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“I’m moving out.”

“I know. We both are, sweetie. To our new beach house. Everything will be wonderful there.”

“No. Julie, you’re not listening. I’m… leaving you.”

She stopped breathing. The heartbeat in her head was like a pounding jackhammer. The room started to spin a bit as she tried to get her equilibrium again. She grabbed the handle of the closet door and struggled to suck in a deep breath.

“What?”

“There’s… someone else.”

Someone else? How could there be someone else? They had a good marriage. A happy life. Two girls. A maid. A new beach house. Maybe he was drinking? Or someone had slipped him a drug on the plane?

“This can’t be happening…” she stammered. “Who? Why?”

Michael sighed. “Does it matter, Jules?”

“First of all, don’t call me that! Cheaters don’t get to call me that!” Now she was angry. She walked toward him, her finger pointed at his face, rage literally coursing through her veins like waves after a hurricane. “And second, yes it matters! I want to know who the home wrecker is!”

He walked past her and back into the bedroom before sitting in the chair again. He covered his face and leaned back. “I really didn’t want to do this tonight,” he repeated.

She followed him out and stood in front of the chair. “Oh, I’m sorry. I know you must be tired. Would you rather crush my heart and smash all of my dreams tomorrow then? What time shall I pencil you into my calendar to be a gigantic cheating jackass? Is lunchtime good for you? No? Might mess with your digestion… I know how you get constipated easily… Have you told your hussy that little tidbit about yourself?”

“Enough, Julie! I never meant for this to happen!” he said, standing up. “It just….”

“Happened? Yeah, I hear a lot of cheaters say that on those trashy daytime talk shows. Unfortunately, that’s a crock and you know it! You made a decision, Michael! At least give me the respect of telling me who… and how… this happened.”

He sucked in sharply and sat back down. Julie calmed herself enough to sit on the bed a few feet away, preparing herself to hear the gory details she never thought she’d hear.

“Her name is Victoria. She lives in Boston.”

All of those business trips to Boston… Now it made more sense.

“So these business trips were all fake?” Her heart hurt as she felt the first of the unwanted tears dripping down her face.

“Not all of them. At first, I was there to set up our new division. One night, after a particularly crappy meeting, I went to a restaurant. They didn’t have seating for one. I sat at the bar. Then this woman came in…”

“Good Lord, this is unbelievable.”

“You can’t help who you fall in love with, Julie.”

She stood up again. “Seriously? You were supposed to be in love with me, Michael! Me! Your wife of twenty-one years! The mother of your two daughters! Was that all fake too?”

“Of course not! I loved you!”

“Past tense? Really?”

He sighed again. “Victoria just gets me. And there’s something else…”

“There’s more? Lovely.”

“We have a six month old son. His name is Charlie.”

Once again, she couldn’t breathe. Michael had always wanted a son, but after two difficult pregnancies, Julie had said no more. That had created a huge rift in their marriage for years, but they’d eventually gotten past it. Now, he had his son and his perky-bosomed soulmate. She wanted to vomit.

“How could you? So you’ve been living this secret life where you go to Boston a couple of times a month and spend time with your other family? Dear God, what are Meg and Colleen going to think of this?”

“You can’t tell them.”

“Have you fallen and hit your head? They have to know they have a little brother!”

“I just mean, let me tell them. Please.”

She sat down and pushed back her tears. “Fine. Spin it however you want, but good luck. Your daughters aren’t idiots like me. They’ll smell your lies a mile away.”

“Julie, I never meant to hurt you. But life is short, and I want to be happy again.”

“I was the fool who thought I made you happy all these years.”

“You did… for a long time.”

“Wow. Well, sorry I didn’t make the cut for the second half of your life. I guess I’m not young and hot enough anymore.”

“Julie, she’s only a year younger than you are. It’s not like that.”

Well, that was a punch to the gut. She couldn’t even blame this on a younger, hotter woman. Nope. She just wasn’t enough all the way around.

“I have a flight leaving tomorrow, and I’ll send movers for my things next week. I spoke to the real estate agent yesterday, and our counter offer was accepted so the buyers will close in three weeks.”

“And where am I supposed to go, Michael?”

“I wasn’t going to leave you in the lurch, Julie. You might think I’m a horrible person right now, and I do too, honestly.”

“Not enough, apparently. You’re still going to Boston.”

“I have to go. My son is there, and seeing him off and on isn’t good for his development.”

“I don’t even know what to say. This is like some cheesy TV movie.”

“Here,” he said, reaching into his pocket and handing her a set of keys. 

“What are these?”

“Keys to a suite at the extended stay hotel on Davenport.”

“An extended stay hotel? Seriously?”

“I’ve paid for six weeks after the house closes to give you some time to get on your feet.”

Julie stood there in stunned silence. This wasn’t the man she knew. This wasn’t the man who nursed her back to health after a bout with the flu four years ago. This wasn’t the man who diligently went to every Lamaze class with her when she was pregnant with Colleen. This certainly wasn’t the man who stood in front of her and renewed his vows a few years back. She didn’t know this guy.

“I just can’t believe this.”

“I need to also tell you the beach deal isn’t happening, Julie.”

“Obviously.”

“I’m truly very sorry to kill your dream of living there.”

“I thought it was our dream,” she said, softly, unable to stop the tears from flowing.

“It was never my dream, Julie. You knew I was just going along.”

“And what is your dream, Michael?”

“My dream is in Boston.”

And just like that, her heart shattered into a million pieces, scattering all over the floor of a home that once housed only precious memories.

About The Beach House (book 1):

Meet Julie Pike, a woman who thought she had it all until her world came crashing down. Forced to start over alone, Julie finds herself in the charming small town of Seagrove, where life takes an unexpected turn. In her quest to rebuild her life, she discovers that true family isn't just about blood ties, but about the bonds of love, friendship, and support.

Embark on a heartwarming journey with Julie and the interesting residents of Seagrove as they come together to create a new family, bound by love, hope, and the magic of South Carolina sunsets. This is your chance to become a part of their story, as you dive into the first five ebooks in the South Carolina Sunsets series, bundled together at a special price, exclusively when you buy direct from the author.

Join Julie and her newfound friends as they prove that it's never too late to find happiness, rebuild broken relationships, and forge new beginnings. With each sunset, you'll be reminded that life's greatest treasures are the people who touch our hearts and souls.

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