The Divorce by Freida McFadden - 28

28

“Oh, Naomi, that sounds awful!”

I am so grateful for Cora, who agrees to meet me for drinks at a local bar after the elephant incident. Zack is with her ex-husband, so like me, she’s got free childcare. Although the difference between us is that I would give anything to be home right now with Teddy.

But having drinks with Cora is a decent consolation prize. I told her what’s been going on with Jeremy, although I’ve left out my suspicion that Veronica may have tried to poison me. When I imagine saying the words out loud, it seems overly suspicious. I couldn’t bear it if Cora thought I was delusional like Jeremy does.

“You know what he’s doing,” Cora says as she sips her glass of rosé, “don’t you?”

“Doing?”

“He’s gaslighting you.”

I take a drink from my own glass of pinot noir, although it’s definitely more of a gulp than a sip. “Gaslighting me? ”

“Definitely!” Her eyes widen. “It’s so obvious! He’s telling you to come to his house at a certain time, and then when you show up, he pretends he told you a different time and that you got it wrong. And he actually convinces you that you were the one who was wrong and you can’t keep track of your appointments. I mean, do you ever have the information in writing that you got wrong? Like, in a text?”

“No…he usually just told me in person or on the phone.”

She nods triumphantly. “Like I said, gaslighting.”

“Jeremy wouldn’t do that.”

“I don’t know why you’re defending him.” She grits her teeth. “He’s been so awful to you through this whole thing.”

“Veronica is giving him plenty of ammunition,” I point out.

“God, she’s so cold-blooded.” Cora rests a hand on my shoulder. “I don’t know which of them is worse.”

“He’s being manipulated.”

“Naomi.” She gives my shoulder a squeeze. “Sweetie, I know you still love Jeremy, but he’s made his choice. It’s time to move on.” She scrutinizes the occupants of the bar. “See anyone who appeals to you?”

“I’m too old to pick up a guy at a bar.”

“You are never too old to pick up a guy at a bar.”

I just shake my head.

“Okay, okay. Well, what about that cute divorce lawyer of yours?”

“I’m just…” I rub my temples with my fingertips. “I’m not ready to move on yet. Even though he’s being a jerk, I can’t turn off my feelings for Jeremy like a light switch. ”

“He’s being more than a jerk, Naomi,” she says. “He’s trying to ruin your life and take your son away from you. You shouldn’t take this crap from him!”

“Yeah,” I mumble.

“Tomorrow when you have your mediation,” she says, “you need to go into that room recognizing that this is a war. And pretty soon, that asshole husband of yours is going to be waving his white flag.”

She’s right. Jeremy has been terrible to me, and it’s time for me to move on. But it would be a lot easier to give up on Jeremy if I didn’t think that he might be in danger too.