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“Bitch?” Abagail said, the word filled with disgust. “Is that what you were going to call her?”

“I-I-I…” Warren stuttered.

“That’s no way to talk to your fiancée.” Abagail’s lips pressed together before pursing out. It was the only sign that she was truly disturbed by what she’d just witnessed.

Nicola’s heart raced. Abagail had never been on her side before, and this was no different. Abagail was scolding Warren, but it wasn’t for Nicola’s benefit.

“She’s not my fiancée, Aunt Abagail.” Warren tilted his head down thoroughly scolded.

“She’s not?” Abagail’s gaze landed on Nicola, and a rush raced through her, like it did every time she ended up in Abagail’s direct gaze. But just like before, this rush came with a pang of fear in it. “Then why is she here?”

There.

That’s why Nicola was afraid. Abagail held the reins on absolutely everything in this family, and it was a death grip. She’d seen it in action more times than she cared to admit. Perhaps that was Warren’s problem. He didn’t have the money. Abagail did. Which meant that he couldn’t actually give her the cash that he’d promised.

“She’s supposed to give me Nana’s ring back.” Warren pointed at her like she was a witch on trial and he was going to burn her at the stake.

Nicola bit the inside of her cheek and took a steadying breath. There was only one way to work around this. “I am supposed to give it back. We had an agreement, and once Warren holds up his end of the bargain, he’ll have the ring back in his skinny little fingers.”

Abagail’s lips twitched. Was that the beginnings of a smile on her lips? Nicola had to hold herself in check.

“When that happens, I’ll gladly give the ring back.”

Abagail hummed, her gaze drawn away from Nicola to something—or someone—behind her. The hairs on the back of Nicola’s neck went up immediately and she held her breath. The perfume that reached her nostrils was so familiar, and her stomach clenched at the thought. Sure enough, as soon as she turned, she found none other than Chaya. She swayed her hips,a smirk on her lips, as she walked right by Nicola and planted herself on Warren’s arm.

“Sorry I’m late, love.”

Love?If Nicola didn’t watch herself, her eyes were going to bug out in shock and surprise.

“Don’t worry about it.” Warren dropped a kiss into Chaya’s hair.

Right, so he had already moved on. Or perhaps he’d moved on well before he’d actually gotten the nerve to dump Nicola. How long had they been fucking behind her back? Warren put his arm around Chaya’s waist and tugged her in sharply. He’d done that with Nicola more times than she cared to count. She’d loved it when they were together. Now she just saw it for what it was—possessive assholery.

“What are you doing here,Nicola?” Chaya whined out her name, making shivers run up her spine.

“You know? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” Nicola gripped her purse strap tightly. “It really doesn’t matter in the long run, does it?” She looked from Warren to Chaya to Abagail to Estelle. They all hated her. They’d hated her from the very start. She began to turn away but stopped short. “Warren, I expect that check you promised me.”

Without another word, she walked out of the house. The air outside was cool, exactly what she needed to fill her lungs with. The weight in her purse was heavy from the ring, and she didn’t even know what to do with it now. She’d give Warren a few more times to give her a check for it, but then what? She’d hate to sell it since it was a family heirloom.

Running her fingers through her hair, Nicola shuffled her feet against the cement as she made her way out toward the street. The houses here were few and far between, and there weren’t neighbors immediately nearby. Nicola wiped the tears that streaked down her cheeks as she set her shoulders. Shecould do this. She could pick her life back up and make it exactly what she wanted it to be.

Right?

Wasn’t that the American dream?

Except she’d had the rug pulled out from under her more times than she could believe. This was just another one of those times. And she’d find her way to stand back up on her own two feet. All she needed was time. And unfortunately, time wasn’t something she had.

Turning down the street, Nicola walked to her old run-down car that barely worked anymore. She’d parked far away from the house, not only because of the cars that were already lining the driveway and the street, but because Warren had never wanted proof of her poverty to be on display for the neighbors to see. Tossing her purse into the passenger seat, Nicola’s heart thundered.

The rain was heavy now, and her dress and hair were getting wetter by the second. But what the hell did it matter? She needed to find a job that paid better, and she needed to get cash fast. How hard could that be? Really. She had work experience, even if she didn’t have an education to bolster it. Sliding into the driver’s seat, Nicola rifled through her purse to find her keys. Her hands trembled as she slid the key into the ignition and turned it.

The car stuttered.

She closed her eyes and pressed her head to the steering wheel. This was the last thing she needed. She couldnotget stuck at her ex-fiancé’s house like this. She wouldn’t be able to bear it. And it wasn’t like she had anyone to call. She’d given up her life when she’d decided to marry Warren, and she hadn’t even realized it. She’d given up her friends, her family—everyone who mattered. Not that she had that many friends to begin with.

The only people she had left were her baby sister and her Aunt Simone.

Nicola sat back up and tried to relax her shoulders. She could do this. She could get what she needed from Warren to get her life back on track and then never look back at him again. And she wouldn’t put up with the damn embarrassment any longer. She was tired of his shenanigans. She bit her lip as she turned the key in the ignition, listening to the engine splutter as it turned over and tried to start.