Melissa froze for a second, and then her eyes lit up. She clinked her glass against mine, tears still shimmering. “To new beginnings. And may everything go your way.”

I smiled from the bottom of my heart.

While we were eating, a waiter showed up with three fancy-looking dishes.

Melissa blinked. “I didn’t order these. Must be a mix-up?”

The waiter smiled, “Compliments of Mr. Holcomb. Your bill’s taken care of.”

Melissa’s head snapped to me. “Jared sent these?”

I took a bite. “Not bad. Let’s eat—no sense wasting good food.”

Melissa laughed awkwardly. “One of these probably costs more than my entire meal.”

I didn’t expect Jared to send over dishes. Maybe he felt guilty and was trying to make up for things with cash? That was just like him—seeming thoughtful, but cold at his core, a total train wreck.

Halfway through, Melissa still looked confused by my calm. She leaned in, her voice serious. “Yvonne was so cozy with that woman. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she’s her kid. Doesn’t that make you mad?”

I wasn’t surprised she would ask this. She’d watched me hover over Yvonne like a helicopter parent, terrified the kid might get a paper cut.

Back then, I barely had enough breast milk. I’d call lactation experts every day, let them prod and poke until my skin was raw, and still nothing. I had cried through that whole first month, holding Yvonne, feeling like I was failing her.

Melissa used to say Yvonne was my entire world. She thought having my “precious little girl” stolen by another woman would be like a knife to the heart.

I took a sip of wine and shook my head. “Maybe once. Not anymore. She’s six—old enough to understand right and wrong. Kids aren’t puppets I can control forever. Someday she’ll find her own path. If she’s happier with someone else, I can let her go.”

Melissa stared at me, looking stunned. She let out a soft sigh. “Wow, Victoria. You’re totally different now. If it weren’t for your face, I’d swear you were a completely different person.”

I chuckled quietly. “Growing up can catch you off guard sometimes. Melissa, we’ve known each other since high school, stuck together through college, and now we’re living in the same city. I’m still me—I just let some things go.”

Melissa nodded. “Good. You’re my friend, and that’s not gonna change, ever.”

After dinner, Melissa tried to pay, but the waiter told her Jared had already covered the bill. She looked at me and shrugged. “I was supposed to treat you, but your husband beat me to it. Next time, it’s on me—promise.”

I smiled and nodded. “Deal.”

Since we’d both had a few drinks, driving was out of the question. Melissa stood at the edge of the sidewalk, trying to flag down a cab.

Just then, a black Land Rover pulled up. Warner rolled down the window and said, “Mrs. Holcomb, Mr. Holcomb sent me to take you home.”

Melissa scoffed, “Mr. Holcomb is really thoughtful, huh?”

I stayed quiet, opened the door for Melissa to get in first, then slid in after her. During the ride, I closed my eyes to rest.

Jared’s mixed signals were confusing as hell. If he was gonna cheat, he should just ghost me. But no—he took Tracy to dinner and then turned around and played Mr. Thoughtful for me. How shameless.