The Day I Divorced Him, I Became His Landlord novel · Chapter 11 of 24
Chapter 11: Be Seen
The pool house kitchen smelled of burnt toast and cheap coffee.
Courtney sat at the little table with her knees pulled up, in a gray sweatshirt that belonged to Conrad.
I stood in the doorway and took my phone out of my pocket.
"I'm recording this," I said.
"Good." She pushed her hair behind her ears. "I want it on tape that I told you."
I pressed the red circle and set the phone on the table between us.
"Start."
"I want the pool house rent waived, and a reference when I leave." She almost laughed. "That's my price. It's embarrassing."
"Say your part and I'll think about it."
She looked at the phone, then at me.
"Four years ago, Lillian hired me as events director at Ashbury Cellars. I'd never worked a winery. She picked me out of fifty applicants." She picked at the sweatshirt cuff. "She told me what to wear to dinners."
"Wear?"
"Green. Always green, near you. She told me where to seat you and where to seat me. She told me when to touch Conrad's arm at a gala, and how long to hold it." Her voice cracked, and she pushed through. "I thought she was a modern mother-in-law. I thought she was helping us."
"Helping you do what?"
"Be seen." She finally looked up. "Two years ago it started with Conrad. I liked him. I thought it was my own idea. It took me a long time to notice that every time we got close, Lillian had arranged for you to walk in."
The refrigerator hummed.
I did not move.
"You're saying Lillian wanted me to find out."
"I'm saying Lillian wanted you small." She wiped her face with the heel of her hand. "She said it once, in the car, when she thought I'd dozed off. She said, a woman who thinks she's failing doesn't read what she's handed."
Keep reading free with an account. Start The Day I Divorced Him, I Became His Landlord from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.
← Chapter 10 · All chapters · Chapter 12 →
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