Chapter 95: Chapter 95

GRACE I have to pinch my arm as I leave the story with Lina.

Because I’m pretty sure I must be dreaming.

Lina too seems shocked.

“That really happened, right?” she asks.

I nod and hold up the check with its many zeroes. There’s cursing and muttering from the women and Sean is still trying to calm them. The sales team is also in chaos. The manager chases after us.

“Ma’am, please, let us help you. Come back and let us complete your purchase.”

“Thanks, but no,” Lina answers for me. Then she says, “Dude, didn’t you ever see Pretty Woman!?”

I laugh and drag her away. “Did you really just reference an old Julia Roberts movie? You do realize you’re comparing me to a prostitute, right?”

She laughs uproariously.

I shake my head.

I didn’t mean to get under their skin. It was petty and unnecessary and I’d only wanted Sean to feel shameful for a few brief seconds.

But he called my bluff and carried through with it.

And now I had a four million dollar check in my hand.

Sean isn’t a wealthy man by accident. He’s very stingy—when he isn’t trying to outdo himself for appearances.

"Grace, don't you think it's a little weird? Sean wrote you a huge check and gave it to you without hesitation. Lily was present too! Isn't he afraid his ‘fiancee’ will lose her shit?"

"It is quite strange," I say neutrally.

“Uh, does Sean still like you?” Lina asks.

Grace shrugs. “No, I don’t think that’s it.”

“Grace, he just spent an obscene amount of money on you.”

“True. But I don’t think it’s affection that prompted it. I don’t even think it’s ego. Sean’s too cheap for that. I think it’s fear. It seems that he is afraid that I will get mad at Zoe and then do harm to the Stevens Family.”

Hearing this, Lina scoffs. "Isn't he thinking too much into it?"

"Who knows?”

"What are you going to do with that anyway?” Lina gestures to the check I’m holding. “Are you going to tear it up? Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see you spend it on yourself. It’s the least that piece of shit can do, after how he and that trash Lily treated you. But something tells me you won’t be taking that to the bank.”

“No. I won’t.”

Lina shakes her head. “You’re just going to tear it up? Please don’t be that noble. These are filthy rich werewolves…the only thing they really care about is money. Hit ‘em where it hurts.”

“No. Why tear it up? I'll just donate it to someone who needs it," I say then I carefully put the check into my bag.

Lina beams. “That’s more like it!” Then she sighs. “That prick will probably use it as a tax write-off.”

We laugh, and just like that, the painfulness of that encounter is forgotten.

After walking around for a while, we share several small dishes in the mall food court. It’s so much like old times! I can almost imagine that the last few years haven’t happened, and it’s just the two of them catching up after a long week of corporate work.

But there is no undoing the past.

And seeing how I wouldn’t be who I am now, stronger and more self-aware, I don’t resent it. If not for everything in the past, I wouldn’t have come to know Jay. Today.

“Let’s head back,” Grace says.

I saved half my food and the full baklava dessert for Jay. I’m eager to take it home to him.

When we are about to enter the escalator to the underground parking lot, we see Sean, Zoe, and Lily again.

Ugh, these people are like a bad rash that just won't go away!

The trio looks miserable—various expressions of anger, disbelief and good old-fashioned hatred. They all stop talking when they see me and Lina approaching the escalator.

I have a moment’s pause where I almost hold Lina back and suggest that we walk around the long way, but I don’t want to appear weak.

I follow Lina’s lead, lifting my head and keeping my eyes straight ahead.

Zoe glares and growls.

“Don’t even think about it, sister,” Sean warns. “If you so much as say another word to her again, I’ll have you sent abroad.”

Zoe can’t believe it. “You’d punish me!? For this murderous bitch!?”

As I walk more quickly toward the escalator and I’m about to pass by them, Zoe suddenly stretches out her foot right in my path.

It happens so quickly, that I trip. But when I pitch forward, the moving step ahead of me sinks down, causing me to tumble and fall.

Lina screams in shock and quickly runs to the side of the escalator to press the emergency stop button.

Even so, it’s already too late. I slam and flip down a lot of steps.

Lina races down the stairs. “Are you okay? Can you move? Tell me what hurts?” Then she screams up to the top floor at Zoe: "You could've killed her?"

Zoe puts a hand to her chest as if she can’t believe that someone would say such a thing. "She walked without looking where she was going and insisted on hitting my foot. It's all her fault that she fell!"

"Don't bullshit me,” Lina snarls. “We'll find out the moment we take a look at the security camera recording!" Lina says angrily. “And I swear to God if she’s hurt, I’m pressing charges!”

I put a hand to my head, but everything is still swimming.

"Grace, are you okay?"

"It hurts..."

“Where? Where are you in pain?”

I fight the urge to vomit. Everything hurts.

I’m going into shock and my heart is pounding. Every bone aches and I worry I’ve broken something—

lots of somethings.

“Can you stand?” Lina asks.

I don’t think I can.

Lina slings an arm around me and manages to stand me up. The world spins on its axis and t drop back down.

“Okay,” Lina grabs me before I can crash into the hard steps again. “Easy now. I’ve got you.”

"I'll take you to the hospital right now," Lina says hurriedly.

"You just fell down some steps and you are going to go to the hospital!? You're really making a big deal out of nothing. Are you going to ask me for medical reimbursement next?" Zoe yells sarcastically from the top of the escalator.

No one expects that in the next moment Zoe's face would be slapped so viciously that she would almost fall from the escalator step herself.

"Brother!" Zoe holds her face with her hands and looks at Sean in disbelief.

Sean's face was merciless. "Apologize! Apologize to Grace right now!”