Page 30 of Secret Cinderella
Jack’s head was down as he kissed his blonde, blue-eyed ex. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “But that’s Donna.”
Linda yanked her phone out of reach. “Did you think you’d just get to marry a billionaire and no one was going to make a play for Jack?”
Confusion rocked her and she wasn’t sure what to think or do. She just needed to leave, now. She’d known they wouldn’t let her go kindly.
Charlotte stepped back and said, “I… just need my pictures. Then I’ll go.”
She ran to the closet in the basement where her bed was and grabbed the picture of her mother and father’s wedding from under her mattress, along with the photo of her when she was in first grade and her father held her on his shoulders on her first day of school. She’d managed to snatch these two pics from Nancy and hide them. Nothing else mattered here, except her bank statements…she had a small savings.
Done, she packed all her things in a plastic bag from her father’s store and climbed the stairs to leave. As she made the landing, Linda clapped and said, “Smart girl. So what if your man cheats on you? It’s better to marry him and disregard a little infidelity.”
If Jack had no explanation for what she’d seen happen with Donna, she couldn’t marry him. Besides, she couldn’t let her father’s store die. She met Nancy in the kitchen though her stepmother never actually cooked. “If I get you twelve million dollars will you sell the store to me instead?”
Her eyebrow cocked and her smile was like a wolf about to attack for food. “Twelve? Of course. Not a penny less.”
The adrenaline that coursed through her veins was different than before. Charlotte needed to keep the torch alive and maybe get a loan. Somehow. She held up one finger. “Then give me twenty-four hours.”
Linda said behind her back, “I’m sure that ring won’t cover the down payment.”
Jack’s words might all be a lie. Maybe he’d gone back to his ex. Anything was possible but it didn’t matter. The store was all she knew so Charlotte headed to her side door. “I’ll be back.”
Nancy's words followed her, “If you’re not, I’ll sign with the Morgans. My girls deserve to live in luxury. Between this house sale and the store, we’ll have some security.”
Charlotte was outside about to leave but turned. "Wait--you're selling the house?" Nancy, Mickey, and Linda all watched her from the kitchen.
Linda asked, “Are you going to get the money to buy this too?”
They had no idea what her plan might be. Charlotte had no idea either, but she’d get one. Fast. “I have to go.”
Nancy held out her hand. “I’ll need your keys as you’re not coming back.”
“Here.” Charlotte tossed them at her and hurried away from them, toward Jack.
Maybe it was true. Maybe Jack didn’t love her. Why else would he kiss Donna? If she let Nancy demolish the store, Charlotte was giving Nancy permission to destroy her father’s legacy. She couldn’t do that. Somehow she’d get the money to fix this.
The store was more important than love.
Chapter 12
Jack waited until Bobby, the attendant, escorted Donna into her car and then went inside the station to wash his face.
Seriously, he hadn’t expected to be ambushed. He’d walked out of the convenience store with two sodas and a bag of popcorn to share with Charlotte when cherry-red lipstick bombarded him.
Donna had even been standing on a crate with her phone on a selfie stick—it was a premeditated kiss.
Next time he left a store, he’d have to check the window first. All he’d done was push through the door, gaze on his car, when Donna had grabbed him for a kiss.
The water helped splash away the taste of makeup but there were still traces of being assaulted that lingered on his skin despite how he rubbed at it with the coldest setting.
Jack checked the time on his phone--where was Charlotte? He’d have to explain what had happened. Donna hadn’t been at the gas station when he’d gone in for the drinks and chatted with Bobby about his skateboarding tournament.
A knock thumped on the restroom door. Jack came out and Bobby pointed to the street. Desire coursed in his veins at the sight of Charlotte with a small plastic bag from the store over her shoulder. He gave Bobby a thumbs-up and hurried out to greet the only woman he’d want to kiss.
Her hands were in balls as he ran toward her and massaged her shoulders. Nancy must have been horrible to her and he hadn’t been there. “Charlotte, what's wrong?”
She stepped back and pressed her thumb to his cheek that still had a red stain. “Donna?”
Wow. She’d figured it out from the color? He didn’t remember Donna wearing anything like that before but then again he never thought about her. That was last year, when Charlotte had him in the friends-only category.
