The Green Ticket

Chapter 18



How could a fairy tale go so wrong? That night was my night. It was finally my time to have some fun. To not worry about schedules and ads and employees and the stress that Blissful caused me every day. To not have to worry about my homework assignments and if I would pass my classes. It was my night to just have some fun.

As the night went on, I really started to believe. Believe that my birthday party would go off without a hitch. I had all my girlfriends around me; I had Henry. Henry was looking at me like I was the only girl in the room –– the only girl in the universe! My friends were having a great time–– Hannah cutting loose on the dance floor, twirling in Peter’s arms. Carmen grinding against Max. Emma trying her hardest to hide that glow when Corey grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor, pulling her close. And Lila holding court at a booth, regaling some of our classmates and the Blissful staff about her upcoming trip and new life that she would be starting in LA. I even caught some girls asking for her autograph! Lila, blushing furiously, obliged with a smile on her face.

Everyone was content. Everyone was happy. As the clock neared 12:30, I realized that I wasn’t actually that drunk, considering it was my twenty-first birthday and I probably should have been passed out in a pool of my own vomit by then. But I had done so much talking, taken so many pictures, showed off my new shoes so many times, that I really hadn’t overindulged on too many drinks. The Alex-osa’s were bomb, and I think I had two...maybe three. I knew I did a shot with Lila at the beginning of the night, a jolly rancher that tasted just like, well, a jolly rancher. It felt a little weird drinking in front of so many people that called me their boss, so I was being conscientious of that fact. But I was still enjoying myself, don’t get me wrong. My birthday party was exceeding anything that I could have thought of. Until it happened.

Kevin, who was piss-ass drunk before I even showed up at Tango, was in prime condition. I was keeping an eye on him, as were both Henry and Lila, but he seemed to be doing all right. Sure, he was loud at times. And yes, he made some off-color remarks to my party guests–– including both Allie and Carmen. Allie’s fiancé –– who was a perfect gentleman and who I thought was quite handsome in the looks department –– just took Allie’s hand and led her to the dance floor after Kevin told her she should have worn a shorter dress because she rocked “legs that that bitch Cameron Diaz would pay for–– after she bought herself a pair of real tits.” And Carmen simply flipped him the bird and flounced away after he announced to her that, “Mexico wants its hot tamale back, hot damn, baby!”

But my party literally screeched to a halt just minutes after I checked the time at 12:30 and was congratulating myself on a night to remember. I wandered over to the booth were Lila was sitting, and Henry was soon by my side. He gave me a light kiss on the forehead, snaking his arm around my waist and pulling me close. “I think it’s just about closing time,” he whispered in my ear–– loudly, since the music was so loud.

I nuzzled into his shoulder. “You’re staying at my place still, right?”

“Nowhere else I would want to be,” he responded, causing goosebumps to spread up my arms. A half-naked Henry in my bed sounded like just where I wanted to be at that moment. I was thinking about herding my girlfriends together when I heard Kevin shout my name behind me.

“Alex! Alex, you owe me a dance, you dirty slut. Come on! Come dance with me.” I turned around to find Kevin on the edge of the dance floor, his shirt all the way unbuttoned and half off. I watched in horror as he took it off and stuck it between his legs, thrusting back and forth while whooping and hollering. Everyone was starting to stare.

“Oh, Jesus. Where the hell is Dani?” I looked around Tango, trying to spot Kevin’s wife and the only one who could calm him down. She was nowhere to be found.

“He is out of control, Alex. I can’t believe you have to work with him every day,” Lila said, staring at Kevin. “Kudos to you for still being there. I probably would have snapped by now.”

Kevin started coming closer to us, gesturing wildly and throwing his hands in the air. “Alex! I said now!” he hollered, finally reaching the table. His eyes were bloodshot, he was sweating profusely, and he reeked like someone had dumped bottles of liquor on him. It was disgusting. He grabbed my hand and started pulling me to the dance floor. “Dance, little girl! Come on, show me your moves. I know you got them buried under that prissy exterior!”

My mouth dropped open. How dare my boss say those words to me? “Kevin, I don’t think that’s very appropriate to say to one your employees. Especially your manager,” I retorted, my hands going to my hips. F*ck no! I was not going to dance with this douchebag.

