Chapter 0009
Wait, what did she say? “He…what? He was cheating on me with her?”
Mom and dad exchanged wide–eyed glances. “I’ve already said too much,” she said, then stood and went into the kitchen, pretending to search for something. I followed her.
“How long did you know about this?” I asked. No answer. I turned back to dad. “Dad? How long?”
Dad let out a sigh and finally set the paper on the table. “No sense hiding it now I suppose. It’s been going on for about a year now. We caught them outside together late one night and they confessed everything.” A year?? How was I so blind to this for a whole year? “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Oh stop, it was for your own good,” mom slammed a cabinet shut. “You’re welcome for that, by the way.” “Oh yes, I’m sorry. Thank you. You’ll be receiving your mother of the year award in the mail any day now,” I angrily snapped.
“That mouth of yours does not help you in the relationship department either,” she said.
I stormed back into the living room to grab the purse I had dropped. The happy couple was still cuddling on the couch.
“Hey Nat, mom told me you were upset that I hadn’t congratulated you or anything on your engagement. Well here, I got you something to make up for it.”
They perked up and looked at me, confused, I stuck my hand in my purse and pulled it out, with just my middle finger sticking up
“Cute Hazel,” Natalie rolled her eyes. “Real mature.”
I turned on my heels and bounded up the stairs to my bedroom, slamming the door shut behind me. A gift for my parents, I knew how much they hated that
Now that no one could see me, I let the tears that I had been holding back fall down my face. laid face down on my bed and buried my face into my pillow, crying as hard and quietly as I could. I knew I wasn’t my parents‘ favorite child, but how could they let Natalie do that to me? How could they let Chance? If they had even a shred of empathy among them they kept it well hidden from me. 2
As soon as I was all out of tears I sat up and dug my phone out of my purse. I opened my text message thread that I had with Maria.
“I have got to get out of this house,” I text her.
A moment later she responded: “Uh oh…what happened now?“”
“I don’t want to get into it, I just….I need this executive assistant job, I need that money so I can afford my own place,” I sent back.
“Oh, you know what? I just heard about this new apartment complex where single people can apply for a discounted rate. They’re not the best apartments, but you’ll at least have your own place,” she wrote. “OH MY GOD. Send me the link immediately.” I wrote as fast as I could and pushed send. She laugh reacted and sent me a link. I clicked on it and navigated to the “How to Apply” page.
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+25 BONUS
Chapter 0009
“Marla you son of a bitch,” I said to myself, smiling. “You are a lifesaver.”
The following morning I walked into work and immediately felt something was off. Normally there was a buzz of small talk and people hustling here and there. Today was eerily still and quiet. People mostly stood in place, whispering to each other. I set my stuff on my desk and looked over at Maria across the
room. 2
“What’s going on?” I mouthed to her. 1
She frantically waved me over to her. I sped walked to her..
“Word around the water cooler is someone messed up big time,” she whispered. “They’re talking about
firing someone over it.”
“Oh wow. Who?”
Maria gulped. “You.”
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