She swept a glance around the room and pressed a hand over her nose.
"I'm Charlotte Matthews. Name your price. How much to walk away from Kent."
Her eyes landed on me, full of contempt.
I let out a scornful laugh.
"How much? A mistress, and you think you get to say that to me?"
Charlotte's face twisted for a second, then smoothed right back over.
"Don't flatter yourself, granny. Understand this. Wherever a man's money goes, that's where his love is."
"And every time he leaves this place he feels like he's been dragged through the gutter. He goes home and scrubs himself for an hour."
I stepped closer and stared her down.
"And then? If he's so disgusted by me, why hasn't he broken it off?"
Her expression went dark in an instant. One hand clamped around my arm, and with the other she swung at me, hard.
Crack.
I turned my face with it, my cheek burning.
Before she could react, I caught her wrist and swung back with everything I had.
"Philippa! What do you think you're doing?!"
The furious shout came, and in the same breath I was kicked flying.
I bit down hard on my lip, a savage pain tearing through my ribs.
Kent walked up to me, his eyes cold and hard.
"Who said you could touch her? I told you, if you've got a problem, take it up with me!"
He looked at me doubled over in pain, and something like guilt flickered in his eyes.
"Pippa, Charlotte's young, she doesn't know any better. Can't you cut her a little slack?"
"Do you really have to make such a big deal out of it?"
I forced the words out through my teeth.
"I'm making a big deal…"
Before I could finish, a slap knocked me to the floor.
"You actually dared to hit me just now?"
Charlotte's face was twisted with rage as she raised her foot and stomped down on me, again and again.
Kent gave me one pained look, then turned his face away.
Fists and feet rained down all over me, until I felt like I was coming apart.
It was a while before Kent finally came over to pull Charlotte off.
"Pippa, don't blame me for this."
"You're too strong. You're like a hardwood tree. No matter what, you'll survive."
"But Charlotte's different. She's a flower raised in a greenhouse. She's never been hit in her life. If she doesn't get to hit back, she'll be upset."
It was a long time before I managed to lift my head from the floor.
"So you think I should not only pretend I don't know about the two of you, I should stand there and take the hits and the insults without a word?"
I laughed, and the tears ran down anyway.
"That's right. What else?"
Charlotte's eyes were pure contempt.
"You didn't actually think you could take Kent away from me, did you?"
And with that she backhanded me across the face again.
Ignoring the blood at the corner of my mouth, I looked at Kent.
"You think so too, don't you?"
Something tightened in Kent's chest.
"That's not it, Pippa…"
He didn't get to finish. My voice was hoarse when I cut him off.
"Enough, you don't have to say anything. I understand now."
"All of it is my own fault. Kent, let's break up."
"Break up? Dumped is more like it."
Charlotte pulled out a wad of cash and threw it in my face.
"From Kent, through me. Five years of you, and this is all it's worth."
I gave Kent one long look, then braced myself against the wall and got to my feet.
I went to drag my suitcase over, and Kent grabbed my wrist.
"Pippa, if you're willing, I can get you a new place. A whole other apartment."
I saw the certainty in his eyes.
He thought I couldn't bear to leave him. But someone else had already been waiting a long time for me, and I didn't want to keep him waiting anymore.
I slapped Kent hard across the face and walked out, limping.
Two days later, Kent went to my company to find me. He figured by now I'd have cooled off, just like every other time.
"Philippa? She quit two days ago."
The receptionist gave him an odd look.
Kent's breath caught. He remembered what I'd said before.
The color drained from his face, and he turned and rushed out without looking back.
