CHAPTER 1: MY HUSBAND LEFT ME-GOOD GIRL GONE BAD

Julia

I washed the makeup off my face as my eyes darted to my reflection in the mirror. My hands traced the red bruises under my eyes from my husband’s last thrashing.

I checked the time. It was 7:30 p.m., and I knew what that meant—Gilbert’s dinner had to be ready and set on the table by the time he walked in at 8 p.m. I hastened into the kitchen. Just as I was about to lay it on the table, he arrived.

“Honey, you’re back,” I said with a smile.

But he returned it with a cold, hard gaze.

“Dinner’s ready.” My hands trembled as I placed the plate down on the table.

He shook his head. “You’re useless, Julia. One task—get dinner ready by the time I’m home. You’ve failed at it, just as you fail at everything in your life.”

“I’m sorry, Honey. If you would just have dinner, please—”

“I’m not interested in your dinner.”

“Okay… Tell me what you’re interested in, and I’ll make it happen. I could whip it up real quick—by the time you’re done freshening up, it’ll be ready.” I was exhausted, but Gilbert had to have dinner.

“Stop talking, Julia. Hearing your voice is so annoying.”

I swallowed hard. But, I couldn't dare talk back.

“Where are the title documents to the house? I searched for them all day after you left for work, and I couldn’t find them.”

“Honey, the document is safe. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“You think you’re smart, don’t you? This is my house. Go upstairs, get it, and hand it to me. Now!”

I jerked and froze in place. “I… I can’t.” I shook my head, my voice breaking.

“I will not repeat myself, Julia.”

“Honey, you have to understand. If I hand it to you, you’ll just gamble it away—like you’ve gambled… all of my salary and everything we had. We’ll be homeless if I give it to you. I’m only keeping it safe for our future… our children’s future.”

“You and I have no bloody future. Get the document, Julia.”

“I don’t understand.” My voice trembled.

“Look at you. You were a dazzling beauty when I married you. But now…” He scoffed. “You’re just a washed up, bruised old lady.”

I fought back the tears burning my eyes. “It’s hard to keep up with beauty when I’m putting food on the table and managing a home all by myself.”

“Are you mocking me?”

A hard slap landed across my face, sending me to the ground. I clutched my chin as if that could stop the pain.

“So what if you provide for our family? I lost my damn job! My company went bankrupt! What do you want me to do?”

I braced myself for whatever he planned to do next, but I was determined—I wouldn’t hand it over. He saw the look in my eyes.

“You know what? I’m done with you, Julia.”

I looked up at him, wondering what he meant.

“I’ve found another woman,” he said, his tone cold. “And she’s ten times better than you. So I don’t have to take this nonsense from you. I don’t ever want to see your pathetic face again. Our marriage is over.”

He stormed up the stairs.

I sat there, stunned. What does he mean? I tried to piece his words together. What’s going on?

Then he came downstairs, his bags packed. That’s when I understood.

He meant what he said.

He was leaving. Walking out on our marriage.

What?

My instincts kicked into survival mode. I had to save my marriage.

I ran after him. “Please…” I dropped to my knees, begging. “Don’t go. Please. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave your…children. They’re sleeping in their rooms. What would I say to them?”

“You should have thought about that before being so… disobedient.”

“Please.” I lifted my hands, pleading.

His eyes darted to my wedding ring.

“You don’t deserve it.”

He grabbed my hand and yanked the ring off my finger.

“No, no, no.” My breath caught in my throat.

Then he kicked me out of his way.

“No! No! Don’t take my ring. Please. Not my ring.” I sobbed. “Don’t leave me. Don’t leave our family. Please don’t walk out on our marriage.”

I stumbled after him, following him outside.

But he got into his car and drove off.

I cried my eyes out, unable to sleep the whole night.

The doorbell rang, and I swung it open.

“You’ve been served, Julia.”

I grabbed the brown file, and as I pulled out the document, I saw what it was. A divorce paper.

It was real. My marriage was over.

We’d been married for twenty years, and he chose to end us like this. What about our children? What will I say to them?

My dreams of having the perfect family were over. My worst nightmare had just come true.

He had left me all alone—just like my mom was after she left my dad.

I couldn’t stop myself from crying. After all these years of trying to keep my home together so my kids would have the father I wished I had…

All the pain I had endured with Gilbert—was it all for nothing?

