My Girl

My girlfriend, Claire, was the ice queen of the social scene, and I was her golden boy, her "perfect match."

There was this guy at her company, Dave, who was always chasing after her. He wasn't much to look at, and at first, Claire just couldn't stand him.

Then one night, I saw him stumbling out of her car, clothes a mess...

...Later that night, I was about to get intimate with Claire when her phone buzzed. She answered, putting it on speaker.

The guy on the other end was freaking out. "Claire, help me!"

I recognized the voice - it was Dave, her company employee.

Claire sighed, "What's going on, Dave?"

"I'm with Mr. Henderson, we're trying to finalize this contract, and he's hammered. He keeps touching me, I'm scared. Please, you gotta come get me out of here!" His voice was shaky.

Claire frowned, "Okay, I'll send someone over."

Dave pleaded, "Can't you just come yourself, Claire? Please?"

"I'm busy." She hung up and dialed another number.

Putting her phone down, Claire reached under my shirt, but she seemed distracted. A moment later, she pulled away.

"Ethan, Mr. Henderson is trouble. I’m worried something might happen. I should probably go over there, make sure things don't get out of hand."

I wasn't happy about it, "Didn't you already send someone?"

Claire quickly put on her jacket. "Dave is an employee, and I'm his boss. If anything happens to him, it reflects badly on the company."

I grumbled, "You're his boss, not his wife."

Claire touched my face, smiling softly. "I know, honey. I'm your wife."

My heart melted a little. "Okay, fine. Just be quick."

"I will, you’re the best, Ethan."

I watched as she left. I slowly pulled my shirt back down, a knot of unease forming in my stomach.

Claire and I had been together since we were kids. I was her "one." Everyone knew she adored me.

When I couldn’t sleep, she’d stay up all night, just holding me.

Every year, she’d travel the world looking for unique gifts for my birthday.

Last year, when I was seriously ill, she went to the church and prayed for me. She climbed those stone steps, her knees bleeding. She even started wearing her rosary beads for my sake.

Every guy in town was jealous of me.

Dave, the sales manager at Claire’s family business, was a decent guy, I guess, but nothing special. He’d started chasing Claire and everyone just laughed.

"Like a frog trying to catch a star, Dave doesn’t stand a chance against Ethan."

"If Claire goes for him, I’ll eat my hat on camera."

Everyone thought Claire, that refined socialite, was completely devoted to me.

But Dave wasn't giving up. Every morning he’d bring Claire breakfast, which she promptly tossed in the trash. He would always show up at every function and meeting she attended, acting as her human shield against any unwanted attention. He’d even declared his love for her during company meetings, saying he worked hard to get her attention.

Claire would just roll her eyes, "What is he, a joke? So annoying!"

But she never ...