My Husband’s Three Mistresses Live Next Door

On the way to the airport, my lawyer texts me. "I can have the papers ready tonight. Send me a list of major assets first." I pull out the folder I grabbed from Ethan's study on my way out. Inside are four condo purchase agreements. Upstairs is under Audrey Marsh. Downstairs is under Sophia Deane. Across the hall is under Nicole Webb. The only unit without someone else's name on it is the one I just moved into. That one still belongs to Ethan. He bought all four units the day he proposed to me. That night he said he'd never let me be without a home again. My phone rings. Ethan. "Where are you? Why is the condo empty?" "You want to tell me why your three women are living around me?" "You know about that?" He goes quiet for a second. "They've been in my life for years, Ivy. I didn't marry them. The least I can do is make sure they're taken care of." "You're my wife. What's mine is yours. Why are you acting like this?" I grip the purchase agreements tighter. "So they don't get a ring, but they each get a condo in their own name. And your actual wife gets nothing." He sounds annoyed. "It's one condo. You really want it that bad? I'll transfer it to your name later." "Don't bother." I watch the building disappear through the car window. "Ethan, I want a divorce." Silence on the other end. "Over a few condos? Seriously?" I don't explain. I hang up. At the gate, I open the group chat screenshots again. The chat history goes back a long way. I keep scrolling. Then a video from three years ago stops me cold. The date on it is the day Ethan proposed. In the video, Audrey, Sophia, and Nicole are sitting in the living room of the condo I just moved into. Each of them is holding a new key. One key is left on the coffee table. Someone off camera laughs and asks, "Who gets the fourth one?" Ethan picks it up. "Her." Audrey grins. "You're really putting all four of us in one building? What happens when we run into each other?" Ethan tosses the key back on the table. "She won't figure it out." The whole room laughs. At the end of the video, Ethan stands up and straightens his collar. Someone asks where he's going. He pulls a ring box out of his pocket. "To propose." The video ends there. I sit in the departure lounge without moving for a long time. That night, he came to me with that exact ring. Got down on one knee and promised me a home. But before those words ever left his mouth, my spot had already been arranged alongside three other women. The boarding announcement comes on. Ethan texts me. "Go clear your head for a few days. We'll talk when you're back." I send every purchase agreement, every screenshot, and that video to my lawyer. "Save all of it." Then I stop sharing my location and block Ethan's number. They can keep their building. I'm done.

My plane lands in Miami. The second I turn my phone on, the event coordinator calls. "Mrs. Cole, the housewarming party tomorrow has been moved to Miss Marsh's unit. Is that right?" I booked that party two weeks ago. The confirmation form originally said Ethan & Ivy Cole's Housewarming. Now it says Audrey Marsh's New Home Celebration. The guest list and the menu are exactly the same. "Who changed it?" "Mr. Cole." I cancel the booking and get my deposit back. Two minutes later, Ethan calls. "You canceled the party?" "That was my housewarming." He pauses. "I had someone look into it. You took off to Miami. Audrey just moved some new furniture in, so I let her use the reservation. What's the big deal?" "You swapped my name for hers. Same food, same guests, same everything." I raise my voice. "That was the first time I ever invited our friends to our home." He sighs. "It's the same damn building. Why does the floor matter? Come back, I'll throw you another one." I hang up and tell our friends the party is off. A little while later, the interior designer posts on Instagram. The photos show the condo building. Ethan's building. The caption reads: Audrey's place is finally done! Thanks to Ethan for checking every detail. I tap on the photos. On one of the design sketches, I see notes in handwriting I recognize. Plant flowers on the balcony. Get a dog after we move in. Go grocery shopping together on weekends. If we ever have a baby, save the sunny spare room for the nursery. Six years ago, Ethan and I wrote those down together in our tiny studio apartment. And in the finished photos, the flower boxes are installed. The dog bed is set up. The sunny spare room is already decorated. Six years of promises he made to me. Now they're all inside Audrey's home. I close the app. Then the hotel front desk calls. "Mrs. Cole, Mr. Cole has extended your stay to fifteen days and upgraded you to an ocean view suite." A staff member brings up a new room key and a breakfast order. Warm milk. Plain oatmeal. Delivered to the room at ten every morning. All my habits. Every single one. Ethan's messages come in right after. "You always wanted to go to Miami, right? Stay a few extra days since you're already there." "Don't sleep till the afternoon and skip meals again. Your stomach can't handle it." "I'll come get you when I'm back from my business trip in fifteen days." Three years of marriage and he still remembers all of that. I stare at the breakfast card. Then my bank sends a notification. Joint travel fund withdrawal: $12,600. We opened that account six years ago. I didn't make much back then, but I put two hundred dollars in every month. Later, when Ethan started making real money, I wanted to close it. He said, "Keep it. I'll take you somewhere every year." I open the transaction details. The payment went to a travel agency. Fifteen-day itinerary. Four names listed together. Ethan Cole. Audrey Marsh. Sophia Deane. Nicole Webb. Departing the day after tomorrow for Los Angeles, then Las Vegas, then San Francisco. So when he says he'll pick me up after his business trip, he means after he's done vacationing with the three of them. I keep scrolling. This is the exact trip Ethan and I planned together six years ago. Back then he said wait till we have money. Then he said wait till we get married. After we got married, he said wait till we move into the new place. Last month when we were packing, he put that travel notebook into his suitcase himself. "Once we're settled in, we'll go." Now every single stop on that trip is still there. But my name isn't on the list. I send everything to my lawyer, then call the front desk to cancel the hotel extension. "Whatever Mr. Cole arranged for me, don't send it up. Just cancel everything." That afternoon, I get a job offer from a waterfront venue in Miami. I reply right away. "I can start tomorrow."

