Loved Him First, But Not Forever

I found out my husband, Logan Atkinson, had quietly added his secretary's number to our family plan.

[Dear customer, the number ending in 8848 has been successfully added to your family plan. Effective immediately, all calls between plan members are free.]

I held up my phone and looked straight at Logan. "You're treating her like family. What does that make me?"

He sounded annoyed. "Regina said staying on the phone with me every night was getting expensive. If she's on the family plan, it doesn't cost anything. She's just used to saving money. Don't read into it."

Regina said she had severe depression and couldn't fall asleep, so Logan stayed on the phone with her every night for at least seven hours.

I stared at the call logs in the family plan.

Even on our wedding anniversary, when I closed my eyes, wishing we would make it through another ten years and grow old side by side… He was still on the phone with Regina Dittman, coaxing her to sleep.

When I didn't say anything, Logan looked a little surprised.

"Wow. Quiet today? Finally learned how to be the bigger person?"

I just didn't feel like arguing with them anymore.

All those fights before had only proven one thing: he always chose Regina.

After ten years in a broken marriage, it was time to set things straight.

I quietly removed myself from the family plan.

Logan Atkinson's phone chimed.

He glanced at it, his brows pulling together, exhaustion in his eyes. "What are you starting now?"

I gave a small, indifferent smile. "Nothing. Just making it easier for you two."

A trace of impatience showed between his brows.

"Whitney, I want you to be reasonable, not sarcastic. As for Regina, I've said this a hundred times: I treat her like a sister. She's sick, so I take care of her. That's completely normal. I've never cheated on you."

I cut him off before he could say more. "Enough. I'm tired of hearing it."

I had heard the same speech too many times.

"Whitney, what do you actually want?" His voice rose without him noticing. "If you're upset, then argue, yell, whatever. Just don't act like a victim. You're making it sound like Regina and I did something unforgivable."

I looked at him calmly. "I don't care what you two do. I don't want anything, and I'm done arguing."

I checked the time and smiled faintly.

"You should call her. Otherwise, your dear 'sister' won't be able to sleep again. Oh, and sleep in the guest room tonight. I don't want to fall asleep listening to your late-night whispers."

His expression shifted.

I remembered the first time I realized he was falling asleep on the phone with her.

I had woken up in the middle of the night with cramps, barely able to stand. And there he was, earbuds in, coaxing Regina to sleep with a soft voice.

We fought the entire night.

He told me she had severe depression, that if no one stayed with her, her thoughts would spiral.

He insisted he only saw her as a sister.

I pulled myself out of the memory.

Logan was slumped into the couch, rubbing his temples.

"Stop this. Don't forget, you were the one who brought Regina home. You were the one who told me to treat her like family."