My name is Anna, and a year ago I married the love of my life, Paul.
Our relationship was everything I had ever dreamed of, full of love, support, and laughter. I couldn’t have been happier with how things were going.
I work as an accountant, mostly from home, and it’s a job I enjoy. But there’s more to my work life than people usually see.
Paul runs his own car parts business, which keeps him busy, but we still have plenty of time together. We love spending our free time with each other, often going to parties with Paul’s large group of friends, colleagues, and business partners.
I always look forward to these events. I enjoy socializing and being part of Paul’s world.
One sunny Sunday morning, I was sitting at our kitchen table, drinking coffee and checking emails, when Paul came in with a big grin on his face.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. “Harold’s throwing a barbecue at his place. Thought we could head over, have a few drinks, and catch up with everyone. You up for it?”
“Sounds perfect,” I replied, already excited for the evening.
We arrived at Harold’s house around 9:00 p.m. The smell of grilled food and the sound of laughter filled the air as we walked through the crowd.
That’s when I noticed a striking blonde woman I hadn’t seen before. She was chatting with a group of people, her laughter carrying across the yard.
“Who’s that?” I asked Paul, nodding in her direction.
His face tightened just a little.
“That’s Rachel, my ex-girlfriend.”
Before I could say anything, Harold spotted us and waved us over.
“Paul, Anna, glad you could make it. Come on, let me introduce you to everyone.”
As we approached the group, Rachel’s eyes locked onto us. Her smile widened, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Well, well,” she said in a voice that sounded overly sweet. “If it isn’t Paul and his wife.”
The way she said wife made it sound like a bad word.
I forced a smile, not wanting to let her bother me.
“Nice to meet you, Rachel,” I said.
I extended my hand and said, “I’m Anna.”
Rachel looked at my hand like it was dirty, then turned back to Paul.
“Paulie, darling, it’s been too long. You must tell me everything you’ve been up to.”
I felt annoyed at the way she called him Paulie, but Paul stayed calm and stepped in.
“It’s good to see you, Rachel. Anna and I have been doing great. How about you? Still working at your dad’s company?”
Rachel’s smile faded for a second.
“Oh, you know me. I like to keep my options open. Unlike some people, I’m not tied down.”
The conversation dragged on, with Rachel making subtle digs at me while acting overly friendly with Paul. I tried to stay calm and not let her get to me, but by the end of the night, I was worn out.
In the weeks after that first meeting with Rachel, I noticed she started showing up more often at our social gatherings. Each time, she seemed to go out of her way to make me feel awkward or out of place.
One Tuesday evening, we were at a dinner party hosted by one of Paul’s business associates. I was chatting with some of the other wives when Rachel walked over, holding a champagne glass.
“Oh, Anna,” she said in that sugary sweet voice. “That’s an interesting outfit. I didn’t know the librarian look was back in style.”
I glanced down at my knee-length skirt and blouse, feeling self-conscious.
“I think it’s appropriate for a dinner party,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
Rachel laughed, a sharp sound.
“Of course you do, sweetie. Not everyone can pull off haute couture like I can.”
I bit my tongue, fighting the urge to point out that her dress looked more suited for a nightclub than a dinner party. Instead, I excused myself and went to find Paul.
As time passed, Rachel’s behavior became even bolder. She started posting pictures from our gatherings on social media, always making sure to crop me out or block my face. The captions were always little digs at my looks or personality.
One day, while scrolling through my feed, I came across a particularly hurtful post. Rachel had uploaded a photo of herself next to an unflattering picture of me.
The caption read, who do you think is a better match for Paul? Vote in the comments.
I felt my face burn with anger and embarrassment as I scrolled through the comments. Most of them were in Rachel’s favor.
At the end of the post, she had added, looks like the people have spoken. Paul must be a fool to have picked Plain Jane over a beauty like me.