disappear with it.”
“You did the right thing by giving it to me.” But inside she fumed. What was Richard thinking giving
Carla something valuable for safekeeping? He knew she suspected the woman of taking her diamond
watch.
Then a horrible thought occurred to her. She marched to her jewelry hutch and threw open the doors.
Carla gasped. “Where’s all your jewelry?”
Octavia’s eyes narrowed. “I was about to ask you the same thing.” She had her exclusive jewels with
her, but even her second-tier jewelry was pretty darn valuable.
The woman’s eyes widened and she began to back up. “I — I didn’t take anything, Mrs. Habersham. I
swear, I would never do that.”
Octavia believed her — dammit. Because she had a feeling Richard had cleaned out her jewelry box
along with his own...and considering the state of their finances, he was probably the culprit behind her
missing watch, too. It was like a kick in her veneered teeth.
“Don’t worry, Carla. I believe you.” She rummaged through what was left of the jewelry and came up
with a modest pair of diamond stud earrings — the kind one might wear grocery shopping — and put them
in Carla’s hand. “Thank you for your help and your service.”
“I couldn’t take these,” Carla protested.
“You can and you will.” Octavia tilted her jewelry hutch forward and emptied the loose baubles into an
empty purse. “It’s the least I can do for you carrying all these bags down to my sister’s van. If you hurry,
you can get them all loaded before that enormous truck leaves, so the neighbors won’t see you.”
Carla surveyed the mound of suitcases and bulging bags with a watery smile, but she nodded and
tucked the earrings into a pocket.
Octavia dropped the mysterious padded envelope into the purse along with the jewelry to deal with
later. On the way out of the house, she picked up the unopened mail lying on a foyer table and stuffed it
inside, too — one of the envelopes might contain a check.
Tears pricked her eyelids as she drank in the details of the extravagant home she’d so painstakingly put
together, candlestick by candlestick. She refused to cry — this wasn’t the end...she simply wouldn’t let it
be.
But her hatred for Richard was growing by the moment. Leaving her was one thing, but leaving her
exposed like this was simply unforgivable.
He. Would. Pay.
Chapter Ten
“SEE, I TOLD YOU it would all fit,” Octavia said as Linda slid the van door closed.
“Barely.” Linda bit her lip as she surveyed how low the loaded van sat on its worn out tires. “Have you
seen my home? I don’t know where we’re going to put all this stuff.”
“It’s temporary,” her sister assured her. “Now let’s get out of here before that big-ass truck leaves.”
Octavia hopped into the passenger seat and slammed the door.
Linda looked down at Max, who looked up at her. “Come on.” She led him around to Octavia’s door
and rapped on the window.
Octavia cracked open the door. “What?”
Linda gestured to the bags overflowing between the two front seats. “Max is going to have to sit on your
lap.”
“No way.”
“Yes way, unless you want to drive.”
Octavia frowned. “I refuse to drive a minivan.”
Linda patted the seat next to Octavia. “Up, Max.”
The dog obeyed and she settled him across her sister’s lap under much protest. Linda smiled to herself
as she circled back to climb into the driver’s seat. She started the engine. “So what’s going on? Are you
leaving Richard?”
“No. I’m merely leaving my house.” Octavia shifted under the weight of an unwieldy Max and made a
face. “It seems we’ve been foreclosed on.”
Linda’s mouth dropped in shock. “Foreclosed?”
“My CPA will handle everything,” Octavia said with a dismissive wave. “I’m sure it’s a matter of
crossed paperwork or something. Now let’s get going.”
Linda hoped she would be so calm when her house was
“You did the right thing by giving it to me.” But inside she fumed. What was Richard thinking giving
Carla something valuable for safekeeping? He knew she suspected the woman of taking her diamond
watch.
Then a horrible thought occurred to her. She marched to her jewelry hutch and threw open the doors.
Carla gasped. “Where’s all your jewelry?”
Octavia’s eyes narrowed. “I was about to ask you the same thing.” She had her exclusive jewels with
her, but even her second-tier jewelry was pretty darn valuable.
The woman’s eyes widened and she began to back up. “I — I didn’t take anything, Mrs. Habersham. I
swear, I would never do that.”
Octavia believed her — dammit. Because she had a feeling Richard had cleaned out her jewelry box
along with his own...and considering the state of their finances, he was probably the culprit behind her
missing watch, too. It was like a kick in her veneered teeth.
“Don’t worry, Carla. I believe you.” She rummaged through what was left of the jewelry and came up
with a modest pair of diamond stud earrings — the kind one might wear grocery shopping — and put them
in Carla’s hand. “Thank you for your help and your service.”
“I couldn’t take these,” Carla protested.
“You can and you will.” Octavia tilted her jewelry hutch forward and emptied the loose baubles into an
empty purse. “It’s the least I can do for you carrying all these bags down to my sister’s van. If you hurry,
you can get them all loaded before that enormous truck leaves, so the neighbors won’t see you.”
Carla surveyed the mound of suitcases and bulging bags with a watery smile, but she nodded and
tucked the earrings into a pocket.
Octavia dropped the mysterious padded envelope into the purse along with the jewelry to deal with
later. On the way out of the house, she picked up the unopened mail lying on a foyer table and stuffed it
inside, too — one of the envelopes might contain a check.
Tears pricked her eyelids as she drank in the details of the extravagant home she’d so painstakingly put
together, candlestick by candlestick. She refused to cry — this wasn’t the end...she simply wouldn’t let it
be.
But her hatred for Richard was growing by the moment. Leaving her was one thing, but leaving her
exposed like this was simply unforgivable.
He. Would. Pay.
Chapter Ten
“SEE, I TOLD YOU it would all fit,” Octavia said as Linda slid the van door closed.
“Barely.” Linda bit her lip as she surveyed how low the loaded van sat on its worn out tires. “Have you
seen my home? I don’t know where we’re going to put all this stuff.”
“It’s temporary,” her sister assured her. “Now let’s get out of here before that big-ass truck leaves.”
Octavia hopped into the passenger seat and slammed the door.
Linda looked down at Max, who looked up at her. “Come on.” She led him around to Octavia’s door
and rapped on the window.
Octavia cracked open the door. “What?”
Linda gestured to the bags overflowing between the two front seats. “Max is going to have to sit on your
lap.”
“No way.”
“Yes way, unless you want to drive.”
Octavia frowned. “I refuse to drive a minivan.”
Linda patted the seat next to Octavia. “Up, Max.”
The dog obeyed and she settled him across her sister’s lap under much protest. Linda smiled to herself
as she circled back to climb into the driver’s seat. She started the engine. “So what’s going on? Are you
leaving Richard?”
“No. I’m merely leaving my house.” Octavia shifted under the weight of an unwieldy Max and made a
face. “It seems we’ve been foreclosed on.”
Linda’s mouth dropped in shock. “Foreclosed?”
“My CPA will handle everything,” Octavia said with a dismissive wave. “I’m sure it’s a matter of
crossed paperwork or something. Now let’s get going.”
Linda hoped she would be so calm when her house was
Similar Books
