“You can’t be serious?” She almost fell off the chair. She had a gut feeling not all the money was going toward bills.
“These things are expensive.”
“I don’t have that much.” Lauren thought again about the money in her account. She had worried she wouldn’t eat for a few weeks, but with the amount Belinda was asking for she wouldn’t be able to eat for a year.
“Well,Idon’t have it. I’m broke,” Belinda snapped.
Maybe if Belinda stopped spending money on alcohol and who knew what else she’d have some saved. But why bother saving when she could call Lauren and demand more?
“Why do I have to pay for it all?” she asked, trying hard to stay calm.
“All the years of stress and trouble you caused was what triggered the stroke.”
Lauren laughed harshly. She couldn’t believe Belinda’s accusation. She’d always tried to be the perfect daughter, because then, maybe, her mother would love her. But nothing she did was ever good enough.
“It couldn’t have been all the booze and smokes she loved so much that brought on the stroke?” she asked sarcastically.
“You’re such a bitch, Lauren. You can never do anything wrong. I need the money,”
Belinda spat. “Youbetter pay.”
Lauren rubbed her fingers wearily against her temple. “I told you I don’t have that
much.” Then her eyes flicked down to the business card in the bin. She wished she had a better way of getting the money, but her options were slim to none.
“I can always ask Graham for it. I’m sure his lovely wife would be very interested to hear all about your secret love affair.”
So many times Lauren had been tempted to let Belinda tell the world about the affair. She’d wanted everyone to know what a dirty, cheating snake Graham was. He deserved to lose everything he held dear, just like she had. If only she didn’t care what the outcome would do to her.
If Belinda had gone to the media, she would’ve been paid a generous amount of money for the story. But it would have been a one-off payment. This way, she had Lauren as her personal ATM and access to money whenever she wanted it.
“Do I ask Mr. and Mrs. Stone for the money?” Belinda asked with mocking sweetness.
Lauren glanced back down at Jack’s card. He told her he was prepared to pay whatever she wanted to redecorate his office. It felt like a fist squeezed tight around her chest, and she took a deep breath. She knew what needed to be done.
“I’ll give you the money,” Lauren said, picking the card out of the bin. “But I’m going to need about a month to get it to you.”
“I want it now,” Belinda snapped, sounding desperate for it. Again Lauren wondered how much really was for medical bills and how much was for Belinda.
“I told you I don’t have it, but I can get it. The end of the month is the best I can do. I’ll call you when I have it and arrange a time to drop it off to you. Unless you’d rather I deposit it into your account?”
“I want cash.”
She figured as much.
“I’ll see you in a month.” Lauren hung up.
Chapter Ten
“How dare he fucking do this to me!” Claire flung her bulky luggage onto the cheap, threadbare bedspread covering a squeaky mattress. The bed, with an old, scratched faux timber headboard, dominated the small room. The hotel room she rented had free Foxtel that viewed adult-only channels, and it smelled of stale smoke and sex.
Why did she think Jack was different? Because he was kind and looked at her with love.
But when he’d gotten what he wanted he’d dumped her like rotten garbage.
Pacing the small, cramped room, she ran her hands through her tangled hair, tugging hard at the roots. “Arghh!” she screamed at the peeling wallpaper. “You promised to love me. You said you’d take me away from this life!” She wildly swung her arms around, taking in the cheap room.
Screaming again, she pounded her fists against her temples.