“I don’t think this is appropriate either, but I want to see them!” I stared confused at Kevin when he said that, having no idea what he was talking about. Before I could think or react, he reached up and put a hand on either side of my v-neck top...and ripped. Ripped my shirt off in the middle of the dance floor of one of the busiest night clubs in Des Moines. Completely ripped my brand-new birthday shirt in half, leaving me exposed and in a lacy bra that was meant for Henry’s eyes only. In front of my friends. Classmates. And employees.

“Yeah, baby! We gotta get you a deal for Gropers! Someone! Anyone! Grab me my phone. Call Chris–– she needs a photo shoot!”

The club seemed to go silent. I swear, I thought the DJ did that halt the records thing that sounded like a zipper, but I knew the music was still playing. I saw black and could hear my heartbeat in my ears. I couldn’t move, couldn’t cover myself up, couldn’t do anything. Shock. I was in shock. Kevin had officially humiliated me on my birthday.

“Alex! Oh my God, here!” Lila had run over to me, throwing someone’s jacket over my exposed body. I could see Carmen running towards me from the bar on the other side of the dance floor, fire in her eyes. I could see Emma and Corey coming my direction. I saw Hannah gripping Peter’s hand as she rushed my way. And I saw Henry push Kevin backwards. It wasn’t that he pushed him hard, but Kevin was already so off-balance that he tumbled to the ground, landing in a heap at Henry’s feet. I blinked, still not understanding what had just happened. Did Kevin really say he wanted to see my boobs before ripping my shirt off me? That couldn’t have happened. There was just no way.

“Where the f*ck is Dani? Someone find Dani. Now!” Carmen screamed as she finally made it to me, wrapping both arms around me. “Are you okay, Alex? Are you okay? We’re going to find Dani. We’re going to figure this out. Alex? You okay?”

I finally snapped out of my daze, focusing on Carmen’s dark eyes. “What. The. F*ck?” I finally managed to get out, pulling the coat around me tighter. I didn’t even know who it belonged to, but that was the least of my worries. I glanced around, seeing Allie and her fiancé staring at me. One of the front desk gals, Tiffany, was standing in a circle with two stylists, Sophia and Lindsey, the three of them just staring at me in shock. Morgan and Shawna, an esthetician and massage therapist, gaped at me. How the hell was I supposed to act normal around my employees now? They had seen me in my bra! Shirt ripped off by the guy that signed their paychecks. What happened next?

Kevin was still on the ground, struggling to his feet. I noticed security making their way over to us. Lila and Carmen started to lead me to the stairs. Hannah and Peter were gathering our things at the booth–– our clutches and the gifts I had been given. My Louboutins, which had been so comfortable all night, suddenly felt like they were cutting off my circulation.

“Sir. We’re going to have to ask you to leave.” Security had made their way to Kevin, and they were now helping him off the ground.

“I’m not leaving! This is my party! Do you know who I am? Where’s Rick? Someone get Rick up here! He’ll tell you who I am. I probably paid both of your wages tonight!” Kevin was screaming in their faces, his own face red and eyes bulging. I cringed, just wanting to get far, far away from the whole scene. I wondered if I could ever show my face again at Tango. Probably not.

“Sir. We saw what you did, which is grounds for needing to leave. Right now,” the second security guard, who had even bigger biceps than his partner, didn’t even flinch at Kevin’s words. I was sure they heard it at all being bouncers at bars.

“To Alex? Oh, come on, she knows me. Alex! Alex, sweetheart! Tell these nice men that it’s no big deal. We know each other!” Kevin started shouting to me. I paused and looked at him. He was sweating and it looked like he laid in a spilt drink when he took his Henry-assisted tumble. He did not look like a businessman, a husband, or anyone with class or an ounce of respect. I felt for him–– for a just a second. I wondered if he realized how badly he f*cked up this time, and how publicly.

Without a word, I turned around and kept walking towards the stairs. I was determined to hold the tears in, at least till we got to the limo. Carmen and Lila flanked me, and I could see Henry, Max, and Kyle quickly following behind us. Hannah and Peter came after them. Right when we got to the top of the stairs, Dani appeared.

“Hey, guys! Where are you going? What happened? Alex, what’s wrong?” She took one look at my face and knew a disaster had taken place. A disaster named Kevin Dohlman.

I didn’t say anything, just looked at Dani and slowly opened the coat I was wearing. Showing her that my outfit now consisted of a mini-skirt and white lace bra.

“What in the hell? Who did this to you?” Dani searched my face, and I saw her expression darken. “I’m so sorry, Alex. I thought...I didn’t think he would...I apologize for him. I can’t believe he would pull this tonight. In front of everyone. Oh, God, did everyone see?” Her eyes welled with tears, and I felt terrible for her. Her husband clearly had a lot of issues, and it was always Dani’s job to pick up the pieces after the hurricane and put everything back together.