I'm two days into the job. I'm at the waterfront checking the setup for a private event tonight. Ethan's voice comes from behind me. "What are you doing here?" I turn around. I didn't expect him to be the one who booked out the entire venue tonight. Audrey is hanging off his arm. Sophia and Nicole are right behind them. Ethan's eyes drop to the employee badge on my chest. "You got a job in Miami?" "That's none of your business." Audrey waves her phone at me and smiles. "Good thing I decided to come to Miami last minute. Otherwise I would've missed running into you." Sophia looks at Ethan. "She says one word about wanting a birthday by the ocean and you rebook the flights and hotel for all of us." Audrey tilts her head. "He always gives me what I want." I look down at the event sheet. Whole venue reserved until midnight. Total: $120,000. Three years ago, I asked Ethan if we could book a private evening here. Just the two of us watching the sunset. He looked at the price and said, "For a sunset? That's a waste of money." Ethan is already standing in front of me. "So now you're following us from city to city and working at our venue?" "I was in Miami before you changed your route." He lets out a short laugh. "Cut the excuses." "You asked for a divorce, turned off your location, and got a new job just to get my attention?" I close the event sheet. "Ethan, you're overthinking it." "Sure I am." He nods. "You just happened to come to Miami. And just happened to be working at the exact venue we booked." Audrey listens for a while, then holds out the event sheet to me. "Since Ivy works here, just let her handle my birthday." I don't take it. "The venue already assigned other staff." But Ethan grabs the sheet and pushes it into my hands. "You're good with details. I trust you with it." I look up at him. "I'm here to work. Not to babysit your girlfriend for you." His eyebrows pull together. "Audrey asked for you. You're staff here, aren't you?" "Don't make this about us." I grip the event sheet and head to the venue. After dark, the birthday party starts. I'm about to leave the event area when Ethan calls out behind me. "How long are you gonna keep this up?" I turn around. "The divorce papers are already with my lawyer." He goes quiet for a second. "You've said you were leaving before when we fought." "Now you're just using the word divorce." I look at him. "Then keep telling yourself that." He reaches for my arm. "If you really wanted to leave, you wouldn't be standing here." I step back from his hand. "Miami doesn't belong to you." His jaw tightens. But Audrey is already calling from across the venue. "Ethan, the fireworks are starting!" He stares at me for a few seconds, then turns and walks toward her. At eight, Audrey's name lights up across the water in fireworks. After they're done, the staff wheels out a birthday cake. Audrey blows out the candles. Sophia smiles at her. "What'd you wish for this year?" Audrey opens her eyes and looks straight at Ethan. "I don't want anything this year." "The condo. The trip. The birthday. I already have everything." She pauses. "Ethan, I want her gone. I want to be the wife." Everything goes quiet. Ethan frowns and opens his mouth. But Audrey reaches into her bag and pulls out an ultrasound report. She sets it down in front of him. "You'll say yes to this one." "I'm pregnant."