Chapter 6 - THE MISTRESS CALLS
An hour after Daniel left, Natalie returned home carrying two grocery bags filled with fresh vegetables, artisan bread, and wine. She took one look at my face and immediately set the bags down on the counter.
"He came by, didn't he?" she asked softly.
"He came by," I nodded, taking a sip of water. "Rattled the door, screamed like a toddler whose toy was taken away, and tried to gaslight me about how a $240,000 embezzlement was just a 'mistake' that shouldn't ruin his social standing."
Natalie rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "Unbelievable. The absolute audacity of men in grey suits who think the world owes them a permanent safety net."
Before Natalie could unpack the groceries, my phone—still resting on the counter—lit up with an incoming call.
It wasn't a blocked number this time. It wasn't Daniel.
The caller ID displayed a name I recognized instantly from the corporate directory Daniel had left open on his desk months ago.
Claire Halstead.
Natalie stared at the screen, her eyes widening. "Well, well, well. Look who decided to step out of the shadows."
"Answer it," Natalie urged, her fingers twitching. "Put it on speaker. Let’s hear what the twenty-nine-year-old marketing director has to say now that her sugar daddy’s credit cards are declining."
I hesitated for a second, then calmly reached out and pressed the green speaker button.
"Hello, Claire," I said, my voice completely devoid of emotion.
On the other end of the line, there was a sharp gasp, followed by the sound of heavy, panicked breathing. The polished, confident marketing director facade was completely gone; her voice sounded shrill, frantic, and trembling with sheer terror.
"Rachel?" Claire blurted out, her words tumbling over each other. "Rachel, thank God—look, I don't know what kind of sick game you and Daniel are playing, but you need to fix this right now!"
"Fix what, Claire?" I asked mildly.
"My apartment management just called me!" Claire shrieked, panic cracking her voice. "They said the lease guarantee deposit bounced because the bank account was frozen! They’re threatening to evict me by tomorrow morning! And Daniel’s phone is going straight to voicemail! Where is he?! What did you do to him?!"
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud. The luxury Back Bay apartment was collapsing around her ears because the sugar daddy's fountain had run dry.
"If Daniel isn't answering his phone, Claire, maybe you should ask yourself why," I replied smoothly. "As for your lease guarantee—well, I suggest you talk to your landlord. I hear Back Bay has lovely bridges if you need somewhere affordable to sleep."
"You bitch!" Claire screamed into the receiver. "You ruined everything! He was supposed to leave you! He promised me we were getting married after the divorce settlement went through!"
"Ah," I smiled coldly. "So he lied to you, too. Welcome to the club, Claire. Membership is free, but exiting is expensive."
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Before she could scream another profanity, I tapped the red button and disconnected the call. I blocked her number permanently, sliding the phone face down onto the marble counter.
Natalie was staring at me with pure, unadulterated awe. "Rach... you are a cold-blooded architectural masterpiece. I am never, ever getting on your bad side."
