Replacing my ex

Chapter 9

“Sam,” I replied. “I …”

What could I even say? How do you tell a brilliant put-together lawyer whom you barely know that your entire life has completely imploded in less than a week?

My chest felt tight, the air suddenly too thin to breathe. Every time I closed my eyes, I could still see those pictures of Ryan with that woman.

“Lila? Are you there?” she asked, the concern palpable in her voice, slicing through the heavy fog of my panic.

“I’m here. And I’m okay. Don’t worry about it,” I lied, my voice weak, shaking, and painfully unconvincing.

“I don’t know if I believe you, Lila. Where are you? Would it be okay if I came to see you? Just to make sure. You were very kind to me once, and I’m actually very concerned about you,” Sam told me, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Her kindness undid me faster than any cruelty could have.

“Okay. I’ll send you a pin,” I whispered, giving in.

After the call ended, I rushed to find Viola, to let her know that Sam was on her way over. I was a bundle of raw nerves. I hadn’t wanted to explain any of this to her in person. I hated the idea of anyone seeing me weak, shattered, and falling apart at the seams. I had always been the strong one, the planner, the one who held things together.

Viola gave me multiple rapid-fire pep talks before Sam arrived, as I paced back and forth across the living room rug. She clearly didn’t think it was as big of a deal as I was making it out to be, at least in terms of my worth.

“And another thing, you have no reason to be embarrassed, L” she insisted, crossing her arms. “The only person in this entire scenario who should be deeply and utterly ashamed is that good-for-nothing cheating snake, Ryan.”

When Sam arrived, she took one look at my tear-stained face, bloodshot eyes, and shaking hands, and immediately declared, “I knew you were not okay!” before promptly proceeding to envelop me in a warm, fierce hug that nearly squeezed the remaining breath out of me.

We settled in the living room, and taking a deep breath, I explained the new developments.

“Obviously I can’t afford your legal services now,” I said softly, staring down at my hands and feeling the bitter sting of failure.

Sam listened quietly, her expression softening before she let out a firm, decisive sigh.

“I get it now,” she said, nodding slowly. “The financial stress, the shock, the betrayal. But Lila, my answer is a hard no.”

“No?” I answered, blinking back fresh tears, completely confused.

“No,” she repeated, her tone unwavering. “I won’t let you give up, and I certainly won’t let you handle this on your own. I will absolutely handle your divorce, pro bono. In fact, you have more than paid for it. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t helped me on Friday n-?”

She stopped mid question and moved closer to hug me because I had broken into tears again, trying and failing miserably to get it together.

“I can’t accept this Sam. It’s too much,” I managed to say eventually, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand.

“You can and you will,” she insisted, pulling back to look me dead in the eye. “End of discussion.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice cracking.

“Absolutely. Besides, as a wise woman once said to me, ‘us girlies have to stick together’” she said with a bright, reassuring smile.

“Hear that, L?” Viola chimed in from the kitchen counter, tossing a dish towel over her shoulder. “Sam says I’m a wise woman. And she’s a big-shot lawyer, so that legally counts as an official fact!”

“That’s because she’s only met you the one time,” I retorted, letting out a watery laugh.

Viola rolled her eyes playfully, tossing the dish towel at my head, which I deftly caught.

“Thank you so much, Sam. Truly. You have no idea how much this means to me. One day, I promise I’ll find a way to repay you,” I gushed, feeling a tiny sliver of the heavy weight lift off my chest.

“Not necessary, Lila. Just focus on healing,” she said gently.

Sam and I spent the next hour going over all the relevant documents together after I sent them to her email, mapping out a preliminary strategy for the separation. Sam assured me she would organize everything meticulously and have the initial paperwork ready for my signature before we officially served Ryan.

After we wrapped up the legal talk, the three of us sat down to share a simple dinner of pasta bolognese that Viola had thrown together. The warmth of the food and the company helped ground me, but the anxiety hummed beneath my skin like a live wire.

“I know it’s only been a few hours since we talked about this, but have you heard anything yet about any openings from your network?” I asked Viola anxiously, pushing my food around my plate.

“Nothing good yet, babe,” she replied, reaching over to squeeze my hand in a comforting gesture.

“Anything bad, then?” I asked, attempting a weak joke to lighten the heavy mood.

“Well, I did hear about one executive assistant role,” she said slowly, her expression turning hesitant.

My eyes lit up with sudden, desperate hope. “An executive assistant role? Where? What company?”

“But before you get all excited,” she warned, raising a single finger and pointing it at me like a schoolteacher. “you need to know that your potential boss would be a nightmare. My friend Jay says this would be the eighth time they’ve tried to hire just this year. All seven quit within weeks. And that’s just this year, Lila.”

“I don’t care. I’m down, Vi,” I told her instantly, refusing to let discouragement set in.

“My friend explicitly told me I shouldn’t even mention it to you. Apparently, past assistants have left the building in tears! You’re already going through way too much as it is without walking into some sort of corporate war zone.”

“Yeah, Vi is right,” Sam chimed in, setting her phone down. “Maybe just take a beat to breathe and think about it. You could be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.”

“Guys, you don’t understand. I’m completely desperate. I will literally do anything as long as it’s legal and pays a liveable wage,” I said, my tone dripping into a dead-serious tone.

“If you’re genuinely sure…” Viola trailed off, reading the fierce determination in my eyes.

“I am! I’ll take my chances,” I assured her.

“Okay, then. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Viola sighed, pulling out her phone. “I’ll text my friend right now and see what he says.”

After dinner, Sam hugged us both goodbye and headed home, leaving Viola and me to turn in for the night. But even under the heavy blankets, my mind refused to quiet down.

I was endlessly grateful for the fierce, protective loyalty of Viola, and now Sam, but I knew I wouldn’t truly find any peace until I had a paycheck coming in and my life firmly back on track.