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Maggie didn’t say anything. She couldn’t, because her heart was being shredded with each passing moment.
And it hurt even more than losing her childhood home had.
“Poor, naive child.” She shook her head. “He probably wanted to save face, because he couldn’t get over losing her. This whole charade with you was a ploy to get her attention, and it worked.”
Maggie blinked rapidly. “I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have to believe me. You saw it with your own eyes.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Run along now, child. Your job here is finished, and your parents will be needing you in this trying time.”
Maggie stole one last look at him. The kiss had ended. He paced back and forth, talking. She couldn’t see Elizabeth’s face, but it looked like she lifted her hands and covered it. Maggie wanted to yank them off until she had nothing but bloody stumps left on the ends of her arms. But his mother was right.
He was obviously done with her, and her parents would be—
“Wait a second.” She crossed her arms, understanding sinking in despite the pain wracking her. “How did you find out about my parents?”
“Oh. About that?” The other woman gave a gloating smile. “I’m the buyer.”
She shook her head, reeling. “What? Why?”
“It got rid of you.” Mrs. Gale shrugged. “And now you know that I could destroy your parents’ last chance of getting a profit out of that tiny piece of dry, unworkable land.” She snapped her fingers. “It would be that easy to ruin them. To ruin you.”
She curled her hands into fists, dropping her arms at her sides, and fought the urge that screamed at her to scratch the woman’s eyes out, one then the other. She was evil. Pure, unadulterated evil. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, but I would. And I’d enjoy it, too. It’s what I’m best at, squashing little ants that threaten my plans.” She pointed at the door. “So I suggest you leave before he sees you, and before I decide to step on you just for fun.”
Tears blurred her vision. “Why are you doing this to me…to us?”
“Oh, honey. We’ve been in a battle since the second I found you under that table.” She shrugged and stared over her shoulder. “And I refuse to do business with a woman like you for another second. Get out, or your parents lose everything.”
She glowered at her. “You’re a vile person. All you do is twist and turn things until you get what you want, and you treat your own son like a criminal. At some point, he’s going to stop accepting your hatred as his punishment. At some point, he’ll have enough, and you’ll lose him, too.”
Looking completely unaffected, she shrugged. “That might be true. But regardless, if you want my money to save your parents from living in destitution for the rest of their lives, run along quickly, and forget all about Benjamin Gale. He’s not for you.”
“You’re wrong. He’s not for you,” Maggie snapped. “You don’t deserve someone like him for a son. He’s a good guy, you’re just too much of a coldhearted bitch to appreciate it.”
The witch checked her watch. “If you miss that flight, I’ll retract my offer and spread word that the land isn’t worth anything. No one else will buy it, and your parents will be penniless. And it’ll be all your fault.”
“I—” Maggie glanced at Benjamin again.
He had his hands on Elizabeth’s shoulders and spoke quietly—completely oblivious to what his mother was doing to her just outside his door. Not that he cared. It was cl
ear his mother had been telling the truth.
He’d gotten what he wanted—his ex.
And she had handed him to her on a gold platter.
Had Benjamin really done this? Had he used Maggie to get his ex back? Had he cared about her at all, or had it been an act? It didn’t matter, really. Her heart had just been ripped out of her chest, and he was happy with the woman he’d apparently always loved. He didn’t care about Maggie. He had what he wanted. He had Elizabeth.
Screw him.
They deserved each other.
Maggie stiffened, anger settling over her like a cloak, and walked away. As she passed her desk, she laid the ring he’d given her on it, right next to the credit card he insisted she take. She didn’t need the reminder that she’d leaped off a cliff for him, and he hadn’t caught her.
And she’d never forgive him for that.
Benjamin looked into Elizabeth’s eyes, willing himself to feel something—anything—for the woman quite literally begging him to marry her. But he got zilch, nada, zip. Instead, he found himself incredibly bored. And it only made him miss Maggie even more than he already did. What had she done to him?
