My Girlfriend's Rock Bottom

My Girlfriend's Rock Bottom

I dumped her.

Then, when she was rolling in dough and famous, she married me.

Everyone said it was because she was sentimental, still carrying a torch for her first love.

But I knew the truth: she brought a different guy home every damn night.

She'd see me, all cool and collected, and grab my collar, eyes blazing, demanding, “Liam, why aren't you getting pissed off?”

Because...I didn't have the time to get pissed off anymore.

The doc said I had maybe six months left, tops.

1.

It hadn't even been three years of marriage when Savannah hooked up with a college kid named Chad.

Tall, good looking, the whole package.

And ever since she took up with Chad, she hadn't been bringing other guys home.

My buddies told me to watch out, they thought Savannah might be getting serious with this Chad fella.

The first time I met Chad...it was on my anniversary with Savannah.

I had a dialysis appointment scheduled with my doctor.

He told me my condition was getting worse fast, that I might have just a month left.

My face went white as a ghost.

Look, death ain’t scary, but going from six months to one? It was a tough pill to swallow.

Then the doc mentioned some experimental injection. Could give me a few more months.

Only problem? I was flat broke.

My writing gig had hit pause 'cause my body was falling apart.

And the royalty checks were always slow as molasses.

I wasn't tripping on dying.

But my dog, Buster, he’d been with me five years, and I hadn't made arrangements for him.

I couldn't just leave him.

So I went to Savannah's office, hat in hand, needing a loan.

That’s where I ran into Chad.

He was interning at her company, something like an assistant.

I sat out front, waiting for Savannah to get free.

Chad, he's checking me out, head to toe.

He snorted and said to some co-workers, “You guys said he and I were the same type, that we look alike? No way!”

“He looks like he's about to fall over, like a total weakling."

He flexed his biceps, showing off.

I saw my reflection in the glass, gaunt and sickly.

Even with the baseball cap, I couldn’t hide it.

Yeah, I looked like a weakling alright.

One of his colleagues nudged him, a warning. "He's just thin now, but he's way better looking than you, even now.

"Back in the day, he looked like a friggin’ movie star. Besides, the boss is crazy about her husband."

2.

Chad didn't look too convinced about that last bit.

He strolled over like he owned the place.

“Hey man, can I get you somethin' to drink?"

He smacked himself on the forehead. "Shoot, I forgot. Boss Lady only keeps cold drinks and iced teas here. It's all that I drink.

"You look kinda under the weather, maybe that ain’t for you.

"But there's hot water downstairs, I think.”

He smiled, showing off two cute dimples.

I was kinda taken aback, he did look a lot like I used to, especially when he smiled.

Savannah was definitely treating Chad differently.

After we got married, Savannah had been bring...