Chapter 2My Ex Husband Begs For Scraps

From that day on, the study door never opened for me again.

Humans, I guess, are a pathetic lot.

The more he ignored me, the cleaner I kept the house. I scrubbed the floors three times over. I washed his white dress shirts, meticulously ironing them until they were stiff and immaculate.

I thought that if I was good enough, perfect enough, he would eventually come back.

Until Mrs. Ashworth came over again.

This time, she didn’t bring the usual store-bought pound cake she liked. Her hands were empty. She sat down at my small kitchen table with a face set in stone.

“Alice, marrying Spencer was a sacrifice for you.”

My heart dropped. That was not her usual line.

“Spencer, well, he’s an ambitious boy,” she sighed. “Councilman Harrington sees his potential. He wants to mentor him, and he intends to offer his daughter… Vanessa… to him.”

The cup of water I was pouring wobbled in my hand, and the hot liquid spilled onto my wrist, leaving a stinging red welt.

“Mom, what are you saying? Spencer… he’s married.”

“Married people get divorced!” she suddenly shrieked. “Alice, you need to think about Spencer’s career! What is the Harrington family? They’re royalty! If Spencer connects with them, he’ll be a king. And you?”

She looked me up and down: “You’re from a canning facility. You can’t help him. You can only hold him back!”

“Our Spencer cannot be ruined because of you.”

I looked at this cruel, aging woman. She had eaten my dinners, worn clothes I had washed, and slept in a bed in a home I had cleaned. Now, she was asking me to vacate my life so her son could become a “king.”

I said nothing, but placed the water glass heavily on the table.

“Mom, your water is cold. I’ll get you fresh.”

I turned and walked into the kitchen.

That day, I cooked a full, four-course meal—everything Mrs. Ashworth loved.

She ate until she was satisfied, and as she left, she reverted to her usual patronizing tone.

“Alice, you’re a good girl. You’ll see the sense in this. Don’t worry, the Ashworths will take care of you. Just… name your price.”

I smiled and walked her to the door.

“Mom, be careful. The sidewalk is slick.”