***

Gilbert leaving our marriage had been a hard reality to accept. It had been three years, yet the night he left still played in my head every single day.

I was a shadow of myself. I barely recognized the woman I had become.

The kids were in college, so it was just me alone in this big house, filled with nothing but emptiness.

I had the same routine every day. I had dinner by 7:30 and sat at the edge of the stairs by 8:00 p.m., facing the door. With my hands wrapped around my knees, my body resting on my lap, I waited for him to walk back inside—until I dozed off and woke up in the middle of the night, finding my way to my room.

Today wouldn’t be any different. I already knew how my night would end.

“Hey, girl!” Beatrice giggled as she walked in, a boutique bag in her hand. She sat on the kitchen counter, grinning.

“Beatrice? Why do you have that look on your face like you’re up to something?”

“You know we’ve been friends since childhood, and I always want the best for you.”

“Beatrice, what are you on about?”

“I’ve set up a date for you tonight!”

“What?” I scoffed. “Beatrice, I’m a married woman.”

“Point of correction—you’re a separated woman. Have you seen your husband in the past three years? I didn’t think so.” She read the disappointment on my face.

“His name is George. He’s a medical doctor. He’s 45, and he’s so damn sexy. You just have to meet him.”

“I’m not interested, Beatrice.” I shook my head. “What do you think will happen when Gilbert comes back home and finds me with another man, huh?”

“That would be awesome.” She smirked. “I mean… he shouldn’t meet you the same way he left you. Girl, you have to wet your garden. How long has it been since you had sex?”

“It doesn’t matter, Beatrice. I can’t just go off with another man like that.”

“I’m not asking you to marry George. I’m saying go out on a date with him. Have sex with him. That’s all.”

“You want me to have sex with a random stranger?” I gaped at her. “Beatrice! I don’t do stuff like that. Gilbert has been the only man I’ve ever been with. You know that.”

“Fine.” She sighed. “You could just go out on a date with him. Look, I got this for you to wear tonight. George will be smitten when he sees you in it.”

“Beatrice, I’m not going on a date with any man. I’m going to wait for Gilbert to come back home. I know he will.”

She studied me for a long moment. “What are you afraid of, Julia?” Her voice softened. “It’s your mom, isn’t it?”

I sighed. She knew me too well.

“Yeah, your mom wasn’t the best,” she admitted, “but being a single mother isn’t a bad thing.”

“Beatrice, until Gilbert tells me he’s signed the divorce papers, I’m not giving up on my marriage.” I couldn't bring myself to sign it. What If there was still hope for us?

“Girl, he took your ring! What other action do you need from him? He just disappeared—no phone calls, nothing. You have to move on. He’s a horrible man who always took his frustrations out on you, and yet you kept covering for him, even to your kids. I prayed for the day you’d leave him. You’re too good for him.”

She was right, and I knew it.

“How could he do this to me?” I had been the perfect wife to Gilbert—loyal and dutiful. I endured years of his merciless beatings, yet I still couldn’t understand why he had done this to me.

“Girlfriend, he did this to you because you let him.” Beatrice’s voice turned firm. “Take your life back into your hands. Don’t ever let anyone screw it up again.”

Her phone rang.

“Yikes, I gotta go! I’m late—meeting my boyfriend.” She winked. “If you change your mind, Virgin Mary, call me, okay?” She left the boutique bag on the counter before rushing out.

I settled into the couch, staring at the wall for what felt like hours until it was time for dinner.

As usual, dinner was quiet and lonely.

I sank onto the edge of the stairs, my eyes glued to the door, waiting for Gilbert to walk in, apologizing and telling me he had made a mistake.

It was 11 p.m. now. He hadn’t shown up.

Frustration mounted as my mind replayed my conversation with Beatrice earlier that day.

“Take your life back,” her voice echoed in my head.

I had spent years living for others, and what did I have to show for it? Nothing. My husband had left me, and my two children blamed me for it.

Tonight had to be different. I wasn’t going to be careful or dutiful like I had always been.

I rose, grabbed the boutique bag off the couch, and climbed the stairs. My mind was made up. Julia Jameson was done being the perfect wife. The good woman.

“Watch out, Gilbert. It’s payback time,” I muttered, as if he could hear me.

Whatever happened tonight would be on my own terms.

Tonight, I was going to be a bad girl.