FAULTLESS EX- HUBBY

TELL ME EVERYTHING

Looking at Emily’s puzzled and shocked face made me realize that I haven’t told her that I was once married. And I divorced the man two years after we tied the knots.

I sighed.

“Sorry, Ems, it was a chapter of my life that I wanted to forget; the reason why I never discussed it with anyone.”

I looked at her pleadingly.

I saw the pain in her eyes, and I was so mad at myself for causing her additional pain.

“I am your best friend Trish, don’t you trust me enough with important information about yourself? This is huge."

She voiced out what I already saw in her eyes.

I touched her hand, covered it with mine.

“Ems, It was painful for me to open the topic out of the blue, and I placed it really at the back of my mind until now I almost forgot about him and his episode in my life.”

I hope Emily would understand what I went through.

I felt my eyes were beginning to form tears.

Silence descended.

After a while...I felt the warm liquid slowly cascade from my eyes and down my face. I never thought seeing the man again would have such an impact on me. I saw Emily’s scorching gaze soften when she saw me in tears. It was not my intention to cry, but I had no control over my emotions.

“Oh! Okay! Okay! Don’t cry, Trish...But Let’s talk more about this husband of yours.”

My story piqued her interest, and I understand her entirely. Who would have guessed that at 25, I am already a divorcee?

“You mean my ex-husband!” I corrected her, I smiled bitterly.

“Okay fine, your ex-husband. What happened to that marriage?”

I felt her excitement. Maybe she thought that my boring life wasn't boring after all.

Also, she might have forgotten her problem at this moment. Her interest shifted from her situation with Josh to my pathetic relationship with Andrew.

“Alright, I caught him cheating on me. I took a photo of them leeching each other. My ex was on top of the lady, on top of the bed. I caught them in the act Ems. I filed the divorce immediately after I saw them. I never listened to his explanations. I knew he would tell lies...all lies.”

While talking, I felt the pain of the discovery all over again. But, once and for all, I needed to vent the heavy feeling. I always knew I needed to keep it out from my chest; however, I never talked about it to anyone after I left him, and it was a trauma to me.

“Goodness! Were they naked when you saw them?” Emily's eyes beamed as she speculated it to be an intriguing situation back then. A wife catching her husband with his mistress or partner is a rare scenario.

“Well...no, they were still fully dressed, but I might be a bit early...However, God knows what the next scene might be if I did not appear suddenly.”

“With clothes on? Was it enough to back up your divorce approval?”

Emily's a little skeptical about how my divorce appeal got approved. I was also surprised before at how easy and fast the process of filling and the divorce proceedings and eventual approval was. I didn't bother to ask since I just wanted to end it all and run away from everyone as soon as possible.

“It got approved; that's all that matters,” I shrugged my shoulders.

“Yeah! But if the lawyers were good, they could turn around this thing.” She reasoned.

I sighed. It was all in the past, nothing would change now.

“Well, the photo might be suggestive enough. Anyway, it’s not my concern anymore.”

“Tell me more about him...what's his name again?” Emily asked.

“Ems, I don’t see the point of talking about the man. Can we stop now?”

It was hard for me to remember Andrew, based on my reaction to him earlier...there was a possibility that … never mind! That little voice in my head...

“Hey! You owe me this much, and you know that, don't you? After keeping it from me for more than four years, and I think I deserve to know everything about you...” She insisted.

With a deep sigh, I gave up resisting.....

“Listen, I will tell you everything now, but please promise me it will be the last. I don't want us to keep talking about him after today. Am I clear?"

"Yes, but tell me everything I should know. As in everything."

Emily's eyes were seriously looking at me. I know she was just protective of me.

"Alright… his name is Andrew Lopez, a Phil American neurosurgeon. He is the medical director now of the Shanxi hospital. Accordingly, he was sent here to replace the previous director. He's tall, good physique, and is attractive." I breathed a little, then said...

"We met in the US, he was my mom’s surgeon, and before my mom died, she had him promised that he would marry and take care of me. Three months after my mom died, he proposed, and I accepted. We got married two months after. It was a good relationship, so I thought back then. I was very young and naive. I idolized the guy, and he seemed to be a perfect husband."

I breathed hard, paused, and continued. Undergoing this ordeal was for Emily-- and also for me.

"But, he was and still is- a handsome man; women were after his threshold. I caught him in his hotel room during one of his conferences on top of the lady. I divorced him after that. And until tonight, we don’t have any communication. I went back here and lived a new life. So you see, it was a familiar failed marriage story. Nothing so special about it.”

“You were divorced, but did you not get anything from him? As in settlement etc.?” Emily asked.

“According to my lawyer, Andrew had an account set-up for me, but I am not interested. I don’t want anything to do with him. That’s why I am here..far away from him. I don’t know what kind of bad luck we had, and he just took a post of the MD I need to meet today. But I guess that’s all there is! In the future, I won’t have a business that will involve him.”

“Was he the reason why you remain single?” She raised one of her brows.

I scoffed. It was the craziest idea I've heard, and I have hardly thought about him in the past four years.

“Of course not! I told you any memories of him, and I pushed back from my mind. If you did not ask, I would never talk about him, but I know I owe you an explanation. but Ems, please...no more after today.”

“How was he as a person, I mean his character? How was he with you?"

Unfortunately, Emily was not done yet with her questions. So I need to answer her again.

“Andrew had been good to me back then. He was a little strict, always firm on his words. He was sweet, kind, and humble. I don’t know what else...right now, what I could think of was his disloyalty...his betrayal." I said honestly.

“Is he really handsome?” undone, she asked again.

I nodded my head, then rolled my eyes at her when I saw the smirk on her face. I wished I could tell her. Geez! Ems, please stop this nonsense.

But I answered her instead...“...He is!”

“As in how attractive?”

She was curious beyond my expectation.

“Ems...alright! Slobbering kind of gorgeousness!” my left eyebrow rose unexpectedly.

“Was he good in bed?”

Dang, it! Emily, what the heck!

I sighed deeply, a little upset now with Emily, but I owe her this much. “I don't know, and I am not good with this kind of talk Ems. I should forget about it, right?”

“That’s why!” she smiled mischievously.

“That’s why what?” I asked annoyedly.

“You were in pain!”

I was utterly puzzled. I couldn't follow.

“What?” I asked, puzzled.

Emily giggled. “I haven’t seen the man yet, but based on your description of him...it will be hard for you to replace him.”

“Dearest...if not for this encounter, he was out of my life. And he is! We’re divorced. I am a free woman, and I can love someone again and marry. I am single!” I emphatically told her.

“But you never did find a match in the last four years,” Emily reiterate. She was right of course but I reasoned.

“Ems, as if you are not aware of my life for the past four years? I hardly have time for myself! Give me another year, and my priorities might change.”

“I am eager to meet the man!” Emily remarked.

“Good luck, dearest! But let me remind you...like Josh, Andrew is also a womanizer!” I shrugged my shoulders.