It has been a week since I left my home. No, I didn't leave-I was extricated from it by my ex husband and his new wife. Yeah, I realize that I'm bitter. You would be, too, but something like that only happens in…well…in my family, though I suppose they aren't my family anymore. Right now I'm doing probably exactly what Stephanie wants me to do: sitting on the couch watching bad TV and sulking despite my rare display of might before storming out. In fact, when the doorbell rings, part of me doesn't even want to get up to answer it, but I force myself to. Who knows? Maybe it's a really hot delivery guy with a package for me and the two of us will fall in love and live happily ever after, and I'll forget all about the Forrester family! Or not. Groaning, I drag myself to my feet and pull over to the door.
"Brooke?" Tall…Dark…Handsome…Ridge…Wait! RIDGE?
"What, Ridge?" I'm struggling not to scream hysterically and throw myself into his arms. It's not working.
"Brooke, I wanted you to know…that…um…Taylor and I are divorced. I realized that you were right and that my mother was making my decisions for me."
Ecstasy. Pure and complete. Then I remember. Remember glee written all over Stephanie's pale, witchlike face. Remember Nick having to cart me out to my old house, the one I'm living in now, so I could cry over my own pathetic misfortunes. Remember Taylor and Ridge standing sickeningly close to one another as Taylor, her lips barely even moving, mentioned that I should have told them I was coming. What? Is wonderful, perfect Taylor going to help me pack? No, thanks.
"Well, isn't that special?" I don't know where I got it in me to be that snotty, but I did.
Ridge simply gapes at me. "I wanted you to know that I love you, Brooke. I thought that-"
"I don't care what you thought, Ridge. You are simply going to have to love me from afar." And I slam the door in his face.
"What about R.J.? I thought he mattered to you!"
"He means the world to me, obviously more than he means to you. You treat him like a doll, Ridge, and he deserves better." I bellow, feeling triumphant for once. With a gleeful smirk on my face, I turn up the volume so I don't have to hear his excruciating pleas to take him back. Look who's laughing now.