James came back to the table. I felt so disgusted. My heart still beat faster when he came near, and my body craved him. He’s a husband and father, I reminded myself.

“Sheila called.” He stood perfectly still, and I knew he was wondering how much I knew. “Jake and Amy miss their daddy.”

“I guess I knew you’d find out somehow.”

“How could you do this to me? To her? To your kids?”

“I didn’t mean to. I thought of you as a friend for months. I was going to set you up with a guy from the firm -.” He looked down, then back to me. “The first night we spent – I hadn’t felt that young, that unburdened in -.”

“I didn’t know I could hurt so much,” I whispered.

“I do love you.”

You love who I make you, I thought.

“If you really loved me,” I hissed as my voice tinged with tears, “you would not have made me your dirty little whore!” I threw the contents of my wineglass over his shirt. Some of the red droplets also fell on the grey suit coat. “When your wife sues you, I will testify for her.”