The woman’s expression turned instantly impatient and contemptuous.“No money?No ID?Then why come here for a room?What do you think this place is?Go on,get out!”
Her gaze was the kind used for women of ill repute.
Clara flinched under it,humiliation burning deeper.
She took a steadying breath,clinging to the last shred of composure.“I…I have a card.I can pay with a card.”
She remembered the hidden pocket sewn into the side of her underwear where she always kept a spare debit card—her own savings,part of her dowry,never mingled with Adrian Cole’s assets.
The woman looked doubtful but handed her the card reader.
Clara’s trembling fingers slid the thin card in.
Transaction failed.
She tried again.
Transaction failed.
“What’s going on?Out of money?Don’t waste my time,”the woman snapped.
“That’s impossible…there’s money in that account…”Clara’s mind spun.Her knees almost gave way.
“Could I borrow your phone?Just to call the bank,”she pleaded.
With obvious reluctance,the woman pushed over the desk phone.
Clara dialed the bank’s service number from memory.
The polite but icy voice of the operator came through:“Hello,Ms.Winter.Our records show this account was temporarily frozen this afternoon at the request of your spouse,citing a property dispute.”
Spouse.Adrian Cole.
The world tilted.A ringing filled her ears.
He had thrown her out,taken her cat,humiliated her dignity—and now he was stripping away even the one thing that was wholly hers.
He meant to drive her to a dead end.
Clara snatched up the phone and dialed Adrian’s number.
It rang for a long time before it was answered—not by Adrian,but by Vanessa’s sharp,triumphant voice.
“Hello?Who’s this?Looking for Adrian?He’s in the shower—no time for you.”
Clara clenched her jaw,her voice trembling.“Vanessa,put Adrian on.How dare he freeze my card?That’s my money.”
“Well,well.And who might this be?Oh—it’s the ex-Mrs.Cole!”Vanessa’s tone dripped with mockery.“Your money?Don’t make me laugh.You married into the Cole family,you lived on the Cole family’s dime,and you dare say that’s yours?Everything was earned by Adrian.You should be grateful.Even thrown out,you still act like a princess.”
Before Clara could reply,Vanessa barreled on,her voice shrill and relentless: