Chapter Six

By the time Honey finished the Boston presentation, it was just before four. She'd crafted a masterpiece of financial analysis that highlighted both the risks and potential benefits of the acquisition, excluding the information Grayson had uncovered. She sent it to him with minutes to spare before his deadline, but received no response, not even his customary terse "Received."

Her head throbbed from the remnants of last night's wine and hours of staring at a screen. The notification of her doctor's appointment flashed on her phone. Perfect timing. She needed to get those tests done, then she had plans to meet her friends for dinner. Plans she had made after leaving the meeting with Grayson. Maybe a girls' night was exactly what she needed after the last twenty-four hours she'd had.

She gathered her things, making sure to include the package that had been delivered… small, discreet cameras that would help document Riley's infidelity, she hoped. As she headed out, Marjorie looked up from her desk.

"Leaving already, Mrs. Smith? It's only four-thirty."

"Headache," Honey replied, smoothing down her oversized blazer. "I'll finish anything left undone at home over the weekend."

"What if Mr. Taylor calls."

"He has my cell if it's urgent." Honey paused, then added, "But I'm sure it won't be."

As she walked toward the elevator, her phone buzzed with a message. She expected it to be Grayson with some last-minute demand but instead saw it was from her friend Lauren.

So, looking forward to tonight. Maggie confirmed—7:30 at Nonna's?

Honey smiled. Lauren Gardener and Maggie Chase had been her roommates in college, and despite their different career paths, Lauren a rising actress and Maggie a dedicated surgeon… they'd remained close. They were also the only people besides her father and Riley who knew the real Honey Johnson, not the carefully constructed Joy Smith. She didn't see her friends as much as she would have liked. Riley had always made a big deal out of her spending time with them.

Absolutely. Need it more than you know. See you there.

After her doctor's appointment, where the doctor had expedited her tests with a promise to call with results tomorrow afternoon, Honey finally headed home. She needed to shed her Joy persona before meeting her friends.

The apartment was still empty, just as she'd expected. Riley had texted around 3 pm to say he would be working late again. She had scoffed as she read it. Working late… right. More likely he was with the teenage housekeeper again. Honey knew the girl was nineteen and legal, but it just felt wrong. Riley was 35 and married. If Brittany hadn't been a teenager, Honey may have felt a little better about it.

In their bedroom, Honey removed her wig first, sighing with relief as she placed it on its stand. Next came the glasses, then the frumpy clothes. She stood before her closet, considering what to wear. For so long, she'd defaulted to whatever Riley preferred when she was playing the part of his wife, modest, conservative outfits that wouldn't attract attention.

Tonight, she didn't care what Riley would think. He wasn't invited and she didn't want to wear what he would like.

She pulled out a little black dress she hadn't worn in years, one that hugged her curves and showed just enough leg and cleavage to be sexy without crossing into inappropriate. She paired it with strappy heels that added four inches to her height of five foot five. Another thing Riley didn't like because it made her closer to his height of five foot ten.

In the bathroom after taking a quick shower not getting her hair wet, she let her natural red hair cascade around her shoulders, brushing it until it gleamed. Her makeup highlighted her green eyes, defined her cheekbones, and added a touch of red to her lips that matched her hair.

The woman who looked back at her from the mirror was a stranger, at least she'd been a stranger for the past few years, Riley didn't like her wearing makeup. Honey smiled at her reflection. She didn't care what Riley liked anymore.

Before leaving, she took a few minutes to place the tiny cameras in strategic locations around the apartment, one in the living room with a view of the couch where she'd found the thong, one in the kitchen, another in the hallway with a view of the front door, and one pointing toward their bedroom, with another covering the spare bedroom. Before making sure all cameras linked to the app on her phone. All were motion-activated and would send alerts to her phone. The batteries should last a week.

Satisfied with her preparations, Honey grabbed her purse and headed out. On the way to the restaurant, she sent a quick text to Ben to let him know about cameras.

Honey: Set up camera surveillance tonight. Will keep you updated.

She hadn't told her friends about Riley yet. She wanted to wait until she had a drink in hand.

Nonna's was crowded when she arrived, the upscale Italian restaurant buzzing with Friday night energy. She spotted Lauren and Maggie at a corner table, both already nursing cocktails. She ordered a drink from the passing waiter, letting him know what table to bring it to.

Lauren saw her first. She stood up, waving enthusiastically.

"Holy shit, she emerges!" Lauren exclaimed as Honey approached. "The real Honey Johnson graces us with her presence!"

