Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

He Has A What? •|| MARJOREECE ||• [Another Woman Pt. 2]

Prompt: Mia tells Marjorie what she knows.

Charlotte paced in her kitchen, her phone pressed to her ear as Marjorie sniffled quietly from the couch. Her fingers trembled slightly as she scrolled through her contacts, landing on Mia’s name. She hesitated for only a second before pressing “call.” The line rang twice before a familiar, exasperated voice answered.

“Sweetheart, what is it? I just dropped the girls off, and traffic’s a nightmare.”

“Mia…” Charlotte’s voice cracked, immediately grabbing Mia’s attention. “It’s Marjorie. She’s here, and—”

“Sweetheart, slow down. What happened?” Mia’s tone softened instantly, concern replacing her usual edge.

Charlotte swallowed hard, glancing at Marjorie, who was curled up on the couch, clutching a throw pillow like it was her last lifeline. “Reece. She thinks he’s cheating. She found messages and pictures of some girl on his phone—he called her ‘My World.’”

There was a long pause. “What?” Mia’s disbelief was palpable even over the phone. “Reece? Our Reece? The man who can’t keep a surprise party under wraps without spilling the beans? That doesn’t make sense.”

“Well, that’s what she found,” Charlotte replied, her voice tight. “She’s devastated, Mia.”

“On my way,” Mia said without hesitation. “I’ll be there in ten. Hang tight, sweetheart.”

True to her word, Mia arrived quickly, slamming the car door with a sharp click and hurrying up the walkway. Charlotte opened the door before Mia could even knock.

“Where is she?” Mia asked, brushing past Charlotte and spotting Marjorie on the couch. “Marjorie, what the hell happened? Tell me everything.”

Marjorie took a shaky breath, her voice thick with emotion as she recounted the morning’s events. Her voice cracked when she described the photo and the affectionate messages, and Mia listened intently, her brow furrowing deeper with every word. But as Marjorie described the girl—piercing blue eyes, black hair, a radiant smile—realization hit Mia like a freight train.

“Wait.” Mia’s lips twitched into an incredulous smile, and a chuckle escaped before she could stop it.

Marjorie blinked at her, confused and hurt. “What’s so funny? I just told you Reece is cheating, and you’re laughing?”

“No, no, Marjorie, I’m not laughing at you,” Mia said, holding up her hands defensively, though her amusement lingered. “It’s just—oh my God. That’s our Olivia. Or Olive, as Reece likes to call her.”

Marjorie’s brow knitted. “Olivia? Who—what are you talking about?”

“His daughter, Marjorie,” Mia clarified, her tone a mix of exasperation and disbelief. “Reece’s kid. You didn’t know he has a daughter?”

Marjorie’s jaw dropped, her eyes wide. “What? No! He never told me. Reece has a daughter?”

Mia pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering a curse under her breath. “Unbelievable. That idiot. How could he not tell you about Olivia? She’s, what, 18 now? He’s been talking about her non-stop ever since she was born.”

Charlotte’s eyes widened as well, but she stayed quiet, glancing between Mia and Marjorie.

Marjorie shook her head, her voice trembling. “I thought—God, I thought he was cheating on me. Why didn’t he tell me?”

“I don’t know, but we’re about to find out,” Mia said firmly, pulling out her phone. She dialed Reece’s number, and when he answered, she didn’t give him a chance to speak.

“Get your ass to Charlotte’s place. Now. You’ve got a hell of a lot of explaining to do,” she snapped before hanging up, not waiting for a reply.

She turned to Marjorie, her expression softening. “We’ll get this sorted, Marjorie. But when he gets here, you’d better let me yell at him first. Trust me, he deserves it.”