He Gave Me Fifty Dollars to Live, I Left Him with Nothing novel · Chapter 20 of 32

Chapter 20: Marcy's Lease

Marcy was leaning on a red hatchback at the edge of the lot, with the harbor wind pulling at her curls.

She looked ten years older than she had at the party.

She wore no lipstick.

I walked toward her and stopped six feet away.

Tobias stayed by the car and did not follow.

"Roz," she said. "Thank you for coming."

"I came to see why you followed me."

"I didn't follow you. I called your mother, and she told me you were at the board meeting. She still has the news on all day." Her voice shook. "I'm sorry. I don't know how to start."

"Start with the money."

She flinched.

She opened her bag and took out a folded packet and held it with both hands.

"Philip's lawyer sent me this on Tuesday."

I took it.

It was a formal letter on thick paper.

It demanded repayment of two hundred and fifty-two thousand dollars, described as *a loan extended to Ms. Lanahan in good faith,* within thirty days.

Beneath it was a notice that her café lease would not be renewed.

"He called it a loan after I testified at the party," she said. "The checks were never a loan. He said keep Roz calm, and the checks were my salary for it. Now it's a debt."

"You took the salary."

"Yes."

"For six years."

"Yes."

She didn't argue.

That was the worst part.

I had expected her to argue.

"The first month, I thought it was a favor," she said. "He said he wanted to help me start the café, and I had nobody. Then I saw what he wanted. I told myself that if I kept you hopeful, you'd be safe. I told myself I was keeping you from doing something reckless."

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