Chapter 1
MACI
Why do women have to be bitches about others? I never got that. But this is not my first rodeo dealing with women like this. I have had to deal with them ever since I got with my husband since high school, with all the popular girls wanting him but he never saw them, only me.
Shaking my thoughts away and began to read through the text I had received from my husband’s secretary again, which made my blood boil. She has been doing this for the last few weeks to me.
Erica Henderson, who is my husband’s new secretary ever since his old one, Mabel Morgan retired.
I loved Mabel. She was there from the start when my husband’s father, Jame Bowen, started his firm. She was the one who would send all the riff raff out and make his father have food when he was working late. She stayed even though the late nights.
Everyone thought they were an item at one point. The way Mabel would run around for him, to telling him what he had for that day. They were always seen together. But that was never the case when it came to them, unless James had a vagina that man would never stand a chance with Mabel.
Mabel was a lesbian and proud one at that. She never flaunts anything, but she would tell people straight and put everyone in their place if they ever thought otherwise. The way some men would look like they had their asses handed to them on a plate was priceless. It made me think what Mabel would do in some situations, and the one I am in now was no exception.
My phone vibrated in my hand again, which pulled me back from my thoughts and saw another message from Rowan’s work number, which meant it was from Erica. I knew Rowan was meetings all day today with a new client which meant Erica had his phone.
I never used to have a problem with it until a few weeks ago when I started to receive selfies of them. When I showed them up or brought it all up with Rowan, he said it was all fun and that I was his one and only. He told me that there was nothing going on between them and I took his word for it, but the photos were getting more frequent.
Also, the photos were not the only thing she was sending me, there have been a few messages too which made my stomach drop. Certain things that a secretary should never know about my husband such as his mole on a certain area on his thigh, and again, when I brought it all to my husband who thought I was losing my mind, had told me still nothing was going on between them and that she only found out about his mole since he had to take his pants off due to spilling coffee on himself. He had to change his pants and Erica walked in on him when he was his boxers.
Part of me wanted to believe him, but it was getting harder too when the messages were coming through still.
The messages that I received were either on snap chat, which only lasted twenty-four hours before they leave, or messages from blocked numbers. I have shown him the screen shots I saved, but he doesn’t believe that it is from her since most of them are from blocked numbers, or even the company mobile, which everyone uses.
Rowan took over as head lawyer of his father’s firm when his dad wanted to retire. He was the best in his field and is one the fiercest men to have in your corner. He takes every case seriously and puts so much effort into them, that sometimes there are a lot of late nights when he must stay in the office.
Since I also work, a mobile hairdresser, there are times we are either there or not together. I have a few regular clients, mostly elderly people who cannot leave their homes and there is one or two clients that are rich or famous, mainly self-made influencers from social media. Well, there is Sofa Anderson, the new sensation who has been with me since her earlier days and has had me to her hair ever since, which I am grateful.
Shaking my thoughts away and finally having enough, I placed my phone back down and looked up to see Sofia looking at me with concern. “You okay, Maci?” she asked. “You look like you either what to hurt someone or take someone’s eye out.”
I stared at her, while the corners of my lips curled up into a smile. A false one at that. I never talk about my personal life, especially with clients and Sofia was one of those who liked gossip. She would use anything for her blog, only if someone agrees and this is too personal. But I did need advice.
“Sorry,” I said, getting back to curling her hair. She was doing a podcast with another influencer today and she wanted to look her best since they were filming behind the scenes. “Something personal but it won’t interfere with my work again.”
Sofia stared at me for a moment and frowned. “Don’t be like that Maci,” she said, moving away from the curler that I had let go and turned to look at me with a hard stare. “I know you all too well. You never let anything personal get to you. Tell me, I might be able to help.”
I said nothing but kept my eyes on her longer. There was concern there.
Sofia looked at me and moved her hand to mine. She held it for a little while before she spoke. “Maci, you have been there for me through everything and all this,” she said, circling her hand with the other around the air, while looking at me. “You also have been my hairdresser ever since you became one. I love you and I do class you as one of my friends. Hell, I probably spill more to you than to the friends I do have, and some of them are not close to me either.”
I stared at her but with everything she was saying, I knew she was right. She was my first customer, before she became this famous influencer. She didn’t have the money to go to any hair salon and found me when I was starting up. I used to cut her hair for free till she got started and she has been there for me ever since, even giving me a tip at Christmas, which is big enough to splurge on something big for Rowan.
Rowan always buys the best gifts. We don’t have any children yet, even though we have been together for twelve years and married for seven of those. We are high school sweethearts. The man never gave up. He was like a loose cannon around the place until I agreed to have ice cream with him at the age of sixteen and that was the start. We did everything together, college and jobs. We even lived together in his father’s basement till we could afford our place.
Rowan was working for his father to learn the ropes of the company but was doing his law degree while I was doing some odd jobs to help with savings, while also learning hairdressing. The topic of kids has come more than enough times when it comes to our parents, but they know we want to be stable before we bring in another human being into his world. We promised to start when I turn thirty which is about a year away. I would have one now, but with the hours Rowan has been putting lately and this whole situation with Erica, it has put me into a frenzy.
I know Rowan loves me, but there is fine line to believing that nothing is happening. He seems to be oblivious to what is going on with Erica, and I feel like he hasn’t taken me serious, which has made me feel like a fool in our own marriage.
Another ping came from my phone which made me come back to reality. I looked over and saw another message, but this one stated that Rowan was working late again tonight, which I knew wasn’t true since we already had plans. This message got to me and I wanted to rip her little extensions out of her head and wrap them around her neck, while I read the rest of the message.
“I’ll be keeping him company. I will sure help him unwind with my mouth.” That woman took it too far.
Looking at Sofia, I needed to vent, and she was the only one around who was willing to listen. Most of my friends are Rowan’s friends’ girlfriends, and they were not even close to me. If I mentioned any of this to them it would get back to Rowan. Then there was my best friend, Andrea, who was living thousands of miles away, so that meant she could only help so much. I needed someone to read what I have been receiving and tell me that I wasn’t imagining everything.
Sofia has been there as a client at the beginning and even knows Rowan since he helped her out of one or two legal matters too, which she was grateful.
Letting out a sigh, I looked at Sofia and started to tell her everything that has been going on and even showing her the messages and screen shots too. I needed someone’s unbiased opinion and to tell me I wasn’t seeing something that wasn’t there.art writing here…
