Total pages in book: 196
Estimated words: 180438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 902(@200wpm)___ 722(@250wpm)___ 601(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 180438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 902(@200wpm)___ 722(@250wpm)___ 601(@300wpm)
“What does that thing say anyway? I didn’t read it.”“Nothing much, just that for the next year, I can live here, free of charge, with the option to buy when the year is up.”“Get real, you couldn’t afford this house if you lived three lifetimes.”
“If you say so.” I didn’t trust her smirk or the confident way she stared me down.”What you’re saying makes no sense at all. Who in their right mind would let a stranger stay in their house with a deal like that?”
“Honestly, I didn’t ask. I guess the new owner didn’t want undesirables taking up residence in their place while it sits empty.”
“Undesirables, who do you mean?” Between withdrawals and her attitude, I was about to lose my shit. It’s bad enough my life was going to hell, but to have the likes of her, someone I used to trample under my foot rubbing it in, was the last damn straw. She could deny it all she wants; I know that kid is behind this.
My mind was clearing enough to the point that I could vaguely remember all the things I’d done to this bitch. The little nobody that the city had taken pity on and saddled the rest of us with. She and her ilk had been easy pickings at the elite high school I’d attended, but that was years ago; I was a kid then, so if she thinks she’s going to make me pay for any of it, she could think again.
I might be down, but I’m in no way out of the game, and once I get back on my feet, I’ll be sure to make them all pay. “Oh? How do you plan on doing that?” I hadn’t realized I’d said that all out loud, but I’d be damned if I was going to go backtrack or show any weakness in front of her.
Fear tickled my insides, but I did my best to keep up the brave front. There can only be one reason for her being here. To put me down, rub salt into my wounds. “Don’t you have a home?”
“I do, yes, but the offer was one I couldn’t refuse. Where else am I going to make money just by living in a place like this for the next year? I’ve already sublet my place in the city, and with the money I’m making for staying here, I’ll be able to buy that beach house in Bermuda much sooner than I’d planned.”
“What beach house? Who are you trying to kid with your fake Hermes?” I looked her up and down, from the expensive silk twilly scarf she had tied around her neck to the sky-high red bottom shoes I wanted so badly to be knockoffs.
“Fake? You mean like what you’ll have to rock from now on since your gravy boat has left the dock?” I should smash this bitch’s face in, but from what I remember, she likes to fight back. Yeah, she’s one of the only ones out of the bunch who’d ever fought back in those days. The one who thought she was above her means.
Looking at her now, she’d made good on her promise to make something of herself. Maybe that’s why the kid had chosen her to torment me.”How did she find you anyway?”“Oh, that was easy. Didn’t you ever see the interview I did about what a bitch you were in high school? I’m sure that’s where she found me. She didn’t have to sell me too hard once I realized where this place was. Who exactly did you piss off anyway? Aside from the obvious, of course.”
“What obvious? What do you mean?”“I mean apart from the woman whose man you stole with lies.” My eyes widened at her retort.”What’re you talking about?”“Oh, come on, you had to know the world was going to learn about your schemes. Didn’t you know?”
She lifted her phone and scrolled until she found what she was looking for. “Here, have a look.” I snatched the phone from her hand, but my heart was racing too fast, and I was blinded by fear and something else, something that felt heavy in my gut and left a sour taste in my mouth.
There on the screen was an image of Ryder and that bitch on a sidewalk surrounded by cameras. Worse than the pictures were the words beneath them. How could he do this? How could he flaunt their relationship when my life was in shambles?
Jessica was done with her diatribe as she took the phone back and went back to her purse. “By the way, here are the rules.”
“What rules?”
“The ones that you must follow if you want to continue living here.” She turned to me with a smirk. I’ve heard of people seeing red, but this was the first time I’d experienced that phenomenon myself.