CHAPTER THIRTY

PAYTON

––––––––

“Where do you want thisbox?” Molly asks.

“Over with the rest.” I point to the wall. “Just pile them up.”

“Will you please consider moving in with me? I have a spare room.”

I shake my head and keep wrapping the glasses in bubble wrap. Why do I have so many? I have one mouth and it’s not like I have thirty-five guests in my house at any point in time.

Humans are weird.

“Plus, you look like shit. Have you been sleeping?” Molly asks.

No. Only for a few hours, and then when I wake up, I just feel like shit. This morning I ended up dry heaving. Who cares that much about a guy that they physically make themself sick?

I feel like a complete loser.

And if I hadn’t already, then I sure did when I visited my parents” last weekend and told them I’d lost my job.

“What happened?” Mom asked as my father watched me across the dinner table.

I could have lied.

I could have told them some story that might have evoked some pity.

But they didn’t raise me to be a liar.

Or breach my employment contract... yet there I was.

“I had an affair with Knox Montgomery.”

Mom gasped as my father”s eyes fell to the table.

In shame.

He was ashamed of me. Not as much as I was of myself.

“He’s married? Payton. My god.” Mom shook her head.

“No, he’s not married. Neither of us were allowed to have a relationship,” I explained.

Sex.

There was no relationship. I’m clear on that now.

Knox hasn’t made any contact with me for over a week and obviously doesn’t care.

Doesn’t care that his actions have changed my life irrevocably.

Not for the better.

Dad walked out of the room and didn’t say a word. An hour later, he came into the living room where I was sitting with Mom and sat down in his armchair.

“You will need to move back home,” he said. “I will hold off on charging you interest until you find a new job. You will, however, need to start paying installments on this debt immediately.”

Shit.

“I want you to work out a payment you can service and send it to me.”

Tears poured down my face as I nodded. “Okay.”

“Payton I love you. But this man obviously wasn’t worth it.”

I nodded again. “I know.”

When Mom went to say something, Dad held his hand up. “No. We had a deal.”

“He obviously took advantage of her,” Mom argued anyway.

“Stop. Nobody made me do anything.” I wipe away my tears. “I did what I did, and I own that.”

“Well, at least we taught you something.” My father stood and left the room.

I let my mom hold me as I sobbed my heart out.

Now all there was left to do was finish packing and wait for the movers to arrive.

Today, I’m too tired to be angry with Knox, leaving only sadness.

I meant what I said to my father. I do own my part in what happened. I was charmed by the handsome billionaire. It wasn’t all his fault.

I’m hurt that he didn’t feel the way I did and want to be with me, but he has free will.

He doesn’t have to love me.

Maybe Molly was right, and a man like him is looking to settle down, one day, with a wealthy woman from his world.

That sure ain”t me.

Not now.

I’m in six-figure debt and unemployed.

What a catch.

“I’m fine. I just need to get moved. I’m going through my savings fast now that I don’t have a job,” I tell Molly. “Plus, this way I can start paying off my debt quicker.”

A flash of anger comes back.

I should have stayed away from him and said no every single time.

What was I thinking?

Knox still has his cushy marketing director role with his billions in the bank, and I’m just another stupid girl who fawned over him and fell onto his dick.

A laughingstock.

Cody has been texting to see how I am, which was nice, but I get the feeling even he’s unimpressed. I asked how the launch went and he sent me some pictures.

It looked amazing.

Then I forced myself to look at the Verity Co. Instagram and let myself smile at all our hard work.

I wonder if Knox was happy.

Then I don’t give a fuck.

Basically, I’m turning myself inside out like a pretzel, wanting to see his handsome face, and also never wanting to hear his name again.

“We need wine,” Molly says. “And pizza.”

I sit back and feel green at the thought. “Pass. Let’s finish up. I still have two days before the truck comes.”

“You sure?” Molly asks, dropping another box on the pile.

“Head home, Molls,” I tell her, standing and wiping my forehead. “I think I need to just go to bed.”

She came over after work to help me pack, and I didn’t even think about feeding her.

“Okay.” Molly pulls on her jacket and grabs her phone and keys.

“Babe, have you heard from him?”

“No.” I shake my head. It’s been nearly a week, and he hasn’t bothered to find out how I am or say sorry.

Because he’s not sorry.

All he cares about is the impact being caught had on his future.

Payton. I’ll get you a new job.

Good one.

Who’s going to hire someone who got fired for fucking the client? I know Alexandra won’t give me a good reference.

He has no idea how much he’s fucked my life up.

I feel like I’m stuck and don’t know how I’m going to get out of this mess.

When Molly hugs me and leaves, I flop down on the sofa and can feel depression kicking in. I’m in hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. I have no job prospects and I’m moving back home to live with my parents, who are ashamed of me.

At twenty-four.

Plus, I’ve put on a couple of pounds thanks to my calorific therapy called Ben Jerrys’.

Fuck you, Knox Montgomery.