Page 74 of The Me I Left Behind

Maggie inserted and waited again.

“Same. Declined. You have another way to pay?”

Self-conscious and confused, Maggie tugged the card out of the reader and slipped it back into her wallet. Julia’s words from yesterday rolled around in her head.In case he cuts you off.Dammit! Should she try her debit card? No. She wasn’t supposed to use it for purchases like this. Max would be suspicious. Plus, she wasn’t sure she could take any more embarrassment if that didn’t go through either. “I might have enough cash. How much again?”

“One-hundred-forty-six dollars and sixty-nine cents.”

Maggie checked her wallet.Shit. Only three twenties and some ones. She forced a sigh. “Okay, sorry. Let me pay for two glitters now—the purple one and the green one—and I’ll come back later for the rest. Can I do that?”

“Sure.” The bothered clerk set everything but the two glitters on a counter behind her, then quickly rang up the two bottles. “Eighteen-ninety-six.”

She handed her a twenty.

The girl took it, counted out her change, and handed over the money and her purchase.

“Thanks. Sorry for the card issue. I’ll be back later.”

“Sure. No problem.”

Wrong. There is a problem. A big fucking problem.

Settled into her car,Maggie stared out the windshield, wrapping her brain around what had just happened. Humiliation crept up her neck and heated her cheeks. “Did Max fucking cancel my credit card?”

Immediately, she texted Julia.

Maggie:My credit card won’t work. Declined.

Julia:What?

Maggie:So embarrassed. I didn’t know what to do.

Julia:Call the number on the card. Ask why.

Maggie:Okay.

Julia:Then call me.

Maggie:Will do.

Inhaling deep, she fished the card out of her wallet again, found the number on the back, and called. After several transfers and over twenty minutes on hold, she finally spoke with a human who looked up the card information, and then simply said, “Mrs. Oliver, the person responsible for the account canceled the card. Is there anything else I can do for you before we disconnect?”

“No. Wait.” Maggie pleaded. “Give me a name, please. Who canceled it?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t do that.”

“Excuse me? I’ve had this card for years. My husband is the account holder.” She paused, perhaps for emphasis…or maybebecause she was in shock. “Did my husband fucking cancel this account?”

The silence on the other end went on a lot longer than she would have liked.

“Are you there?”

“Mrs. Oliver, thatcardwas canceled. Not the account. You should probably talk to your husband.”

Well, fuck a goddamn duck.

She ended that call and dialed Julia, who quickly picked up. “What did you find out?”

“Max fucking canceled my card.”