I nodded, still unable to speak. Lila took over for me. “We’re going to get going. Kevin is in the process of being thrown out by security. You might want to help him.”

Dani stared at me for another second, her pain cutting right into me. “I’m really sorry about this, Alex. I...I’ll call you tomorrow.” And she rushed to the dance floor, where we could now see that Kevin was being physically removed by the bouncers, screaming his head off about lawyers and lawsuits.

We made it unscathed to the lower level and out into the night. Our limo was just around the corner, and Tony helped us all in. As I sat down and laid my head on Henry’s shoulder, I realized how exhausted I felt. How exhausted I felt every time I did a Blissful function. Whether it was working, meetings, phone calls, whatever–– Blissful always left this feeling with me.

“I don’t know whose coat this is,” I said meekly, wrapping it tighter around me. “I just stole someone’s coat.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure out who it belongs to and make sure they get it back. I’m sure they won’t mind you borrowing it,” Lila said, sitting to the right of me.

I nodded my head. I thought the tears would come once I made it to the limo, but they hadn’t showed yet. My body just felt numb. I had to quit my job. There was no way I could continue on after that night. How could I have an ounce of respect for myself if I did? “I have to quit, don’t I?” I asked my friends. They were all in the limo–– Lila and Henry on my sides, Hannah holding hands with Peter, Carmen sitting in between Max and Kyle, and Emma sitting beside Corey. My own little support group.

“Could you stay?” Emma asked me. “Could you stay after this incident?”

I shook my head. “There’s no way. No way. How would I act around Kevin? The employees? What kind of example would I be setting for them if I just brushed this under the rug? That they all need to lie back and take whatever shit Kevin throws their way? I can’t do that. I just can’t. I’m better than that.”

“You are better than that, Alex. Just keep remembering that. You’re better than what just happened in there.” Henry squeezed my hand and kissed my temple.

The limo first dropped Max and Kyle off at their place. Peter was staying at Hannah’s and Henry was staying with me. “I’m going to hop out here, too, if that’s okay with you, Alex. Unless you want to stay up and chat at all. I’ll come back to Wacker,” Carmen said. Even in my current condition, I could see she was finally closing the gap of “friendship” between her and Max.

“No, please. Don’t worry about me. I’m exhausted and just want to sleep. I don’t want to think anymore until the morning. Have a good night.” I managed a wink at her, and she winked back before grabbing her clutch and exiting the limo.

The rest of our group rode back in near silence. Tony helped us all out of the limo and tipped his hat to us as we filed silently inside Wacker. Everyone gave me a hug as we parted, even Corey. I remembered thinking I liked him as he grabbed Emma’s hand and led her down the hallway. Lila unlocked our door and we stepped inside the apartment.

“Well. Great night, everybody. Let’s try that again next year, shall we?” I said bitterly, throwing my clutch on the kitchen table. I ripped the stupid Louboutins off my feet, wanting to throw them as well but realizing that carelessly treating shoes that could very well cost thousands of dollars wouldn’t be my smartest move. “What a f*cking joke.”

“It is a f*cking joke, Alex. I mean, what the hell are you going to do tomorrow? What do you even say to him? To the employees? Dani? What the hell is Dani going to do?” Lila fired off questions that she knew I couldn’t answer. Henry sank onto the couch, shaking his head.

“I really don’t even know if I can think about this anymore tonight. My head feels like it could explode. But there is no way in hell I am going back to work for him. No freaking way.”

“Can you sue? Could you have any sort a case of sexual harassment against him or something?” Henry asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Honestly, I doubt it. He has so much money anyway he could hire much better lawyers than I ever could. I know he’s won lawsuits before when he definitely should have lost. Money buys everything in his world.”

“But Henry’s right. You’re quitting because of what he did. You’ll be out of job because of his actions. And what about the money that he’s given you? You could show how he’s tried paying you off.”

“But that’s going to make me look bad. I accepted it. I helped keep his secrets because he kept handing me checks. What does that say about me, about my character? I look like any cheap hooker would, choosing money over my morals. Why didn’t I just get out of it right away?” Tears leaked through my eyes. I should have known better. I should have gotten out. I should have told. Should have, should have, should have.

