart. I’ll pay what you deserve.”
Alex grabbed her coat.
“We’re gonna get pizza. Real food — cheap and honest.”
Together we walked away while Jake sat behind us, sputtering helplessly.
Outside, Alex gently bumped my shoulder.
“So. You ever think we’d end up here?”
“Not once. But I’ll tell you what — you ever need a partner in crime again, call me.”
She laughed, throwing her head back.
“Deal. But first — extra cheese?”
“Extra cheese. And maybe, extra drink.”
We walked down the street side by side—two women who had sacrificed far too much and finally refused to lose anything else.
Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
