I’ve had a crush on my boss for the longest time. But obviously, I kept it to myself—he was married, and I wasn’t about to be that girl. Then recently, he and his wife split up and filed for divorce.
A little while later, he asked me out. I was over the moon! Things moved fast, and before I knew it, we were actually dating.
But then came the gut punch. I found out the real reason he started seeing me: to make his ex jealous so she’d come running back. He had no clue that move was about to backfire or…
…that I was done being anyone’s placeholder.
It started off like a dream. He was charming, attentive, took me to the nicest restaurants, texted me good morning and goodnight. For a while, I felt like the luckiest woman in the world.
I even started dressing differently, carrying myself with more confidence. People noticed. But as time went on, cracks started to show.
He’d sometimes cancel our dates last minute, saying his “lawyers” needed him. Once, I saw a message pop up on his phone from someone named Janine—his ex-wife. The preview showed a heart emoji.
I asked him about it. He brushed it off. “She’s just trying to mess with my head,” he said.
“Ignore it.”
But I couldn’t ignore it. Not when she called during dinner. Not when he stepped outside to take it.
Still, I pushed the doubts away. I’d waited so long to be with him. I didn’t want to believe I was just a pawn in some messy divorce war.
Then came the company retreat. It was a weekend getaway at a resort upstate. Beautiful views, good food, bonding activities—all paid for by the firm.
And guess who showed up as a guest speaker on wellness and post-divorce resilience? Janine. Yep.
His ex-wife. Only, they weren’t acting very “ex” at all. I saw them chatting by the pool, their heads close together, laughing.
It made my stomach turn. Later that night, I caught them walking back from the bar. His arm was around her waist.
I confronted him the next morning. He said it was “complicated.” That he and Janine were “reconnecting as friends.” That I was “reading too much into things.” That line always makes women sound crazy, doesn’t it? So I did what most women do when they feel something’s off—I snooped.
I didn’t want to, but something in my gut was screaming. And sure enough, I found exactly what I wasn’t supposed to see. He’d never stopped sleeping with Janine.
Not once. In fact, they never fully broke up. The whole divorce filing?
A stunt. A temporary separation to “reset boundaries,” and my relationship with him? Just part of the plan.
I was a walking, talking jealousy trigger. I remember sitting in my tiny apartment, holding my phone, staring at screenshots I’d taken from his messages. My hands were shaking.
My heart hurt in a way I can’t even describe. Not because I loved him, but because I’d let myself be used. And worst of all—I still had to work for him.
For a whole week, I couldn’t even look him in the eye. He noticed something was off, of course, but didn’t say much. Probably thought I’d just go quietly.
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