Chapter Four

TESSA’S POV

A whole week had passed since the incident. Everyone at work knew about it, and I couldn’t escape the stares that seemed to follow me wherever I went.

“What are you doing sitting around?” Madame Victoria barked at me. “There’s a table in need of a waitress—I didn’t hire you to occupy space.”

Victoria wasn’t just rude, she was the kind of woman who seemed to enjoy making people miserable. I’d learned to steer clear of her, but she seemed to have a problem with just about everyone.

I expected, just for once, to be cut some slack—especially since she knew what had happened—but I should’ve known better. She was far too unsympathetic to care about anything except her business. 

“I’m Tessa, and I’ll be your waitress…”

My words trailed off as I realized who it was. Kelvin. 

My eyes had been on my notebook—I didn’t realize it was him. Anger flared inside me at the sight of him.

I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my wrist.

“Tessa, please wait. I need to talk to you. All those things I said on the phone, I didn’t mean any of them…”

Before he could finish, I spun around and slapped him hard. His face registered pure shock before he finally let go of me.

At that moment, I didn’t think about the job I was probably about to lose or the crowd of people watching me hit a ‘customer.’

The restaurant had gone silent, and all eyes were on us. I spotted Bree moving toward me.

I pulled off my apron, dropped it on a nearby table, and then took off.

Tears streamed down my face as I hurried to the parking lot.

“Tessy!” Bree called, and I finally stopped, letting her catch up.

“I just need to take a break. Could you cover for me?” I asked, even though I knew the chances of Madame Victoria letting me stay on after what happened were slim. Bree nodded.

“Don’t do anything rash, okay?”

I could see the worry in her eyes, and I felt guilty for pulling Bree into all this mess.

“Of course,” I agreed, and then she hugged me tightly.

I headed to my rundown car, parked just outside the restaurant, and hopped in, driving straight home.

Perhaps I should be grateful that I hadn’t married a man like Kelvin. Yet it didn’t hurt any less.

. 

I walked into my apartment, and the first thing I noticed was the couches—overturned, it was like a tornado had passed through the place.

I stood there, trying to make sense of the chaos.

And then it hit me.

No.

No, no, no.

I hurried to my room, heart racing, and there it was.

The drawer—the very one where I’d kept my college savings—had been broken open. All the money I’d worked so hard for since high school had been tucked away in that jar, locked securely inside the drawer. Now, the jar sat on the floor... empty.

“Mom!” I called. “Mom!” I cried out, louder this time.

There was no response.

Her clothes were gone too.

She lied. She lied once again, and this time she had taken along all I had with her.

She never did plan to leave the drugs, did she?