Desperate Housewife? No, I'm Billion-Dollar Revenge novel · Chapter 4 of 24

Chapter 4: The Robe

"Kelsey is staying in the guest room for a while," Dean said, setting my hospital bag on the stairs. "Through the fourth-quarter push. She's running my project."

"She's wearing my robe," I said.

"It was on the hook." He did not look at it. "It's a robe, Claire."

Kelsey went into the kitchen and filled the kettle without asking where it was.

I stood in the front hall with Hazel in her car seat and my stitches pulling.

"You'll take the nursery," Dean said. "Hazel's up every few hours and I have a presentation Thursday. I can't be wrecked."

"I'll take the nursery," I said.

"Good. And we need to talk about the ledger."

He had printed a page and stuck it to the refrigerator with a magnet shaped like a house.

At the top it said Fair Share Ledger. Under that were three columns of names: Dean, Claire, Kelsey.

"Groceries split three ways now," he said. "Utilities split three ways. Kelsey pays market rent on the room. You pay your third of the food from your own account, same as the epidural."

"My third," I said.

"It's only fair. You eat."

I put my hand on the counter.

I could have said it all right then. Two point four billion, Dean. Fifty million dollars sat in my phone at that very minute.

My grandfather's letter was in my other pocket.

Watch what he does when he thinks you're poor.

"Fine," I said.

Dean's whole face loosened.

"Great. That's all I wanted, Claire. For us to be on the same page."

That night I slept on the nursery daybed with Hazel's bassinet pulled up against it.

At two in the morning I heard a woman laugh in the master bedroom, a low easy laugh through the wall.

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