[20]

BEATRICE:

"Tell me that you're lying, Beatrice."

"I am not lying, Christina. You can see it for yourself. My ex-husband is here and I need you to be here to guard the kids while we buy groceries."

"What. The. I thought we talked about this?”

I chewed on my bottom lips. “We did, but—”

“Don't tell me he is paying for the groceries."

"He will," I mumbled.

"Why? Why? I can pay for it! As long as you don't accept that jerk's money."

She had the money to do so, but how could I tell her that I was already embarrassed as I continued accepting her help?

If you're that shy, what difference did it have with your ex-husband?

The difference was that this was my first time accepting his offer. The first and the last. Which I hoped I would be doing.

"I already accepted it." And I could save a lot. Just this once. I did not have any choice but to accept his money.

I heard her mutter endless curses that I felt made my ear bleed. I could not blame her. She was the one who had witnessed how I suffe