“Alex, you can’t blame yourself.” Henry grabbed my hand and led me gently to the couch. “It’s not your fault what Kevin does. And remember what we talked about a few weeks ago? You were going to use that money to help start your own business. It’s not like you were taking the money and going on shopping sprees and buying cars. Or worse–– it’s not like you started sleeping with Kevin, too.”

I thought of Allie once Henry said that. Was she being paid by Kevin? Was she getting “bonuses” on the side? I wondered if her fiancé knew. I wondered if Dani knew. I wondered if Allie was sleeping with him when we had our heart to hearts when I had first started Blissful. “I just have too many questions right now. I want to sit down with Dani and get this figured out. I like her. Maybe she knows about Kevin’s infidelities, maybe she just doesn’t want to believe them. But I don’t want to believe Allie. She told me she thinks Dani knows and sticks around because Kevin has money. But what if that was just a lie? Allie’s been lying to me since I came on board. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was making Dani out to be this terrible person. She’s the one cheating on her fiancé. Sleeping with her boss. Sleeping with her friend’s husband. I cannot believe what a mess this is. My dream job. What a joke.”

We went to sleep shortly after that. I decided I would call Dani tomorrow and ask her to meet me somewhere where we could talk, really talk about what the hell was going down at her business. And I needed to turn in my resignation –– effective immediately. I had to start looking for new jobs. I had to call Alicia and explain what the hell happened. That was going to be a terrific phone call. My sister was going to be livid. Maybe another trip to Seattle was in my future; just to get away for a second and breathe and try to forget these past six months.

I fell asleep cuddled in Henry’s arms, dreading the next day.

$$$

“Okay. I’ll see you in an hour. Bye.” I hung up the phone with Dani after making plans to meet at the deli by Blissful. Dani apologized about eight times in our ten-minute phone conversation, and said she really wanted to meet with me as well. I had woken up early that Sunday, made it to church with Henry, Hannah and Peter, then came back to Wacker to shower, change, and prepare myself for lunch with Dani. Henry and Peter had gone back to their house, but Henry left me with a kiss and plenty of words of encouragement. The girls all gathered in apartment 12, watching me get ready.

“I just wonder what she’s going to say. Will she make excuses for Kevin? Make you feel like you were in the wrong? Or will she be totally against him and want a divorce?” Emma wondered, watching me pull my hair back in a ponytail.

“If she doesn’t at least separate from Kevin for a while, I will be f*cking flabbergasted. I know marriage is tough and all that bullshit, but this man clearly doesn’t know how to stay faithful. I’m dying to know if Dani has knowledge of the other affairs. Or of Allie! Shit could get very real at that spa.” Carmen added her thoughts to the situation.

“I think it’s so sad. Kevin really could have a lot going for him. Money, business, wife, kids. It’s sad he wants to throw all that away just to have sex with other women. What is wrong with men?” Hannah wondered.

“They’re all pigs. Selfish, usually lazy, pigs. Text us throughout lunch, Alex. Seriously. We’re going to be on pins and needles over here,” Lila said.

“Don’t worry. You’ll get all the details soon enough. How do I look?” I was aiming for business casual with a crisp white shirt tucked into wide-legged khaki pants and nude pumps.

“You look good. Here’s your binder.” Lila handed me my bulging black binder that was always filled with Blissful documents. This morning, it also contained copies of my letter of resignation.

“All right. I’m going to head out. I’ll text you and let you know how it’s going.” I was out the door with a chorus of “Good luck!” ringing in my ears. I climbed in my Camry and directed it on the familiar path to Blissful. I was sad that I wouldn’t be making the drive anymore. I was sad that I lost a job that I truly enjoyed, one I thought I was good at. I was disappointed in myself that I hadn’t spoken up sooner. Maybe if I had, it wouldn’t have come to what happened at my birthday party. Maybe Dani would have left Kevin months ago. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

I pulled into the deli parking lot with time to spare. Dani was notorious for being late, so I gave myself a few extra breaths to pull myself together. Not one for confrontation, I knew this lunch was going to put me eons away from my comfort zone.

I grabbed my binder and exited my car and, to my surprise, found Dani seated at a booth already. “Hi, Alex,” she greeted me, getting to her feet and giving me an awkward hug. “Thanks for meeting with me today.”

“Thanks for meeting with me,” I said, dropping into my seat. Dani looked like hell, the first time I could remember ever seeing my boss not looking polished and put together. Her face was free of make-up, making her look more like she was twenty-one instead of twenty-eight. Her hair was pulled back into a haphazard ponytail, with strands falling all around her face. The dark circles under her eyes made me wince and I could see puffiness there as well. I knew it wasn’t directly my fault, but I still felt like I was causing her pain in some way.

