She Bought My Husband for Seven Days, So I Took Back Everything novel · Chapter 16 of 24

Chapter 16: Returned

On Tuesday morning, the director of the Lakeshore Children's Fund came to the studio in person.

I had slept two hours, with fourteen signatures behind my eyes.

The deputy had left me his card the night before, and he had told me not to speak to Lacey about the pharmacy.

I hadn't, and I wouldn't, until he said so.

She wore the same gray suit and carried a leather folder.

The line parted for her without being asked.

"Mrs. Garner, may I have a few minutes?"

"Come to the back."

"No." She looked at the customers. "I'd rather do this here."

She opened the folder on the register counter.

"The board met at seven this morning. The Seven-Day Fix-Up is cancelled, and the donor credit has been refunded in full."

She slid a check across the glass.

It was for twenty-five thousand dollars, made out to Brent Garner and Elise Garner, joint.

"It goes back to the house fund where it started," she said. "We also removed Ms. Dunbar from our donor rolls and from every committee. She chaired four. She has been told by letter."

A murmur ran down the line.

"Thank you," I said.

"There is one more thing." Her voice dropped. "Your ring is in our safe. It has not been sold or logged. I could not bring myself to do it."

"Keep it a while."

"Of course."

She closed the folder and looked around the studio.

"When I came in, I saw a line of people who had never met you waiting to buy curtains," she said. "I thought, those are people who know exactly what happened. I'd like to join them."

She picked up an order pad and wrote an order for the fund's reception room.

I did not cry in front of the customers.

I did it in the back room, quickly, with Wanda holding a towel.

At noon, four women walked in together.

I knew them from the gala.

← Chapter 15 · All chapters · Chapter 17 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend