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I jerk away from her so hard, I nearly lose my balance. “Don’t touch me, you bitch.”

“That should be enough to start over,” she says.

“I don't believe you,” I whisper. Peeking into the envelope, I see a check written out to me. No!

I don't want to believe her, but my heart shatters even more, knowing that she knows. Eyes filled with tears, I look up to see her smiling.

“Of course, I knew, dear. Whose idea do you think it was?” She responds to a question that was lodged in my throat.

“It wasn’t about the money for me.” Not anymore. A tear slides down my cheek.

“For him, it wasn’t either. It was about settling a score. And I would say he got more than even when he got what he wanted from you. Don’t be a fool; take the money. He has plenty.” I hate Tess more with every passing word.

I still don't believe her until I take out the check and see his signature scrawled on the bottom.

Benjamin Hamilton.

“Get! Out!” I scream, and my chest and throat ache so bad, I’m certain the shards of glass from my fractured heart must be flying out of my mouth.

Damage done, she prances to the door, gently closing it behind her. The check flutters to the ground as I reach for something to throw. Grabbing the precious coffee carafe, I hurl it after her, and it hits the door with a crash. Shattered glass and hot dripping liquid slide down the heavy wood door.

The rational part of me says wait for Ben. Give him a chance. But the insecure me says…wake up! He signed the check. He was only using you!

They say you can’t buy love. But, he did… he just doesn’t know it yet. And now, he never will.

Falling for him was never part of the arrangement. Neither was sharing his bed. But, I did both.

Now, I’ll be the one paying the price.

I need to figure out what to do about it all… But I need to be alone. I can’t think clearly while surrounded by the scent of him, memories of us curled up watching Netflix, or flashbacks of when he pressed me against that window and conquered me.

I need to get out of here and clear my head. Throwing on my clothes, I grab my bag and head for the park.