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Chapter 8
“Mommy, isn't it a school day today?”
My eyes dart open at Charlotte's voice, and I sit up straight. After a few times blinking, I rub a hand over my face and grab my telephone from the side table.
Fuck. We have nineteen minutes left before we have to be at school. I push the covers back and jump out of bed.
"Charlotte, put your clothes on, brush your teeth and hair. Then, please eat something because we don't have time to sit."
"Okay, I will eat cake," she says while running away.
"No sweets for breakfast, Charlotte," I call out.
"Dammit." I have to deliver a cake this morning. After I brush my teeth and comb my hair, I run to the closet and step into a comfortable, old pair of worn-out jeans. I pick my rosy shirt and button it up while walking into the kitchen to find Charlotte searching for something to eat in the fridge. I stare at my phone in my hand and sigh when there are no messages. With work filling up our time, Nick and I texted and called each other a lot in the last two weeks. I love to hear his voice for just a moment, but there is no time, so I push my needs aside and focus on getting Charlotte to school on time.
"Cupcake, where is your schoolbag?"
"On the counter. Can I have Oreos for breakfast?"
"No, young lady."
"Why not?" she asks with hands on her hips.
"Because a mouth full of sugar isn't a healthy breakfast. It will give you a sugar rush."
"I need sugar for concentration," she replies.
"Then grab an apple, a banana, or a bunch of grapes. Those contain fruit sugars and fibers, Miss Smarty-Pants. You can eat that in the car on our way to school," I say while I put the lunch I prepared last night in her bag. "I have put your favorite smoothie in your bag."
"Yes," she says while putting on her coat. "Strawberry yogurt smoothie is the best."
As I grab the car keys from the kitchen table, Charlotte opens the door.
"Oh, it's raining hard, Mom."
I search for the umbrellas, but as always, when you need them, they're not in the place they should be.
"Dammit, we have to leave," I say, frustrated. "Okay, pull up your hood and run to the car, Charlotte."
I pullinto the parking space at school as the bell rings.
"Okay, sweetie, have fun. I’ll see you after school." I kiss her on her forehead. Once she's inside the building, I rush back home and put the cake in a special box before placing it in the car. I insert the address in my GPS, and after a drive of twenty-five minutes, I pull up in the driveway of a luxury house.
It's painted pearl white, and even with the rain pouring down, the house radiates wealth. I make a run to the house, and by the time I ring the bell, my hair is sticking to my face. An older woman opens, and by her black skirt and white button-up blouse, I presume she works for the person who lives here.
"Good morning," I say with a smile. "I'm Emma of Simply Irresistible. I'm here to deliver the cake."
The woman smiles kindly. "Please come in, dear. You're soaked."
"Oh, don't worry. Could you hold the door open, so I can get the box without getting it too wet."
"Sure."
I run back to the car, and when I stand in the hallway with the order in my hands, the woman closes the door.
"Where do you want the cake?"
The older woman bites her lips and turns her head at the sound of clicking heels. A pair of high heels turn the corner, and I grind my teeth, seeing who it is. You're kidding me. Cindy's lips produce a mischievous smirk as she stops in front of me. Her eyes scan me from top to bottom.
