The only reason I went to my husband\u2019s office party for the first time was to see the other \u201cwife.\u201d He got what he deserved afterward.<\/p>\n
Jennifer was immediately interested when she found an email inviting her husband to a fancy New Year\u2019s party with a \u201cplus-one\u201d choice. But what she found at the event broke her trust and caused something she didn\u2019t expect to happen.<\/p>\n
The laptop\u2019s sound cut in and out of the movie we were watching. Oliver had just left to go to the bathroom, leaving his laptop on the coffee table open.<\/p>\n
I had to take a quick look at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cDear Mr. Oliver,<\/p>\n
We\u2019re excited to let you know that the New Year\u2019s party is coming up! The dress code for the party is white. You can bring a guest, like your wife. Address\u2026<\/p>\n
His business had always had a strict \u201cno-plus-one\u201d rule. They had never let it happen. Sure enough, it was written there\u2014plus one (your wife).<\/p>\n
I tried to stay calm when Oliver came back, but my interest was rising. \u201cThe office is having a party for the New Year?\u201d I asked in a casual way.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cYeah.\u201d \u201cNot anything fancy.\u201d The usual end-of-the-year get-together.<\/p>\n
\u201cMay I come?\u201d I smiled and tilted my head as I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, they don\u2019t let guests in.\u201d It is only for work.\u201d<\/p>\n
I gave them a raised look. \u201c But the email said\u2014<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Jen, they don\u2019t.\u201d Believe me. His voice was short. \u201cAnyway, I have to work that night.\u201d It\u2019s not a big deal.<\/p>\n
That was the first time I thought something wasn\u2019t right.<\/p>\n
On New Year\u2019s Eve, I stood in front of the mirror and fixed my white dress. Why did he not want me there? Was he embarrassed? Not telling me something?<\/p>\n
\u201cHappy New Year, Jen!\u201d he said as he put on his coat and gave me a quick kiss on the face.<\/p>\n
I told him \u201cHappy New Year\u201d as I watched him walk away.<\/p>\n
I grabbed my bag and left right away, as soon as the door shut behind me.<\/p>\n
The hotel where the party was held looked like a gem in the dark. Walking up to the front desk made me feel a mix of nerves and drive.<\/p>\n
The boss asked with a smile, \u201cMay I have your name, please?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHi Jennifer. I said, \u201cI\u2019m married to Oliver.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked down at the list in front of him for a moment and then back up at me. He let out a laugh. \u201cGood one!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name is Jennifer,\u201d I said over and over again. \u201cWife of Oliver.\u201d<\/p>\n
The manager\u2019s face changed into one of unease. \u201cUh-huh\u2026\u201d He paused and cleared his throat. \u201cMaybe we don\u2019t understand each other.\u201d Oliver already checked in, but he brought someone with him. \u201cHis real wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
My chest got tight. \u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey did show up about 30 minutes ago,\u201d I said. They always get together. \u201cI\u2019ve seen them at a few events,\u201d he said, shuddering a little as if he was ready to lose it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m married to him,\u201d I said in a firm voice.<\/p>\n
He looked like he was going to answer, but he stopped, and a worried look came over his face. He nervously said, \u201cLet me check the guest list again.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when I saw them. She was with Oliver. She was a woman with long, dark hair, and her arm was casually over his shoulder. As they laughed together, they got closer. It was clear that they were close.<\/p>\n
\u201cMa\u2019am?\u201d The boss\u2019s soft but strong voice cut through my racing thoughts.<\/p>\n
He was scared by how calm I was when I turned to him. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to check.\u201d \u201cI see him.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t know what to do next or have a plan. But one thing was certain: Oliver would feel bad about what he did.<\/p>\n
The next morning, the phone rang right as I was making my first cup of coffee. I was still angry from last night, and I almost left the message on voicemail, but I had to answer it.<\/p>\n
A steady voice asked, \u201cIs this Mr. Oliver\u2019s wife?\u201d<\/p>\n
With a knot in my stomach, I said, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the Mercy Hospital.\u201d This morning, your husband was in a car crash. He\u2019s safe, but you need to come in right away.<\/p>\n
\u201cA car crash?\u201d My heart was racing as I stuttered. \u201cIs he\u2026is he okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe hit his head and broke his arm.\u201d What\u2019s going on we\u2019ll explain when you get there.<\/p>\n
As soon as I walked into the waiting room, I could smell how clean the hospital was.<\/p>\n
\u201cJenn Ifer?\u201d A doctor came up to me with a clipboard.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d Is Oliver all right?\u201d<\/p>\n
The doctor motioned for me to take a seat and said, \u201cHe\u2019s stable, but there\u2019s a big problem we need to talk about.\u201d \u201cHe has a badly broken arm.\u201d There is a chance of lasting damage if surgery is not done. However, his insurance stopped last month. As his spouse, you can okay the treatment and make plans for payment.<\/p>\n
As I tried to understand what he said, I blinked. \u201cHis insurance\u2026 ran out?\u201d \u201cWhy did he not renew it?\u201d<\/p>\n
The doctor gave a small shake of his head. \u201cI don\u2019t know, but time is very important.\u201d Are you okay with the surgery?\u201d<\/p>\n
Soon after, I walked into Oliver\u2019s hospital room. I was shocked when I saw him\u2014pale and weak.<\/p>\n
\u201cJen,\u201d he croaked, and it was hard to hear him.<\/p>\n
I stood still by the door and didn\u2019t move. Oh, Oliver.<\/p>\n
His eyes begged me to look at them. \u201cI know you\u2019re mad, but please listen to me.\u201d \u201cWhat you think is wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was very cold in my voice. \u201cOh, I see what you mean. You told me lies. You\u2019ve been telling me lies. I saw you with her last night. Did you not bring her to the party?\u201d<\/p>\n
His face turned as pale as a ghost. \u201cLet me explain\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want your explanations,\u201d I snapped back. \u201cYour insurance ran out, but the doctor says you need surgery.\u201d That looks like something your real wife should take care of.<\/p>\n
He whispered, \u201cJen, please.\u201d His voice broke. \u201cI did something wrong.\u201d Let\u2019s just sign the papers.<\/p>\n
I told Oliver, \u201cNo,\u201d and I wasn\u2019t going to change my mind. \u201cYou chose what to do.\u201d You can now live with them.<\/p>\n
I turned around and left the room without saying anything else. I turned around and left.<\/p>\n
After a few days, the hospital called again. This time, Oliver was calling.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease Jen,\u201d he begged, his voice so weak that it was hard to understand. \u201cShe didn\u2019t show up.\u201d I\u2019m by myself. \u201cI need you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cJen?\u201d he begged in a whisper.<\/p>\n
\u201cOliver, you made your choice,\u201d I told him in a firm voice. \u201cYou have to deal with the results now.\u201d<\/p>\n
I hung up on him and blocked his number.<\/p>\n
Over the next few weeks, I learned from people we both knew that Oliver\u2019s life was falling apart. His affair was talked about around the office, and his job was falling apart.<\/p>\n
But I didn\u2019t feel sorry for them. On the contrary, I felt free.<\/p>\n
It had been too long since I had been Jennifer, the lovely wife. Now, though, Jen was taking charge, and she wasn\u2019t looking back.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The only reason I went to my husband\u2019s office party for the first time was to see the other \u201cwife.\u201d He got what he deserved afterward. Jennifer was immediately interested when she found an email inviting her husband to a fancy New Year\u2019s party with a \u201cplus-one\u201d choice. But what she found at the event […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28519"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28520,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28519\/revisions\/28520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}