“I won’t buy anything if she’s working here. Fire
her, and then I’ll buy all of this.”
Mark crossed his arms, smiling.
He was trying to make me look bad.
Fine by me.
I stepped back and called another employee to
assist them.
Mark and Tiffany finally left.
Tiffany came back and said that I was the only
one who could help her.
We went into the dressing room, and Tiffany
<
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SLASTAN
97
wwws
We went into the dressing room, and Tiffany
took my hand, placing it on her stomach.
I could feel the baby kicking inside.
I momentarily zoned out.
“Rainey, I hate you. You’ve always been better
than me, smarter and prettier. Even your
boyfriends were better than mine. Why?”
“I’m going to drag you down to hell. I’m going to
make you suffer.”
Before I could react, she stiffened her legs and
fell backwards.
“Mark! Help!”
The door burst open, and Mark ran to her,
screaming.
“Rainey, you’re insane! You can’t have kids, so
4.1211
9:53
you won’t let anyone else have them?”
“You’re evil!”
I stood there, stunned, hurt by his words.
Blood was running down her legs, and Tiffany
was sweating.
She had planned all of this.
I felt awful, remembering the abortion, the pain.
“Mark, I had a kid once, I’m the only one who
understands what it’s like to want a kid. Do you
really think I would hurt her?”
His eyes turned red.
I remembered the cries on the day I was getting
the abortion. He comforted me back then, but
now?
<
9:53
Tiffany grabbed his arm, and said softly,
“Rainey; it’s okay. Maybe I should have not
loved him so much.”
She started convulsing, and they took her away
in an ambulance.
Mark made sure I was fired.
I started wandering the streets, reading the
texts from my in–laws.
I blocked them all.
Tiffany’s injuries were serious.
I found out that Mark had used all of his
connections to hire a gynecologist to save Tiffany and the baby.
I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
<
He had made excuses to work during the
abortion.
I had barely made it home when Mark grabbed
me and forced me into his car.
My head slammed into the window.
“Rainey, the whole family is furious. You need
to apologize to Tiffany!”
But I didn’t do it.
Tiffany had set me up.
Mark stared into my eyes and sighed. “Do you
have to be so stubborn? All you have to do is
apologize, is that really too much to ask?”
But my reputation was on the line.
“I will not apologize for something I didn’t do.”
く
He drove me to the hospital, where Tiffany was
laying with a weak smile.
“Rainey, the baby is alive, and I don’t blame
you. I knew you couldn’t be a mother yourself,
so you wanted to sabotage me.”
Mark held her hand.
“You shouldn’t have been related to someone
like that.”
I tried to stay strong.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to apologize. You
can have the divorce papers in three days.”
Ignoring their calls, I left.
Three days later, I was standing in front of the
courthouse.
“Tiffany’s going to have the baby in a few
..
months, and you can’t have children at all. I’ll
take care of both of you.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
Mark seemed confused.
97
“Maybe you should consider whether it’s really your kid.”
He grabbed my arm. “What’s that supposed to
mean?”
Chapter 2
I just gave him this knowing look, like, “You wish you knew.”
Then I turned and walked away, divorce papers
in hand.
With that done, there was no reason to stick
around.
I told my parents about the divorce and decided
to move back home with Princess.
Tiffany’s parents died when she was young. My
folks treated her like their own daughter, always
giving her the best stuff first.
