She turned to me again. "Are you two still together?"
I smiled, a silent yes, my gaze drifting past Annette to land on Ervin, who was busy gathering his things.
Annette frowned, her tone taking on a note of genuine concern.
"You should just divorce him. A man like that is nothing but trouble."
"If Ervin ever pulled something like that behind my back, I'd kick him to the curb in a heartbeat."
Behind her, Ervin's hands went still. The easy smile slid off his face, replaced by something tight and uncomfortable.
Too bad Annette was facing me. She didn't notice a thing.
I nodded slowly, as if mulling it over.
Then I pulled out my phone and dialed a number right there in front of both of them.
"You're right. I'm calling him about the divorce right now."
The exam room went quiet. Even Ervin set down what he was holding and stared at me.
Almost the instant the call went through, a ringtone blared from Ervin's pocket.
His head snapped up. His eyes met mine for a fraction of a second before he looked away, fumbling in his pocket with trembling fingers.
He hit decline without hesitation.
Annette tilted her head, curious. "Who was that calling you?"
A flicker of guilt crossed his face. He dropped his gaze and quickly killed the screen.
"Unknown number. Probably a spam call."
I kept the phone pressed to my ear a while longer, until the automated voicemail message finally played on the other end.
I shook my head with a bitter smile.
"No answer. Probably busy with something I don't know about."
Seeing my spirits sink, Annette reached for my hand and squeezed it.
"A week from now, Ervin and I are having our wedding."
She fished an invitation out of her bag and held it out to me.
"I happened to have an extra one on me. You should come. Soak up some of the good luck."
"Here's hoping Dr. Simmons finds someone who truly deserves her."
I blinked, caught off guard, and glanced at Ervin without thinking.
But I nodded and accepted her invitation with a warm smile.
Only after the two of them left with all their paperwork did I pull off my mask.
I rubbed my aching eyes, then looked down at the call log on my phone.
When I'd dialed, I had deliberately left off the last digit of the number. The call had never reached Ervin's phone at all.
I opened the invitation. Printed on the front were delicate line drawings of Ervin and Annette, clearly custom-designed with care.
I noted the venue address.
My husband's wedding. I was absolutely going to prepare a gift worth remembering.
The day of the wedding arrived.
I stood outside the hotel, watching Ervin and Annette greet guests at the entrance.
The moment she spotted me, Annette rose on her toes and waved.
"Dr. Simmons! Over here!"
I pointed to the mask on my face, my voice apologetic. "I've come down with a cold. I don't want to get anyone sick. You don't mind if I keep the mask on, do you?"
"Of course not."
She seated me near the front of the banquet hall, right beside the emcee's stage.
The ceremony began without a hitch, every step proceeding exactly as planned.
Until the final speech segment, when Annette suddenly invited me up on stage.
Her fingers clamped around my arm like a vise, as though she was terrified I'd bolt.
I frowned, an uneasy feeling prickling at the back of my mind.
The next second, Annette spun around and ripped the mask off my face in front of every single guest.
A spotlight hit me dead-on. The blinding glare seared my eyes, and tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them.
"While I'm up here, there's someone special I'd like to thank."
"I want to thank Ervin's ex-girlfriend. If it weren't for her, we never would have found our happily ever after!"
With that, Annette kicked me hard in the knee right in front of everyone. I wasn't ready for it. My legs buckled, and I dropped to my knees before the entire crowd.
She grabbed a fistful of my hair and wrenched my face upward, putting me on full display.
"Now, everyone, take a good, long look at this vile woman!"
Beside her, Ervin stared at me with wide eyes.
"Evelyn? How— why are you here?!"
