Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye - Jacquelyn Middleton Page 0,153
the name and start fresh, and pray my reputation was salvageable.”
“Unbelievable!” His voice rose. “You’re the innocent party.”
Leia shrugged, her eyes weary as she tugged on the blanket. “You’d think, right? But then she told Manhattan’s top gossip columnist that I was a vindictive bitch who forced Tyler to withhold financial support for his twins.”
“Bollocks! You love kids. You loved hers!”
“I know! But she was connected. People believed her. In their eyes, I was this horrible wife keeping Tyler’s babies at arm’s length while I counted his pennies and used everyone around me for professional gain. To them, I got what I deserved. And what I got, besides a broken heart, a destroyed marriage, and a ruined reputation, was a complete invasion of my privacy. Gossip bloggers and paparazzi hounded me relentlessly. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a dishy sex scandal swirling around a pro athlete, two fashion designers, and cute twins? We were total clickbait.”
“Sold to the highest bidder.”
Leia nodded. “My panic attacks came back. I couldn’t deal, so I had to throw the wolves off my scent. Shantelle helped me move from Garden City to Brooklyn and I dyed my hair blonde, hoping the press wouldn’t recognize me, but obviously from the photo your mom found, I was wrong.
“All the stress piled up. I lost weight, had daily migraines and bed-soaking night sweats. Every swallow felt like razorblades slicing my throat, and the fatigue was nothing like I’ve ever experienced. I could barely lift my head off the pillow. Dad freaked out and flew down from Canada, took me to a blur of doctor’s appointments and tests.”
Concern clouded Tarquin’s expression as he held her hand under the blanket. “What did they find?”
“Mononucleosis, the ‘kissing disease’—or as Saz called it, ‘Tyler’s bastard of a parting gift’. It’s a virus, so they prescribed bedrest and nothing else. You literally have to wait it out, which gave me lots of time to adopt a new hobby: beating myself up. I was a bad wife, I had worked too much, I had ignored the warning signs—I deserved this fate. And as my blame game spiraled out of control, a new tabloid claim would pop up, reinforcing all these negative thoughts in my head.”
Leia’s thumb slowly swept across Tarquin’s hand. “I sank into a really dark place. Everything made me cry, nothing gave me hope. Dad was worried, so he called my doctor, and she spoke to my psychologist. They both agreed admittance to the mental health unit was best for my recovery. It would be safer, more private than at home or with a friend. And let’s face it, I didn’t really have a lot of friends left. Just Shantelle, really.”
“Not the other wives?”
“Dropped me. I was a cautionary tale to be avoided.”
“What about Riley? You seem close?”
“Oh, we are now. Back then, she was dealing with her mom’s cancer, and honestly, she owed me nothing. Months later, I apologized for being so awful. She’s become a really good friend.”
Acknowledging when you’ve been wrong takes courage. I’m proud of her. Tarquin squeezed her hand. “How was the hospital?”
“Scary. Lonely. They watched me like a hawk, which felt unnerving. And I hated giving up control. I had no say in what I ate, who I talked to, when I slept. They put me on medication, took away my phone, and limited my access to TV. My entire existence was scheduled by someone else. Basically, a micromanager’s worst nightmare!”
Tarquin smiled kindly. “If you weren’t depressed before…”
“Right?” She laughed. “But in some ways, it was good to just be. I read a lot, attended countless therapy sessions, and let myself grieve for what I’d lost and the future I’d never have. Then, slowly but surely, I felt stronger and healthier. I was still scared about the future, but…”
“Hey, who isn’t?” Tarquin gave her a reassuring nod.
“Coming home to Saz and Dad definitely helped, though. I could have pizza! Go swimming! Just hang out with them in my place. I still felt bruised, but at least I wasn’t blaming myself anymore. By December, I was divorced, working on Frill-Seekers, and in London for the holidays.”
“And shopping in IKEA, where you rescued my phone.” And stole my heart.
“One of my best spur-of-the-moment decisions!” Leia’s warm smile dimmed. “Unlike keeping my past from you. I should’ve told you all this ages ago. In a way, what happened today was partly my fault.”
Tarquin shook his head. “No, Leia, it wasn’t. Today was signature Kiki. She loves twisting facts and