thout being fired, without crying in the bathroom, and without poisoni

desk outside Lucius' of

a new one landed at the top of her inbox. The

specially since he would just use the intercom if he ne

d overthink it. Already bracing herself for another carefully worded humiliation dressed up in f

a week and you're still here, which is more than I expected....Since Patricia was the only one who

n a third time just to be sure her

door....It was closed, as usual.

d over her desk and pointed out that s

he had scolded, as if she personally set something on fire and gla

uble her agreed salary and c

whispered in awe s

icked up her phone, because somehow

nt him a simple, polite message four days ago, just trying to introduce herself proper

the screen, lips

ognized her effort and doubled her pay. Meanwhile the stranger she had l

e has some decency," she muttered. Then imme

one face down and

....

. He was back from work and on his third glass

some different excuses of "I've been busy" until even he got tired of hearing it. Grandma Mabel didn't push loudly, she had never neede

f frustration, he had to do this once and for all.

. He didn't overthink it, after all he h

set some g

ely on a mutual basis.

reet. No one el

less necessary, I'll h

red your father's debt

glass, and felt the particular satisfaction of a

calling him every morning like a disappointed alarm clock, they could simply ex

......

htub with both feet in the tub of warm w

ng, assuming it was Nessa as

ghost husband....as

and wetting her shorts. She read the message, and re read it ag

be kidding me," she

hip with a man whose face she had never seen. And worse of all the 'Don't ask for more money.' ru

d on DON'T. The n

towel, and started typing with the kind of energy that came

r. This arrangement works for me. Don't worry, I won't be a burde

, but conti

not my father. So I'm not a gold digger. I was

send button for half a se

lked into some arrangement hoping to leech off a rich stranger. Life happened to her, and she had to grab the one r

es and organize them alpha

...

reply with his whiskey halfway down

r maybe a nervous reply, h

y to the loan shark, not my father. So I'm not a gold dig

rprise. She seems to be very

ey wanted something from him, using sweetness and flattery.

essage, "She's defin

already knew who it was

a," he

oom like she was sitting right beside him. "Ha

rubbing his left brow. "We've

ed, like she was pleased with something. "Good," she murmu

nd complain about his supposed 'wif

e said and hung up before s

lady he had never met, who had just scold

s he would ever care about this sassy