“Well, I guess we should just dive right in, huh?” She let out a nervous giggle and I followed suit. This was so freaking uncomfortable. “Alex, I want to apologize for Kevin’s actions last night. He was completely out of line, inappropriate, and I know his behavior cannot be excused. He clearly drank too much and forgot that he was in an official work capacity, not just partying with his buddies.”

I nodded, thinking it sounded like Dani was just making excuses for her douchebag husband. Great. So she wasn’t going to do anything more than apologize on his behalf. The selfish prick couldn’t even do it himself.

“Kevin wanted me to ask you not to press charges against him. He offered to get help in exchange for your silence.”

“Excuse me?” That was it. “You’re here not to say sorry and mean it, not to make sure I’m okay, but to make sure I won’t press charges? Are you kidding me?” The anger flew out of my mouth. I couldn’t believe the audacity of Dani. And to think I once thought of her as my friend. I flipped my cell phone open under the table and shot off a text to Lila’s phone: she wants to b sure i don’t press charges. WTF!

With that, Dani’s face crumbed. “I am sorry, Alex. You don’t know how sorry I am. I hate this. I hate apologizing for him. I hate sticking by him and trying to make sure everything’s okay, always. I hated seeing your face last night and knowing what you must think of me. I am sorry.”

My resolve weakened. Dani looked like a lost little girl. “Dani. Please talk to me. Talk to me like a friend, not someone you have to put a show on for.”

Dani’s floodgates really opened at that. “It’s horrible, Alex. I don’t know how to get out. I hate just standing around and watching him go so downhill. He’s my husband. I love him. He’s the father of my children. I think he needs help, professional help. But he won’t listen to me. What do I do? Do I just leave? Break apart a family? Start over on my own? How can I? What do I do?”

I got up and sat next to Dani, putting my arm around her shoulders. “Dani. Listen to me. Kevin does not treat you right. He does not treat you fairly. I’ve been watching him for months and I can’t stand it. I’m here today to talk to you, but also to put in my letter of resignation, to begin immediately. I can’t stand being around him for more than six months. You’ve been married to him for, what, eight years? That’s quite the feat in itself. But you need to get out of it. What he’s doing to you and the stress you have to be under and the influence he might have on your daughters–– you just have to get out.”

Dani stared at me with saucer eyes. “What kind of influence do you think he has on the girls?”

“Think about it. If they can see or sense friction in the house, that will wear on them. If they see their daddy yell at their mom, that will leave a mark with them. If they grow up in a home that isn’t happy, that will influence them. It’s not fair to keep a marriage together just for the children’s sake.”

“So you don’t want to work at Blissful anymore?” Dani sniffled, changing the topic.

“I just can’t. I don’t think anyone would respect me if I came back and pretended like everything was okay. I don’t think I could respect myself.”

“Do you know about Kevin’s affairs?” The way she changed from topic to topic was making my head spin, but this was the one I dreaded most of all.

“Affairs?” I tried to keep my face blank, but she saw right through me.

“I know you know something about the other women. I’ve seen the checks that are written out to you. Kevin’s paying for your silence.”

So she knew. She knew about all of that. I wasn’t sure how I felt. Relieved that she knew and I wouldn’t be dropping a bomb? Disgusted that she knew and didn’t do anything about it?

“I know what you must be thinking. You can’t have much respect for me. Maybe you think I stay with him just for the money. How could I stick by when my husband has all these affairs right under my nose?” Did that mean she knew about Allie? “But it’s not because of the money. I simply love my husband. I said those vows eight years ago and meant them. I thought Kevin was my soul mate. I want to watch our daughters grow up together and grow old together and be together.” Dani started crying again, weeping really, and I knew what the real issue was. She had a broken heart. She loved Kevin with everything she had, but he didn’t love her back.

I held her in my arms as she cried, not having a clue what to do next. I glanced around the deli, and saw a few strange looks being shot in our direction. “Dani? Did you want to go anywhere else to discuss this more? I’m afraid we might be calling some attention to ourselves,” I ventured, still looking around.

“No, I’m okay. I’m okay, really. I think I just needed that real quick. I’ll be fine.” She straightened her shoulders and brushed the tears from her face with a napkin. “Sorry. I’ll be fine though, really. Why don’t you go put your order in?”

