Page 96 of Anyone But You

“Depressed, anxious, stressed—you name it. We should get you a therapist as soon as possible.”

I sighed, and my shoulders nearly sagged to the ground. “Knox and I had discussed going to therapy. Add it to the list.”

“I know what can fix most of your problems.”

“What?”

“Quit your job.”

My body went rigid.

Quit my job? I can’t do that.

“No.”

“Literally quitting your job will resolve most of your issues. You’ll have more time in the day to focus on what matters: self-care, your friends, and your mother.”

“I can’t leave my job. What about Knox?” Amelia frowned and chewed her bottom lip as if she were looking for a way to put something delicately and still have her job. “You may speak freely.”

She heaved a sigh of relief. “He doesn’t matter.” My eyes widened from the unexpected response. “Don’t look at me like that, Victoria.Youmatter. You already saved the man’s life, and now you need to save yourself. The two of you have an obvious codependency, which isn’t abnormal given your situation. I don’t know much about your life before the crash, but if I hadto guess, the two of you were codependent on each other back then. Mr. Ramsey doesn’t need you to babysit him; he can function without you. You two need to learn how to function independently.”

“You may no longer speak freely,” I joked through a sniffle. She grinned widely, showing off a dazzling smile that made me feel better. Despite her preppy and fluffy appearance, she kept it real.

“Don’t think about tomorrow, Victoria. Let’s just get through today.”

I nodded.

“Now, take a minute to gather yourself, and join me in the foyer,” she demanded before leaving my crybaby ass in the pantry.

My stomach curled into a tight ball of nerves. I’d already had my share of bitchy mother-in-laws and prayed I’d catch a lucky break with Lorena Ramsey.

30

Knoxovanni

Knox

My phone vibrated on my desk right as I tapped the golf ball into the tipped coffee mug.

Polly Pocket:Your mother is 5 minutes out.

I sighed and rotated the golf club in my hand, stalling for time.

I was anxious because Lorena Ramsey was a little high-strung. She’d either welcome Victoria with open arms or dismiss her without a second glance. The truth was, my mother would be wary of any woman after Naomi’s failed murder-for-hire plot, and she wasn’t thrilled when I told her about our engagement. But what my mother had to realize was that Victoria was genuine and would take the direct approach and murder me with her stapler to my face.

“Here goes nothing,” I muttered, returning my putter to my golf bag and eventually joining Victoria, who was pacing in thefoyer. “Amelia, can you explain to me why you made my wife cry?” I said when I noticed Victoria’s red, swollen eyes.

A gasp ripped out of her, and her phone dropped to the floor. “I-I-not me! You!” she stammered.

“Me?” I asked, pointing at myself. “I don’t see how. I’ve been on my best behavior.”

“Notyou,” Amelia responded, seeming to recover. “Butyou,” she said, flailing her arms about as she tried to get her point across. “Victoria is crying because she’s overwhelmed, overworked, and underpaid.”

“Severely underpaid,” Victoria chimed in.

“Underpaid?” I muttered in disbelief. “That woman’s benefits package is through the roof. She’s overpaid if you ask me.”

“You would overlook overwhelmed and overworked,” she mumbled. “Mr. Ramsey, Victoria is in a delicate position right now. Maybe you should speak to her.”