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"I've clearly offended you."
"I can find a way to get out from under Mark's thumb myself." I stand to leave. "I don't need your pity money."
"How?" he barks.
"How what?"
"Christ, Ivy, don't play dumb." He stands
next to me. "You're horrible at it."
"How the hell are you going to get away from Mark when you live in his apartment and he pays all of your expenses?"
The words slice through me. I don't need this man reminding me of how the last man I slept with is financially providing for me months after he humiliated me. "He doesn't pay all of my expenses." I spit the words at him.
"Ivy, I own Veray now." He reaches to touch my arm but I pull back harshly before he can make contact. "I've seen your commission checks. You can't survive on that."
"I'm thinking of selling some pieces online," I say simply.
"You can't," he counters.
"I can't?" I place my hands on my hips determined to show this man that I can stand on my own two feet even if they feel incredibly shaky and unreliable at this moment. "You can't tell me what to do."
"Actually I can." He leisurely reaches for his wine glass downing the last of its contents. "You have an exclusive contract with Veray to sell your work. You can't sell it anywhere else."
I feel defeated and weak. I collapse back onto the couch taking a deep breath to try and fuel myself. "I'll figure it out somehow."
"This is how." He reaches for the check again, holding it in front of me.
"No." I shake my head from side-to-side. "I can't."
"Why not?" he asks sharply.
"I can't be indebted to a man again." I steel myself as I continue, "don't you see? I'd be going from being under Mark's thumb and control to being under yours."
"And that's a bad thing because…" his tone suggests he's trying to make light of the situation.
"I don't even know you." I hold my head in my hands feeling a rush of pain at my temple. I'm no stranger to stress headaches and I can feel an intense one barrelling down on me. "How could I just take your money?"
"I'm offering it to you." He kneels in front of me. I feel his finger trace a line across my forehead. "You're not taking it. It's a chance for you to start over. You can get your own place."
"I can't." I pull back harshly from his touch. "Besides, you must want something in return."
"I don't."
"That can't possibly be true." I stand readying myself to make my exit. I need to get home to my own bed so I can nurse my headache and sort through this evening.
"Where are you going?" He stands too so his body is blocking my path to the door.
"Home," I push past him. "Or technically, Mark's apartment."
"Not yet." His hand clenches my elbow forcing me to stop.
"We're done here." I turn abruptly and wrench my arm free. "I'm not for sale."
"Fine." His jaw tightens. "There must be something you own that has some value that you can sell to me then."
"Hmm…let me think." I place my finger on my chin clasping my teeth together as if in deep thought. I know I'm being childish but at this point I don't care. "There's nothing. I'm a pathetic loser who has to rely on her cheating ex to provide for her. My mother would be proud of me if she was alive today."
