“We bought a cake for Sophie, just like she asked. But we also got some meat, a chicken. It’s like my heart knew. I’m sure Sophie will be allowed to have some broth. I’ll call the hospital first thing in the morning to check. Oh, thank you again. I don’t even want to think about what could have happened if you hadn’t arrived when you did.”
The bustling guest chattered on, and a wave of indignation rose in Tessa. There was no doubting Anna’s domestic skills. And she was attractive, too. Slender, with delicate features, she reminded Tessa of someone, maybe an actress. No wonder Tony had turned his attention to her, demoting his fiancée to the rank of sister.
The last straw was seeing her grandfather’s favorite bowl filled with the pickled mushrooms he had canned himself. That small detail struck a deep chord. So, while she was at the hospital with the girl, this Anna had already been in the root cellar. A feeling of revulsion at this woman’s invasion of her grandfather’s home was so strong that Tessa forgot her intention to handle the conversation civilly. She snapped at the woman who had made herself at home. “And how do you explain all this? You’ve been all over the house. Did you find everything you were looking for, or are there still some corners you haven’t snooped in?”
Anna fell silent, confused, as Tessa’s anger grew. “Who, I ask you, gave you permission to play hostess here?”
The woman opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, Tony walked in, having apparently overheard part of the conversation. He pleaded with the homeowner, “Tessa, I’m begging you, calm down.”
He walked past his fiancée and stood next to Anna, who was frozen by Tessa’s outburst. But his move had the opposite effect. The homeowner screamed, her voice raw. “Pack your bags, take your food, and get out of here! I don’t want to see either of you near my house again! And Tony, don’t even think about moving this woman and her kid into my city apartment. What a knight in shining armor! You want to play the hero? Fine, but do it on your own turf. Don’t drag me into it. I don’t deserve to be treated like this. What you did was despicable.”
Unlike the silent Tony, Anna tried to defend herself and the man she believed to be Tessa’s brother. “Listen to me without the hysterics. You’re acting like a child. I haven’t gotten involved in your family drama, but you’re not being entirely fair. Your brother has a right to a share of this house and the apartment. If you won’t divide things amicably—for instance, letting him have this place while you take the city apartment—then the courts will decide. We live in a country with laws, and your brother is entitled to his inheritance.”
Tessa had never lacked a sense of humor. And this whole situation would have been funny if it weren’t so sad. It was clear that Anna completely believed Tony’s story. Arguing was pointless.
Tessa pulled her phone from her jeans pocket, her voice now calm. “A brother, of course, has a right to an inheritance. Except I don’t have a brother. Never have. Tony is my now ex-fiancé, who seems to have masterfully lied to both of us. He used to call me his ‘love.’ Now, apparently, I’ve been demoted to sister. How… inappropriate. So, how about you both get out of here now, and I’ll forget you ever existed. And if you don’t want to go ‘amicably,’ as you put it, I’m calling the police. I’m sure you won’t get much jail time, but it will be a major headache. And if you’re as legally savvy as you claim, you should know what kind of trouble you’re in. My guess is, best-case scenario, you’ll be explaining this for a few hours. I think I read somewhere they can hold you for up to forty-eight hours. Think about it. But don’t forget your daughter is in the hospital. Imagine how worried she’ll be when her mother doesn’t show up.”
Tessa knew she was hitting a raw nerve, but after the exhausting day, she had no sympathy left. “I strongly advise you to make the right decision. I’m giving you thirty minutes to pack up and get out.”
Anna turned to the man beside her. “Is what she said true? She’s not your sister, she’s your girlfriend? You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”
Tony tried to defend himself.
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