motherfucker who works for her. I’m the one busting my butt trying to get the house finished, the one who has to deal with the two of them. You don’t. So, fucking don’t.”
Helen kept her voice low and even. “I can email her if I want to, Monty, and I can call her if I want to.”
“I forbid you to. How’s that? She’s my bitchy sister, not yours. She’s not Dawn. Dawn the bitch, just a different kind—”
Helen’s eyes narrowed and her jaw set. “Leave Dawn out of it!”
“Ah, but you’ve called Dawn, haven’t you? What did the Smart One say? Huh? Did she tell you to write to Candace, to request a meeting?”
“No!”
“Right,” said Monty. “I really believe that. You know, I don’t much care anyway. She and Frank can go screw each other in married bliss, and never get a kid—”
“I said leave her out of this!”
“How did she take the news? Was she jealous? Why don’t we just let her have this one? We don’t need another kid anyway, that’s for sure.”
Helen backed away. “I can’t be around you. I’m going to go take care of our daughter.”
He grabbed her above the elbow, holding onto her, his large hand closing around her bony left arm. “Let me go,” she said quietly, her eyes filling with hate and fury. Then she pulled away slowly, but he tightened his grip and drew her back toward him in a snap. Her side was to him now, and her tender breast of early pregnancy hit against him slightly, just enough to evince pain. She let out a small gasp.
“Where were you this evening?” he asked in a low tone. “Why didn’t you answer my text?”
“My phone died.”
“Bullshit. Tell me where you were.” Now he had both of her upper arms in his grip as they stood facing each other. “Tell me.”
Helen took a deep breath. “The bank.”
Monty’s voice was harsh and menacing. “That’s not true. The bank closes at five.”
“I wasn’t at our bank.”
“Memorial, then? Where that cunt Whitney Jamison works? The loan officer?”
“No,” Helen said. “American Trust Bank. I opened an account.”
“Why? Why did you open an account?” Monty let go of her, pushing her back. “Did you switch ours?”
“No. I just—Monty, I make the money, and I’m going to manage it, from now on.”
“What are you talking about?” He was staring at her now, his eyes wide.
“I’m taking over our finances. I’m having my paychecks deposited in my own account, and I’m paying our bills out of it myself, online. You don’t have to do it anymore.” She sucked in a breath, waiting.
“Well, this had to be Dawn’s bright idea. Dawn, who couldn’t stand me from the get-go.”
“It doesn’t matter. When you start bringing home an income, when you come clean with me on the house and the finances, we can talk about being a team again. Meanwhile, I’ve gotta manage the money I make, and this household’s budget. I’m gonna start paying the bills. At the very least.”
Monty gritted his teeth. “Whatever, Helen. We’re still a team. We’re in this together , like it or not. You paying the bills isn’t going to change anything. However, the money we make belongs to both of us, not just to you—”
“You don’t make any money!”
“Not currently, but when I sell the house, I will, and that money will belong to both of us. If we’re still married, that is. What we need right now is the funds from my sister to get the damn place finished, so we can sell it! You’re such a goddamn idiot. But then I always knew you were a stupid cow.”
“Go ahead and insult me, if it makes you feel good—”
“And you go ahead and have your little meeting with what’s-his-fucking-name. David. See if you can get them to be reasonable—being pregnant should help. I’ve already dealt with Whitney, and she’s been in touch with them. All she needs is for Candace to sign off on it. So you go on Monday, alone. I have all of them where I want them. Candace will agree to pay the bank
Helen kept her voice low and even. “I can email her if I want to, Monty, and I can call her if I want to.”
“I forbid you to. How’s that? She’s my bitchy sister, not yours. She’s not Dawn. Dawn the bitch, just a different kind—”
Helen’s eyes narrowed and her jaw set. “Leave Dawn out of it!”
“Ah, but you’ve called Dawn, haven’t you? What did the Smart One say? Huh? Did she tell you to write to Candace, to request a meeting?”
“No!”
“Right,” said Monty. “I really believe that. You know, I don’t much care anyway. She and Frank can go screw each other in married bliss, and never get a kid—”
“I said leave her out of this!”
“How did she take the news? Was she jealous? Why don’t we just let her have this one? We don’t need another kid anyway, that’s for sure.”
Helen backed away. “I can’t be around you. I’m going to go take care of our daughter.”
He grabbed her above the elbow, holding onto her, his large hand closing around her bony left arm. “Let me go,” she said quietly, her eyes filling with hate and fury. Then she pulled away slowly, but he tightened his grip and drew her back toward him in a snap. Her side was to him now, and her tender breast of early pregnancy hit against him slightly, just enough to evince pain. She let out a small gasp.
“Where were you this evening?” he asked in a low tone. “Why didn’t you answer my text?”
“My phone died.”
“Bullshit. Tell me where you were.” Now he had both of her upper arms in his grip as they stood facing each other. “Tell me.”
Helen took a deep breath. “The bank.”
Monty’s voice was harsh and menacing. “That’s not true. The bank closes at five.”
“I wasn’t at our bank.”
“Memorial, then? Where that cunt Whitney Jamison works? The loan officer?”
“No,” Helen said. “American Trust Bank. I opened an account.”
“Why? Why did you open an account?” Monty let go of her, pushing her back. “Did you switch ours?”
“No. I just—Monty, I make the money, and I’m going to manage it, from now on.”
“What are you talking about?” He was staring at her now, his eyes wide.
“I’m taking over our finances. I’m having my paychecks deposited in my own account, and I’m paying our bills out of it myself, online. You don’t have to do it anymore.” She sucked in a breath, waiting.
“Well, this had to be Dawn’s bright idea. Dawn, who couldn’t stand me from the get-go.”
“It doesn’t matter. When you start bringing home an income, when you come clean with me on the house and the finances, we can talk about being a team again. Meanwhile, I’ve gotta manage the money I make, and this household’s budget. I’m gonna start paying the bills. At the very least.”
Monty gritted his teeth. “Whatever, Helen. We’re still a team. We’re in this together , like it or not. You paying the bills isn’t going to change anything. However, the money we make belongs to both of us, not just to you—”
“You don’t make any money!”
“Not currently, but when I sell the house, I will, and that money will belong to both of us. If we’re still married, that is. What we need right now is the funds from my sister to get the damn place finished, so we can sell it! You’re such a goddamn idiot. But then I always knew you were a stupid cow.”
“Go ahead and insult me, if it makes you feel good—”
“And you go ahead and have your little meeting with what’s-his-fucking-name. David. See if you can get them to be reasonable—being pregnant should help. I’ve already dealt with Whitney, and she’s been in touch with them. All she needs is for Candace to sign off on it. So you go on Monday, alone. I have all of them where I want them. Candace will agree to pay the bank
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