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them and lift your skirt.”
    “Fuck off, Jared. I’ll report you to the cops for this.”
    Jared roared. “You’ll tattle to the cops on me?” He shook his head. “Naah. I don’t think so. Considering you’re sleeping with those men for money. That’s prostitution, baby cake. Do you know what they do to whores like you? They put ‘em in the slammer.”
    She tightened her lips. He couldn’t treat her like this. She didn’t want to hear Jared’s crap any longer. Not after the years she’d had to put up with his shit. She unlocked the car door with the remote. Jared slipped in front of her, blocking her way.
    “Get lost. I’ll swear I’ll call the cops.”
    Jared blew her a mocking kiss. “One more thing, sugar pop. Remember the fun video we made when we spent the weekend on the Waterstone’s cabin?”
    Sam blinked.
    “Our honeymoon video?” Jared reminded her. “I’ll load it up on the internet before I call your momma. That is if you can’t come up with the two hundred K.”
    “You can’t do this to me.” She felt numb. What Jared threatened to do was unspeakable. Her mother had a weak heart and was a devout Christian—she would have a heart attack.
    “Oh yes, I totally can, Sam. You got three days. Cash only this time. No cheque.”
    “Why are you doing this? You got your money!”
    “For a measly seventy-five K? Why should I get only seventy-five thousand when you get to live in the big house with a fucking butler and ride in a stinking Mercedes? It ain’t fair, Sam. I think two hundred thousand should cover my expenses nicely. I deserve the money, Sam.”
    Sam couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Jared had always been an asshole, but this time he had hit an all-time low. She had to hold on to the hood of the car to steady herself. It was too much.
    “Three days, Sam. I’ll call you where to meet me with the money.” Jared bared his cigarette-stained teeth and stalked off. He wandered to the end of the parking lot and climbed into the truck that she had paid off with her salary. He waved at her as he drove off.
    Her hand trembled as she settled behind the wheel. The shopping bag lay near her feet.
    Why?
    Why is he doing this to me?
    Tears leaked down her cheeks. Her chest felt constricted. She covered her face with her hands and cried. She wanted to be strong—she had always been strong—but this time, she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t go to Adam or David. That was unimaginable. But she couldn’t bear the thought of Jared going to her mother and telling her what she had been doing.
    And that video…
    Oh God. They’d made the video when they had been in love. It was their honeymoon, after all. She’d thought it was cute, taping their intimate moments together. It was years ago. She was surprised they still had it. God. How could she have forgotten about the video? When she’d packed Jared’s things and thrown him out of the house, she hadn’t thought about the tape. And now, that jackass was going to use the video against her.
    She would send her mother to an early grave for this.
    Someone knocked on her window.
    Sam startled, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
    A man who had parked his car next to the Mercedes mouthed, “Are you okay?”
    She nodded furiously and mouthed back, “I’m okay, I’m okay.”
    Somehow, the man didn’t look convinced.
    She put the Walgreens plastic bag on the passenger seat and quickly shoved the key in the ignition. As she drove out of the parking lot, she slowly gathered her wits. She couldn’t let Jared ruin her.
    She had to put an end to his bullshit.
    Permanently.

    * * * *

    Sam went back to the mansion before noon and headed straight to her bedroom. She locked the door and jumped into the shower. She turned it on. She needed to think. And fast. She always took a shower whenever she needed refuge. The bathroom had been her sanctuary when she’d still been married to Jared. That bastard rarely bugged her when she was in