"The kind who only says what women want to hear.
"Sherry, you're not actually falling for that crap, are you? Guys like that? Completely unreliable. They're not even real men."
Always trying to please women—it was disgusting. The kind of guy every real man hated.
And the women with no taste who fell for it? They'd end up crying their eyes out when they got played.
He wasn't about to argue with those irrational women online. He messaged Sherry directly.
The reply came fast.
Sherry might not even see it. And if she did, she should understand—men should act like men. Being gentle was a woman's job. Men just needed to focus on their careers, and women would love them for it.
Different role, different responsibilities.
"Wow, Gilbert. That's the loudest meltdown I've ever heard."
And it was Lucas' voice.
It was the middle of the night. What were they doing together?
"Sherry, we're not even divorced yet! You don't see me as your husband anymore? You actually believe him? That's the kind of garbage you feed to naive girls! Any guy could say that stuff. I just refuse to lie to you!"
Sherry was sitting right next to Lucas.
She reached for the phone.
Lucas held it up, practically to the ceiling.
She stretched.
The guy was ridiculously tall, with limbs that went on forever. She was almost standing now and still couldn't reach.
Then her foot slipped, and she crashed right into him, landing perfectly between his legs.
They were so close that if she tilted her chin up, she'd kiss his jaw.
But her eyes were pure murder. Before she could even steady herself, she lunged for the phone again.
And Lucas hit the voice message button.
They didn't say a word. But the silence—punctuated by the sounds of them moving around, rustling—was enough to make anyone's imagination run wild.
Gilbert's face cycled through every shade of purple. He kept telling himself it wasn't real.
Lucas was just messing with him.
He knew Sherry. She loved him desperately. No matter what he did, she never left.
A few weeks of this wouldn't change that.
Sherry finally grabbed the phone.
Lucas looked almost disappointed. Was she really that eager to see Gilbert's messages? She didn't even realize she was still sitting in his lap?
His fingertips went white. How could she say that?
When you love someone, they're the best in the world. At least, in your eyes, they should be.
What was Sherry saying?
That she didn't love him anymore?
"Sherry, put your hand on your heart and ask yourself—should those words ever come out of your mouth? Do you have any idea how much that hurts?
"Did you ever think I could feel pain too? That I could get hurt?"
Gilbert was always logical, always rational.
Men didn't do emotions. Men didn't get all weepy about feelings.
But this time, Sherry had actually wounded him.
"Sherry, how could you say something so cruel?"
Sherry almost laughed.
She went from speechless to hysterical.
She'd never met anyone so hypocritical. Like she was the only one who'd ever said anything harsh. Like she was the villain.
And Gilbert? He was just being straightforward.

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