Chapter 10
I never saw Damon again after that.
We had an amazing Christmas season as a family.
On Christmas morning, I saw Damon on the news he’d passed out drunk in the freezing snow.
When some good Samaritans tried to help him get home and asked where he lived, he just laughed bitterly: “I don’t have a home anymore. No home, no home, no home.”
We used to spend every Christmas together. He loved my homemade sugar cookies and could cat dozens of them in one sitting
I still bake cookies for the holidays, but someone else is enjoying them now.
After the Christmas, I gave birth to my son without any complications. Mom helped me take care of him.]
Once I finished my maternity leave, I went back to work
Life was simple and happy.[]
I thought I’d never have to deal with Damon or Chloe again!
Then Chloe showed up at my office, heavily pregnant
She slammed a marriage certificate down on my desk triumphantly:]
“Damon and I are married now. I’m his wife.‘
I set down my paperwork and looked at her like she was an idiot
“Im not your mother–you didn’t need to make a special trip to tell me.”
Her face darkened as she made her demands:
“You lived with my husband for seven years! That was our house, so you owe us back rent plus living expenses for all seven years!“]
So that’s what this was about.]
They must be really desperate for money.[]
1 calmly called Damon:]
“Come to my office. Your wife wants me to pay back our ‘relationship expenses. I think it’s time we settle our accounts properly.”
Chloe got pissed, her face turning red:]
“Don’t think just because you’re calling my husband, he’ll go soft and let you off the hook!”
“Tm pregnant with twins, and his company’s struggling. We need every penny we can
moneyr]]
“For his sons, he’ll definitely take this moneyr
Damon showed up quickly.
The moment he walked in, he tore into Chloe:]
“What the hell are you doing?! Stop this bullshit before I lose my temper!“]]
I said coldly:
“If you two want to fight, do it at home. Don’t bring that drama here.”
“Let’s talk money. It’s time we settled our accounts.
getr
“Damon, your college tuition and depression treatment cost me about three hundred grand over four years.“]
“Yes, I lived in your place after graduation. I’ll pay half the rent–sixty grand a year, three years, that’s one hundred eighty grand.”
“I didn’t take any of the gifts you gave me when we broke up. I paid for groceries and cooked every single meal for you.”
“A live–in housekeeper makes at least six thousand a month minimum. That’s seventy–two grand a year, times seven years about five hundred grand. Five hundred plus three hundred is eight hundred grand total“]
“Minus the rent of one–eighty, you still owe me six hundred twenty thousand. Pay up!“]
Chloe was speechless, then started throwing a tantrum:]
“You were the pathetic one cooking for my husband just so he’d fuck you! Now you want money?! In your dreams!”
Before I could get angry, Damon slapped her hard.]
“Get out! Keep running your mouth and I won’t be so nice![]
Chloe was stunned for a moment.
She thought being pregnant gave her license to act however she wanted, but Damon wasn’t putting up with her shit anymore.
Then Damon pulled out a bank card and pushed it toward me guiltily:]
“I’m sorry. You’re right–I should pay you back.”
Chloe lunged for the card like a madwoman
“That card has six hundred fifty thousand- it’s everything we have! You can’t give it to her!”
“What about our babies?r
Damon held her back, and in the struggle he lost it and slapped Chloe again and again:]
Chapter 16
“This is all your fault! If it wasn’t for you, Seraphina and I never would’ve gotten to this point!”
Damon’s rage kept building, and he accidentally shoved Chloe too hard.]
She fell and hit her head on the coffee table, immediately bleeding out and losing consciousness.
She didn’t make it at the hospital. And Damon was arrested for involuntary manslaughter.[]
His last words to me were:[]
“I’m sorry. I never thought it would come to this.”
I never thought it would either. I felt heavy for a while, until I got a text from my husband:[]
[Hey babe, I’m here to pick you up from work!]]
That snapped me back to reality. Yes, I had a new life now–like the rising sun, full of endless possibilities.]