“Did you already order?”

“Yes, mine’s in. You go order quick and I’ll just run to the bathroom and try not to scare myself too much when I look in the mirror.” She gave me a squeeze and a smile, though I could tell both took effort on her part. I let her out of the booth and made my way to the counter, where I ordered a chicken tender salad with ranch dressing and a lemonade. I was going to need some serious fuel to make it through the day. I sat back at our booth and fired another text to Lila: It’s a broken heart. She’s just devastated. Knows about the affairs.

I clicked my phone off without reading any of the seven texts that came from my friends after I sent the first one to Lila about the lawsuit. I could just imagine my girlfriends sitting around the living room discussing the Dohlmans and what a messed-up situation I was in. I was sure Carmen was supplying everyone with margaritas.

Dani came back to the table a few minutes later looking more put together. “I’m so sorry to be dumping all of this on you, Alex. I’m sure you’ve been through enough with Kevin and myself. I can’t imagine why you would want to stay at Blissful. And I’m sure you can’t image why I would want to stay with Kevin.”

“Are you going to? Stay with Kevin, I mean.”

Dani sat in silence for a few moments, playing with the straw in her lemon water. “I don’t know. I don’t know how I can. I really don’t. He’s–– he’s humiliated me. Time and time again. Everyone around town knows of his ways. So many people at the spa know. I keep trying to put this mask on every day and tell myself that it’s me he comes home to, me he has a family with, me who goes on vacations with him but...I don’t know if I can do it anymore. I can’t pretend anymore.”

“Dani, I want to ask you some questions, and I want you to be really honest with me. Please.”

“It’s the least I can do after the way you’ve been treated.”

“Do you know about all the affairs Kevin has?”

Dani started shredding her napkin. “I think so. I’ve figured out most of them.”

“Do you know–– do you know about anyone from Blissful being included in them?” I had to know if she knew about Allie. I had to.

Dani’s head shot up. “From Blissful? An employee?” I nodded my head. Uh-oh. “Who? I figured Blissful was where he took his women to, but I never thought it was with a staff member. Who? Who is it?”

I shrank back in my seat, afraid of the anger pouring out of Dani’s tiny body. I’d never seen her so upset. Did I tell her about Kamille and Allie? Should I leave out Kamille since she was no longer there? I made a split second decision. “Um. Allie. It’s Allie.”

“That little bitch!” Dani bellowed and shot to her feet. I quickly got to mine and hurried after Dani as she sprinted towards the door.

“Dani! Dani! Where are you going?” I struggled to keep up with her as she approached her BMW. Kevin’s BMW, technically.

“She’s on the schedule today, right? Alex! Is Allie on the schedule today?” She threw open the car door and I did the same, quickly sliding in. I remembered my chicken tender salad with longing but brushed the thought of food aside. Dani looked like she could seriously turn into one of those women that ran over their husband eight times and got off on account of a “crime of passion.”

“Yes. She should be there.”

Dani started the car and zoomed out of the parking lot, tires squealing and everything. “Dani! Slow down. Think about what you’re doing. What are you going to do? You can’t just storm in your place of business and stab her in front of everyone. Or even just yell at her in front of everyone. That’s going to make you look like the bad guy. Dani!” I screamed as she revved the engine and gunned it through a red light, just narrowly missing a black SUV that was barreling our way. “Seriously, Dani, think about this. Think about your girls and your business and your future. You can’t do anything right now in your state of mind. Please, please, think about what you’re doing.”

We soon rolled into Blissful’s parking lot, and Dani maneuvered the tiny car into the back lot and threw the gear in park. Her enormous chest heaved and her eyes had a panicked look in them. Before I could react, she opened her door and threw up on the pavement. I cringed, but started rubbing small circles on her back. “It’ll be okay, Dani. It’ll be okay. You’ll get through this. I’ll help you. Don’t go in there. Don’t go in there right now. Let’s just think clearly about this, okay? We’ll get you through this.”

We finally drove out of the lot after an hour had passed. I knew that Dani had changed in that amount of time. No longer would she be the woman Kevin could step out on. No longer would she be humiliated by friends who slept with her husband.

I had changed too. I had seen a woman who looked so put together from the outside, who seemingly had this perfect life–– husband, children, wealth, success, power. And I saw how one person’s greed could rip that perfect life to shreds. I may have had to choose between morals and money, but Dani was struggling with morals versus love, and the life she thought at one time was complete. I did not want to trade places with her for a second.