Chapter 3

After we married, Dean was unbelievably tight with money.

No more fresh-squeezed juice for me, no new phone every six months.

Even buying new clothes with my own money became something I did carefully.

Because every time a package arrived, Dean would frown.

"Honey, you've only got one body. How many outfits can you possibly wear?"

"Cut back a little."

"There's more than one place that money needs to go, after all."

Back then I made a hundred grand a month, earning it on my own ability.

I'd never once come up short financially.

Thinking it over, I decided he had a point.

But once Cindy showed up, my situation got more and more miserable, like a knife hanging over my head.

Now, though, I didn't want Dean anymore. Even if I walked away with nothing, I was getting a divorce.

"Don't be upset. See, I know I was wrong, and I'm going to fix it."

I patted Quinn to comfort him.

"Give me three days. I'll take care of everything on my end, and then I'll register the marriage with you."

"Okay?"

Quinn broke into a smile through his tears. "My only complaint is that three days feels too long."

On the way, I said I wanted to get rid of the baby.

But Quinn said, "I hear an abortion is hard on your body. Maybe don't. I like kids anyway."

I was a little surprised. "You don't mind that it's Dean's baby?"

Quinn's face was completely sincere. "What does another man have to do with anything?"

"All I know is that it's your baby."

"Tessa, I don't want to do a single thing that's bad for you."

I looked at him in silence for a long moment, then smiled.

"All right. Give me three days. I'll settle everything here."

"And then I'll come to you, with the baby."

Dean took me out for a nice meal, bought me new clothes, and sent me home loaded down with bags.

When he saw that Quinn had dropped me off,

Dean's face went dark from a distance.

"Didn't I tell you to take the bus back?"

"But no. You went off to seduce a man. Your old flame, no less."

I frowned.

"Can you not talk so ugly?"

Everyone knew Quinn had once chased after me, Dean included.

Back then Dean was poor and had nothing, and he'd nearly lost me to Quinn.

It was my choosing him that made Quinn step aside.

But after that, Dean was always on guard against Quinn.

He looked at him the way you'd look at a mortal enemy.

"You think I don't know what's on his mind with you?"

"We're both men."

"One look at you and I can tell what he's scheming."

"Stay away from him from now on."

I lifted my head and gave Dean a cold smile.

"He's willing to drive me home for free."

"A cab costs me ten bucks."

"That money, are you going to give it to me?"

Everything I had on me came to three dollars and twenty cents.

Dean frowned coldly. "I've told you, if you need money, apply to Cindy for it. You're Mrs. Matthews. Do you really think I'd shortchange my own wife?"

I laughed without a sound. That line again.

Cindy was always blocking me over every little thing, and every time I told Dean, he never believed me.

"Cindy's a professional money-management expert. Why would she ever do that?"

"What reason would she have to single you out and make things hard for you?"

Since he never believed a single explanation, I couldn't be bothered to say it anymore.

Carrying my shopping bags, I turned and headed inside.

But a syrupy voice drifted out from within.

"My big-shot CEO, is dinner ready yet?"

I froze.

Cindy was wearing my slippers and my pajamas, lounging against the couch watching a show.

Seeing me come in, she scrambled to her feet.

"Tessa, don't get the wrong idea. My clothes got soaked with coffee just now, so I only borrowed your pajamas for a bit."

I turned my head coldly and looked at Dean, who had followed me in.

"What's going on? Weren't the two of you supposed to be out at that Michelin restaurant?"

"Why is she wearing my pajamas, using my tablet, sitting there like she's the lady of the house?"