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Before I could go a step farther, Josh pulled up with Max. Then Zoe popped out of a giant pickup driven by a dark and handsome teen who definitely was not Greta. It was like a parking lot in my driveway.
I could see Max glance at Zoe’s mystery driver, taking in his sleeve of tattoos. He walked up to me, motioned to the driver, and said, “Well, he’s not getting buried in a Jewish cemetery.”
I took a few steps toward Kelly. “How could you?” I asked her. “Why? All of it. The book. Ethan. We were best friends.” “What do you mean all of it, Mom?” Zoe asked. “What about Dad?” Ella nudged Josh. “Oh, this is gonna be good,” she said.
Max stuck out his chest and stood up as straight as possible. “Don’t. Call. Me. Bud.” Then he moved closer to me and hugged me tight around my middle.
“So, we heard from the Ella Rankin team that intellectual property theft occurred on the premises. We’ll need to talk to Kelly Chambers.” “Oh my god,” Kelly said.
“Is now when we’re supposed to feel sorry for you?” Ella asked, catching my eye.
Exactly ! Boo Freaking Hoo! Her sob story justifies nothing . Weird motive
“Ethan offered to take care of my money problems if I would just . . .” Zoe prodded. “What? If you would just what?!” “Pippa, I was desperate,” Kelly said. “I needed the cash. I know it’s horrible, but I thought my life was over. It was either saying yes to Ethan and living out whatever fantasies he had, or dying by suicide, which I thought about literally every single day.
Ew so he propositioned her... ?
“ETHAN. You were paying my best friend for . . . ?!” I resorted to the butter-churning motion, too, trying not to let the kids know that their father had made my best friend a prostitute.
WTH this is outlandish
“I think you’d better leave,” Josh said, stepping toward Ethan. “This is my house,” Ethan said. “Not for long,” I snapped.
“Michael, you’ve propositioned me about five different times. I have a stash of key cards from you sitting in my desk at home. You really don’t think I should be involved?” Michael turned beet red.
LMAO
This man has propositioned every author with a skirt and somehow gotten away with it. He has used and abused his power to further his own career. And I don’t think we need to put up with this anymore.” “Woo-hooooo!” Josie cheered from FaceTime. “I got key cards, too!” “Me, too,” I said. “But, but . . .” Michael started. “But nothing,” Ella said, her arms crossed. “And guess what? We see you, too.”
Hahaha yes!
I’d been deceived, duped, and defriended. And yet somehow I was feeling celebratory surrounded by my crazy family, Josie, my old camp buddy. My chosen people.
And then, as if in a rom-com, we slowly, slowly, inched toward each other until we were softly kissing—Max’s old Legos on the shelf behind us, Dayenu’s front paws suddenly on Josh’s back. “Breaking news!” Josie called out from down the hall. “Jilted wife and betrayed friend gets some nookie. Where’s the camera crew?!” We pulled away and laughed.
I am so sorry about Ethan. About Kelly. I cannot believe it.” “She’s over it,” Josie said matter-of-factly as she carried in Gabriela’s bags. “Already making out with that guy.” She gestured toward Josh. “Thanks for the lovely introduction,” he
Did he mind being away from the kids? He never mentioned it in the many emails he’d sent pertaining to our divorce. That hurt almost more than anything. Why didn’t Ethan want to be involved with them? Did he truly not care?
Wow, had it been six months since I’d seen Ethan? And in all that time, he hadn’t seen the kids once. I honestly couldn’t believe it.
“Leyla seems really nice,” I offered. Ethan nodded, adjusting his tie and clearing his throat. “Yep. She’s great.” “Wonderful,” I said. “Let me know when she’s old enough to get her driver’s license.” “I see you haven’t lost your way with words.”
In a small-world moment, it turned out that his husband—yes, husband (so much for him being Gabriela’s new love interest)—had been the editor of our college newspaper, the same editor who was so mean to us at Bluestone.
also know the kind of man I don’t want to be.” Max glared at Ethan, who coughed nervously and looked down at his lap.
Being a man to me means being a sensitive and kind leader; helping everyone in my family; achieving my potential at whatever professional endeavor I choose; treating everyone, women in particular, with enormous respect; and never taking things for granted.
Thanks to my dad, for teaching me the difference between right and wrong—not exactly in the way I would’ve chosen.
“Yes,” I said. “And then I found her having sex with my husband.” Silence. The cameraman let out a chuckle.
Blank went flying up the charts. Turns out, people really were craving the space to make a statement, and to tell their own stories. After all, stories are best when shared. Some people bought Blank to write in, others to draw in, some to collage. One reader turned the entire book into an origami Pippa. Readers were swapping their Blank books. How do you fill in your Blank? became a meme.
My wordless book stayed at #1 on the bestseller list for thirty-seven weeks.
The ponytail girls were also fired from Driftwood when it came to light how much they’d enabled Michael’s abuse. They were rumored to be starting a hair-care line called Pony Up.
Marriage is a mix. Some days are warm, easy, loving. Other days you want to strangle the person because they’ve taken five minutes too long in the shower. But at the base of it all is trust, respect, affection, kindness.
“The real trick is being with someone who brings out the best in you, who sees you—well, not in the way my old boss, Michael, saw me; that’s a story for another time—and makes you the best version of yourself. Someone who makes you feel safe so you can take risks, explore new places, conquer new challenges.
You just have to know what you’re looking for and who you are. And you have to believe you’re going to find the right one.
“I’d say don’t settle, Zoe. If you feel like you’re being silenced or taken advantage of or abused or anything, press the escape hatch.
“Hey, Mom? When are you going to tell everyone that you’re the open-house bandit?” I sat up again. “What? You know?” “Of course I know,” Zoe said. “You’ve been sharing your location with me on your phone for years.”
Ethan, wow. Thank you for giving me Max and Zoe. And Lisa, thanks for that original introduction. I’m glad we can all be happier now, having gone our separate ways. (Wasn’t that incredibly civil of me?)
To Michael, my former publisher at Driftwood, thanks for clarifying my values and showing me that power isn’t everything. I see you, too.
To LeeLee, looks like you should’ve stuck around.
Lol
