Chapter 2So I'm the Side Chick Now

Michael and I first met at a business gathering.

I had just returned from abroad after completing my MBA, and Dad had me start at the entry level to learn the ropes of the company's operations.

That day, I went to an industry networking event representing my department. Michael was the project lead at another company.

He wasn't exactly handsome, but he had a clean-cut appearance and carried himself well. He was confident without being cocky, and he stood out among all the slick, middle-aged businessmen.

He began pursuing me after that. He didn't shower me with expensive gifts or spend money recklessly. He was thoughtful in ways that were subtle and easy to miss.

He would be waiting outside the office with a cup of warm hot cocoa in the car whenever I worked late into the night.

He waited two hours in line and bought the souffle from the popular dessert shop just because I once mentioned in passing that I wanted to try it. He even brought it to my office while it was warm.

He didn't dismiss my pain with a casual remark whenever I had menstrual cramps. He would come straight to my place with ibuprofen and a heating pad and wait downstairs.

Those around me told me that I had lucked out with Michael—and I thought so too.

Michael didn't come from money, but Dad said that as long as he was a good man and treated me well, his family background didn't matter.

He proposed to me a year into our relationship. He got on his knees when the Ferris wheel reached the highest point and took out a ring. "Will you marry me, Dakota? I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you're the happiest woman in the world."

I was tearing up when I said yes to his proposal.

Yet, at this moment, I had become the homewrecker everyone was condemning online. I didn't sleep a wink and had someone look into Michael and his wife.

I learned that her name was Nora Zimmerman. She grew up in an orphanage, met Michael in university, and left her job to be a stay-at-home mom after getting pregnant.

I thought it over and had my secretary set up a meeting with her the next day.

Nora was skinnier than I expected. She was wearing a faded cardigan with her hair thrown into a messy ponytail. Her face showed obvious signs of exhaustion and uneasiness. She was carrying a two-year-old boy, Ryker Hall, in her arms. He was well-behaved and quietly playing with the toy car in his hands.

Nora's gaze went from confusion to shock the moment she saw me. She then glared furiously at me and said tremblingly, "I-It's you… You're the…"

"Yes, it's me," I said calmly as I held her gaze.

Nora suddenly stood up, her eyes immediately filling with tears. She then yelled, "You're the freaking homewrecker! Give me back my husband!"

Ryker, who was still in her arms, got a fright and began to cry loudly.

Upon hearing the commotion, the cafe server looked over at us, clearly intrigued by the drama.

I picked up my cup of coffee, took a leisurely sip, then looked up at her. "You should sit down first, Ms. Zimmerman. You're scaring your son."

"You can spare the fake concern!" Nora cried as she tried to calm Ryker. She tried to keep her voice down as she said, "Did it ever cross your mind that a child was involved when you went after someone else's husband?"

"I didn't go after your husband, Ms. Zimmerman. He's the one who pursued me first," I said calmly as I set my cup down. I then looked at her and continued, "I'm not here to flaunt anything or argue with you, so there's no need to be hostile toward me.

"I just have one question for you, Ms. Zimmerman. Do you expect every woman he gets involved with to give him back to you? I'm giving him back to you now, but what will you do if you encounter the same situation next time?"

Nora seemed surprised by my question and froze for a moment, unable to come up with a response.

I looked at her and said firmly, "Once a cheater, always a cheater. You surely understand that, right?"

Nora slowly lowered her head and remained silent. How could she not understand something so obvious? She had no other choice in this situation, though.

I couldn't help but feel a pang in my chest as I looked at the helpless look on her face. I took a deep breath and looked straight at her, saying, "We're both victims here, Ms. Zimmerman. Michael played the two of us at the same time.

"He lied to you, making you think he was out there working hard for the family. He lied to me, making me believe I was the only one in his life. Michael is the one at fault here, not us.

"Do you want to teach him a lesson he'll never forget? I'll help you take back everything that belongs to you. I'll make sure he never comes back from this. Is that something you're willing to go through with, though?"

Nora jerked her head up, staring at me with sheer disbelief. Then, all the bravado she had just put up deflated at once, like a balloon pricked by a needle.

I couldn't help but feel a sharp pang in my chest when she broke down crying a moment later. She had probably spent all these years doing everything she could to live a decent life despite her circumstances, only for a man to completely undervalue her resilience.

I pulled out a tissue and gently wiped away her tears. She reached out and grabbed my hand, her voice thick with sobs. "How could I be reluctant? I wished he would drop dead when I found out about his infidelity!

"I have no other choice because Ryker is still so young. I have no one else to rely on financially as well. If you really mean what you said, then I'll do everything I can to help you, Ms. Lambert."

She burst into tears again after saying that.

I pulled her into a hug and said, "You can rest assured that he'll get what's coming to him, Ms. Zimmerman."