I Just Divorced and Left the Country. My Ex Married His Mistress Right Away.

“I’m standing. Why are you so happy?”

“Sit down right now. Sit down because I’m about to tell you something that will knock you off your feet. The greatest drama in history has just begun. My husband just got home and told me everything. I can’t stop laughing.”

Curious, I dragged a chair over and sat down.

“Okay, I’m sitting. What happened?”

“Haha.” Jessica let out a long laugh. “It turns out there was an unexpected guest at the wedding yesterday. Guess who?”

I frowned.

“How would I know?”

“Your Uncle Lou. Your grandmother’s friend.”

I almost choked on my coffee.

“Uncle Lou? What was he doing there? He doesn’t know Ethan at all.”

“That’s the beauty of it,” Jessica said with a melodramatic tone. “It turns out Ethan’s father did a small business deal with your Uncle Lou years ago and they still have a friendly relationship. And you know your uncle, he’s a loudmouth, especially when he drinks. He had just gotten back from Oregon from visiting his son and stopped by New York.”

I started to imagine Uncle Lou with his characteristic booming voice in the middle of that phony wedding.

“And what happened?” I asked, starting to get interested.

“My husband says that by the end of the reception, Uncle Lou was pretty drunk. He was sitting with some other friends of his and started bragging.”

Jessica lowered her voice, imitating Uncle Lou.

“‘You know what? I just got back from Oregon. I went to see my son and on the way I stopped by Willow Creek, that cute little town near the coast.’”

My heart skipped a beat.

Willow Creek. He ran into me.

“Exactly,” Jessica exclaimed. “My husband says Uncle Lou continued to tell everyone at the top of his lungs. ‘I ran into little Sarah, my late friend’s granddaughter. My God, she’s so beautiful and smart. She’s living in a gorgeous house with a rose garden that her grandmother left her. She’s living like a queen, you know.’”

I was stunned. It was true. I had run into Uncle Lou last week at the town market. He called out to me and we talked for a few minutes. I invited him to the house, but he said he was in a hurry to get to the airport. I never imagined it would end up like this.

Jessica kept talking nonstop.

“Your uncle started telling your life story to anyone who would listen. And with that voice of his, even the tables next to them heard him.”

A vague sense of unease crept over me. This story told at Ethan’s wedding couldn’t be just a simple anecdote.

“My husband says,” Jessica continued, getting more and more excited, “that just as Uncle Lou started talking about you, Ethan and Ashley were thanking guests at the next table. They heard everything word for word.”

I held my breath.

Jessica cleared her throat, continuing her performance.

“Uncle Lou was shouting, ‘Sarah is a rock star. She’s working for a design studio out there. Her boss, a great guy, adores her. Can’t stop saying wonderful things about her. Says she just landed them a contract to design a huge hotel. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Smart and hardworking like her grandmother.’”

I could picture Ethan’s face at that moment. He who had always belittled my work, who considered me a conformist who lived off him.

“But wait, Sarah, here comes the best part,” Jessica shouted, unable to contain herself. “Here comes the climax. A friend at your uncle’s table asked him, ‘Wow, is the girl that smart? She must be making a good salary, right?’ And your Uncle Lou answered, waving his hand, ‘Salary? What salary? The salary is for her expenses. Her grandmother adored her. Not only did she leave her the house with the rose garden, she left her a multi-million dollar inheritance. They say it’s a fortune, several million dollars. Little Sarah is now a low-key millionaire in Oregon, living the good life, free as a bird, without having to put up with any jerks.’”

I was speechless. It was true my grandmother had left me an inheritance, but I had never discussed the amount with anyone. I didn’t know Uncle Lou knew in such detail, much less that he would blurt it out in the middle of the wedding.

“Oh my God, Sarah. My husband says that the instant the word ‘millions’ left your uncle’s mouth, Ethan’s face went from white to green. He could barely stand and Ashley next to him had her mouth wide open. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. People at the surrounding tables started whispering. The rumors spread like wildfire. ‘The groom’s ex-wife is a millionaire. Turns out the one he just left is actually rich and he’s marrying the secretary.’”

The murmuring grew.

“And you know what?” Jessica said with a triumphant voice. “Just when Ethan was in shock, realizing he had thrown away a gold mine, your Uncle Lou delivered the final blow.”

My heart sank. There was more.

“The rumor was spreading throughout the hall. Ethan and Ashley were paralyzed. Ashley tried to pull Ethan’s arm, but he seemed glued to the floor. And then Uncle Lou, after talking about you, continued his conversation with his friend.”

I could imagine the scene. A strange silence fell around Uncle Lou’s table. Everyone strained to hear.

Jessica imitated Uncle Lou’s voice again.

“‘But these days, my friend, there’s a lot of deception. If you end up with a gold digger, you’re lost. Like what happened to the groom. This Ethan guy.’”

I flinched.

He said it that clearly.

“Almost,” Jessica exclaimed. “My husband says your uncle continued, ‘The other day, I went to the bank to run some errands and I ran into Bob, the VP of credit, who’s a friend of mine, and Bob told me something very funny. He told me that this Ashley, Ethan’s secretary, the bride today, went to the bank last week and made a scene.’”