Chapter 37
“What? Killed Martha?” Ivy heard the panic in her voice.
“Yes!” Cheryl yelled again. “You used to be kind and… adorable, but now you’re so bitter and evil!”
Ivy didn’t like the words Cheryl was using to describe her, but she refused to react. She kept her cool despite her racing heart. “Is Martha okay?”
“No, she’s not. You and that freaking woman injured her!” Cheryl snapped.
Injured her, not killed her. Ivy exhaled in relief, though her heart still pounded. Cheryl hadn’t directly answered the question.
“Is Martha alive?” she asked again, rephrasing the question.
Cheryl gasped. “Oh my goodness! You wanted her dead? I can’t believe you, Ivy!”
That derisive tone was enough to fire Ivy up. “You said it! You said I killed her!”
“Oh, chill,” Cheryl hissed. “It was just a figure of speech.”
“What kind of psycho uses kill as a figure of speech?” Ivy shot back, her chest heaving with anger.
“That doesn’t change the fact that you landed Martha in the hospital, and my fiancé is going to make you pay for that,” Cheryl shot back.
Ivy felt the anger in her heart as she sat on the bed.
Breathe, breathe. Don’t explode, she told herself.
She knew Cheryl was taunting her and she refused to take the bait. “Well, since Martha is doing well,” she said calmly, “I wish her a quick recovery.”
Cheryl seemed to sense she was being dismissed and flared up. “This is not the end, Ivy! I will-”
Ivy ended the call before Cheryl could finish. She was tired of the Hunters and everything they represented. If she could turn back time, she would have ignored Mason the first time he approached her.
Despite her chaotic emotions, she felt relieved. Thank God Martha was alive. Cheryl was so stupid for frightening her like that.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
“It’s Monica.”
Ivy opened the door for Monica, who carried a tray of food. Monica set the tray on
“How are you feeling?” Monica asked.
“I don’t know,” Ivy admitted. “Cheryl just called me.”
Monica arched a brow in question. “Who’s that?”
the table and turned to her.
“What a great question,” Ivy replied, moving back to sit on the bed. “That’s my backstabbing ex–best friend.”
Monica’s confusion deepened. “Who?”
Ivy sighed, dreading the explanation. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk about it, she just hated reliving the betrayal. “She’s the pregnant one,” she clarified.
Monica’s eyes widened. “Oh. Wait–what was she doing there with your ex–mother–in–law?”
Ivy’s shoulders slumped. She had thought the one line of explanation would have been enough for Monica. Apparently not. “Cheryl is engaged to my ex–husband, and she came with his mother to pick out her wedding dress.”
That should do it.
“What the hell?” Monica exclaimed. “She stole your man, got pregnant by him, and has the guts to fight you?”
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Chapter 37
Mason was never her man to begin with. “Yes, something like that,” Ivy said.
Monica’s forehead creased. “If I’d known, I would have kicked Martha even harder since I can’t touch backstabbing Cheryl,”
Ivy laughed, amused by Monica’s statement. She liked this woman already, “Oh, Monica, I think you got your message across,”
Monica laughed as well. “Good, then. Why was she calling?”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “She just wanted to make trouble.”
Monica moved closer, sitting on the bed beside her. “That’s horrible–what you had to go through.”
Ivy bit her lip, pushing the pain away from her chest, “Well, I survived I am surviving”
Monica gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “I knew you were different. The first day I met you, I knew. But others thought differently.”
Ivy raised a brow. “Others?”
“Oh, you know–staff gossip. They thought you were like Lady Kim,” Monica explained.
“Lady Kim?” Ivy asked, laughing, “Who’s that?”
“She was Mr. Stone’s ex–fiancée, a horrible woman, She made all of us call her Lady Kim, like she was like some royalty,” Monica said, a faint frown tugging at the corners of her lips. “God, she hurt Silas over and over again. Even the blind could see she was just taking advantage of him. But he’s a good man, and he gave her too many chances.”
Ivy’s heart softened as she remembered how sad Silas had been when he first spoke about Kim,
“So when you came in and we were told you’re his new wife,” Monica continued. “Obviously, we were cautious about it. You know, we thought you might be one of those women.”
Ivy smiled at her. “I understand. Tell them I have no interest in making them call me Lady Ivy.”
Monica laughed. “You’re funny.”
Ivy chuckled, but an unexpected ache settled in her chest, Suddenly, she felt bad for agreeing to the contract. They were both hurting- hers was fresh, but Silas’s wounds clearly hadn’t healed. That night when he saw Dylan, it had been obvious.
“Let me leave you to your meal,” Monica said, standing.
“Thank you, Monica,” Ivy smiled,
“Alright, enjoy,” Monica said as she left,
Once alone, Ivy walked over to her table and was about to eat when her phone buzzed again. Exhaling, she reached for it and saw it was
her aunt.
“Aunt May,” she answered.
“Oh, my sweet girl,” May said, her voice soft with concern. “How are you?”
“I’m good. How are you?”
“Good too, but worried about you,” May admitted, “I’ve been reading the news. God, they’re horrible. That Mason man is evil.”
The worry in May’s tone unsettled Ivy. The last thing she wanted was to make her aunt worried.
“He’s only enjoying this because I haven’t released the news about him and Cheryl,” Ivy said calmly, “Once that comes out, it’s game over for him.”
“And the one about his mother?” May asked. “Is it true?”
“No. I didn’t hit her,” Ivy replied.
“But you saw her?” May pressed.
Ivy sighed, choosing to ignore the question. “Will you be coming to my wedding? It’s in three days”
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Chapter 37
“Oh!” May’s voice lit up with delight. “I wouldn’t never miss your big day.”
“Alright then.” Ivy smiled. “Can’t wait to see you.”
“Will your father be coming?” May asked
Ivy’s thoughts drifted to her father’s message and his words about Thomas. “He’s definitely not coming,” she said sadly,
“Oh, I’m sorry, my love,” May consoled her.
“It’s okay,” Ivy replied, then a thought crossed her mind. “Aunt May, do you know anything about my mom and Thomas Stone? Did my dad ever tell you anything?”
“No.” May said, sounding puzzled. “Nothing at all. Why?”
Ivy hesitated. “Dad said Thomas stole from Mom, driving her to depression.”
“That’s news to me. I’ve never heard that before,” May said, much to Ivy’s relief.
So it could be false? Could Thomas have had nothing to do with her mother’s death?
And even if it were true,” May added, “I doubt your father would’ve let it go without doing something about it.”
“So it’s false?” Ivy breathed.
“Maybe, I don’t know,” May said. “You could ask your father what he means–or better yet, Silas. After all, you’re married to him.”
“Yes,” Ivy murmured.
She couldn’t possibly tell May that she had already asked both men, and their responses had only deepened her doubts about them.
“Yes,” Ivy repeated, forcing conviction into her voice. “I’ll ask Silas.”
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