You Shall Not! | ONC 2023

Jessica Svensson has always been 'the boring friend' because she had it all. A wife, a two-story home, and a well-paying job. After being cheated on by her now ex-wife, she's left with nothing. On a whim, she calls her best friend Cassy, who is living the best of life, and decides it's time for a change of scenery.

From a house in the suburbs to sharing a tiny apartment with a cat named Purrnella, in a town she tried so hard to escape, Jess accepts an unexpected offer and finds herself with amazing new colleagues and a thrilling position in the world's best female soccer league as a referee.

Everything could be perfect if it weren't for the young, cunning, and dangerously hot girl appearing whenever she least expects it.

Navigating the shallow and dangerous waters of disaster and misery commonly known as dating leaves Jess asking herself one question over and over again.

"Why am I doing this to myself?"
_________

Written for the Open Novella Contest 2023
Used main prompts:
#49 "Master the rules of the game until you can play it better than they can." - Michael Scott "The Sorceress."
#51 The problem with red flags is that I'm attracted to them.