The phone rang only once before a woman answered. “Hello?”
“Who is this?” I demanded.
“My name’s Valerie,” she said after a pause. “I used to work with Brian.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
“Because someone had to,” she replied, frustration in her voice. “I’ve watched him lie and cheat for months, bragging about you and laughing about how ‘easy’ it is to fool you. It made me sick.”
I swallowed hard. “How did you get my number?”
“I left the company a month ago,” she explained. “But before I quit, I saw what kind of man he was. I found your number in the emergency contact database. I know it was wrong, but you needed to know.”
Her words hit me like a freight train.
“I had another female colleague attend the party and keep an eye on Brian. At the right moment, she called you, let you hear him mock you, and then handed the phone back to me. I’ve been outside waiting for you to confront him. You deserved to know the truth.”
I should’ve been angry, but all I felt was gratitude.
“Thank you,” I whispered before hanging up. I was ready to go home and lick my wounds. Meeting Valerie wasn’t necessary—she’d done her part, and now it was my turn.
The next morning, I woke with a clarity I hadn’t felt in years. Brian’s things were packed and waiting outside the door. When he came home that night, his key wouldn’t fit the lock—I’d placed a keyhole cover.
I don’t know where he spent the night. His phone buzzed with a single text from me: “Enjoy.”
And for the first time in a long time, I smiled. Not out of revenge, but because I had finally taken back control of my life. Divorce was next on my to-do list, and I couldn’t wait to take him for all he was worth!