Maggie, more reserved but equally pleased, stood to embrace her. "You look stunning. What's the occasion?"

Honey slid into her seat. "I'm getting divorced."

Both women froze, martini glasses halfway to their lips.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lauren leaned forward, lowering her voice. "You're divorcing Riley?"

"Found another woman's underwear in my couch last night." Honey accepted the gin and tonic the waiter brought, taking a generous sip. "Found a hot pink thong in our living room. Extra small, definitely not mine." She was small but not that small.

"That motherfucker," Maggie hissed, her medical professionalism momentarily abandoned. "I knew something was off with him. God, men are dogs."

Lauren shook her head. "Are you okay? I mean, obviously you're not okay, but... how are you handling it anyway?"

"Surprisingly well," Honey admitted. "I think I have suspected for a while. Finding the evidence was almost... relieving. I've already hired a PI, had my blood tested just in case, and set up cameras in the apartment. He will not get a penny out of me."

"Wow… Cameras?" Lauren's eyes widened.

"I need evidence for the prenup. If he's caught cheating, he gets nothing." When her mother had died twelve years ago everything had been left to Honey. Her father had set everything up in a trust. Which she had access to on her 25th birthday two months ago. She didn't need the money, so she had just let the investors manage the lot. It included shares, gold and property. She knew it put her on the Forbes List - The richest people in the world. It was another reason for her Joy disguise.

Maggie raised her glass. "To taking out the trash. And making him pay for it by getting none of your money."

They clinked glasses, and for the first time today, Honey felt the tension in her shoulders ease slightly. She had a plan, she had support, and she had the beginnings of freedom from Riley. They placed their food orders with the waiter.

"So, the PI, the cameras... you're not confronting him?" Lauren asked.

"Not yet. I need undeniable proof first." Honey sipped her drink. "I'm sorry I haven't told you any of this but… he's been gaslighting me for years. Making me think I'm the problem. I'm paranoid, I'm too focused on working, not sexy enough, too cold in bed. If I confront him now, he'll just deny everything, and he is so charming when he wants to be he would have any judge believing him not me. I need photo or video evidence."

"Bastard," Maggie muttered. "I always thought you were too good for him."

"You both told me that before I married him," Honey acknowledged. "I should have listened. I'm sorry now I didn't."

"Hey, no self-recrimination," Lauren squeezed her hand. "We've all made relationship mistakes. The important thing is you're fixing it now." There was a shadow that fell over Lauren's face but before Honey could ask her about it, the waiter returned to take their dinner orders, and the conversation shifted to lighter topics… Lauren's latest audition, Maggie's new position at the hospital.

It felt good to laugh, to be herself, to let her guard down completely. As their entrées arrived, Honey realized how much she'd missed this.

"So," Lauren said, twirling pasta around her fork, "now that you're getting divorced, are you going to drop the whole Joy Smith act at work too?"

Honey nearly choked on her wine. "God, no. It was never there for any other reason than keeping an eye on the business I own 10% of and stepping away from being known as Gage Johnson's daughter. I loved numbers and I love being a CFO. Joy is not connected to Riley at all. Could you imagine Grayson finding out."

"The infamous Grayson Taylor," Maggie mused. "The way you talk about him at times, he sounds like a corporate supervillain."

"He's..." Honey paused, considering. After today's interaction, she wasn't sure how to characterize him anymore. "Well, it feels like it sometimes. He is brilliant but arrogant. Today he actually complimented my work, which was new."

"Maybe he's not as bad as you—" Lauren stopped mid-sentence, her eyes fixed on something over Honey's shoulder. "Holy shit."

"What?" Honey turned to follow her gaze.

"Don't look!" Lauren hissed, but it was too late.

Near the entrance, being led to a table by the maître d', was Grayson Taylor himself. And he wasn't alone. A tall, elegantly beautiful blonde woman walked beside him, laughing at something he'd said as she clung to his arm.

"That's Grayson Taylor?" Maggie whispered, impressed. "That man is sex on legs."

"And that's definitely not Morgan Fairchild with him," Lauren added. "Everyone knows he's engaged to her. She tells everyone she meets. He is a real catch for her." Both Lauren and Morgan were actresses. Lauren had never worked with Morgan but they both went to some of the same parties and auditions.

Honey stared, unable to look away. Grayson with a woman that wasn't his fiancé. Maybe it was innocent. Honey felt like snorting. She had zero trust left in men right now.

"I need another drink," Honey muttered, signaling the waiter again.