He Paid Me 1 Dollar For 10 Pounds, He Paid Her 100,000 For A Bag Chapter 04

He Paid Me 1 Dollar For 10 Pounds, He Paid Her 100,000 For A Bag Chapter 04

“Mrs. Halstead, that’s quite an appetite!”

“All that food and you’re still hungry…”

“Oh, that’s right! I forgot, you’re eating for two.”

Mallory tacked on the last line with a practiced little smile, like it was an afterthought.

I looked down at myself. At the body I barely recognized anymore.

Tears blurred my vision, and the words ripped out of me before I could stop them.

“My weight is none of your damn business!”

“Tessa! Watch your mouth!”

Everett slammed on the brakes.

Everett whipped around. His face was murderous.

“My wife doesn’t talk to people like that. You don’t get to run your mouth and disrespect someone in my car.”

“Apologize! Right now!”

The force of his anger hit me like a wall.

My whole body locked up. For a second, I forgot how to breathe.

“Mr. Halstead, it’s fine.”

“She didn’t mean it. I forgive her.”

Mallory’s voice floated toward me, muffled and far away.

It took me a long time to find my voice.

“Everett, that wasn’t my fault!”

“Why should I apologize?!”

My throat burned. I fought to keep my voice from cracking.

Everett suddenly spoke again.

“You refuse to apologize, is that it?”

“Then get out of my car!”

Everett leaned over and shoved my door open. Rain hammered in.

He kicked me out into the rain.

Cold rain struck my face as Everett lowered the car window.

His expression was frighteningly cold.

“Tessa, I’m asking you one last time. Are you going to apologize?”

“No…”

The word barely left my mouth before the car tore away.

A wave of muddy water hit me full in the face. The stench of wet earth soaked into everything.

I stood there, soaked and filthy, phone clenched in my hand. My mind went blank.

My phone rang.

“Mrs. Halstead, where are you?!”

“It’s been an hour. Your mother’s condition is critical; we need a family member here immediately!”

“Are you coming or not?!”

I held the phone and couldn’t say a thing.

I grabbed a cab. By the time I got to the hospital, my mom had already woken up.

She grabbed my hand and held on tight. Her eyes were full of tears.

“Tessa, baby, what happened to you?”

“You used to take such good care of yourself…”

“Has Everett been treating you badly?”

Her words dropped in my stomach like a stone.

I caught my reflection in the ICU window—swollen, unrecognizable—and the tears started falling. I couldn’t stop them.

I went home and sat on the couch. I didn’t move until dark.

Eventually, the door opened.

Everett walked inside smelling of alcohol.

Mallory stood next to him, head ducked, a hickey dark and obvious on her neck.

“Mrs. Halstead, please don’t take this the wrong way.”

“Tonight some of his investors got suspicious. They wanted proof we were really together.”

“So Mr. Halstead and I… had to make it convincing.”

Mallory shyly lowered her head and pulled her neckline farther open.

My stomach dropped.

Everett loosened his tie without looking at me and walked into the bedroom.

“You don’t need to explain anything to her.”

My fingers dug into my palm as I took the abortion paperwork out of my bag.

I was just about to speak.

Then I saw Everett walk out again carrying a suitcase.

“Mrs. Halstead, a few of his partners are taking their wives overseas. Business trip, checking on suppliers.”

“Mr. Halstead and I will be going together for probably… two months?”

Mallory’s eyes gleamed. She wasn’t even trying to hide it.

I turned away and put the abortion paperwork back into my bag.

My voice came out steady.

“Everett, let’s get a divorce.”

“What did you say?!”