Page 53 of The Re-Proposal

“Alright, sweetie. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“Remember I told you we’d been having trouble getting funding for the co-op?”

“Mm-hm.”

I turn on my stomach and dig my chin into the cushion. “We got an offer today.”

“That’s great—”

“From someone I’d prefer not to work with.”

“Okay…” She sounds hesitant, “why don’t you want to work with this person?”

“He’s… in it for the wrong reasons.”

“Is he a drug dealer? The mafia? Do they want to wash the money so it looks legal?”

“What? No!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, mom. I’m sure.” The only thing ‘mafia’ about Cody is how ruthless he is in business.

“Clarissa, you’ve got to be careful.” Mom makes a disgruntled sound. “You’re too trusting. That’s why that bastard in college walked all over you.”

“Mom,” I groan.

“You gave that boy three years of your life. Three years! You were willing to do anything for him. Everything out of your mouth was ‘Cody-this’ and ‘Cody-that’. And look what happened? He left you high and dry without another word. The jerk.”

I cringe. “Mom, please. That’s in the past.”

“I’m only saying that to remind you. All that glitters isn’t gold. Don’t trade your dignity for a couple hundred dollars.”

“It wouldn’t be a couple hundred.”

“A few thousand then,” she says flippantly.

I tell her the number Cody’s offering.

There’s shocked silence on the other end of the line.

“Mom?” I croak. “Are you still there?”

“Take the money.”

“What?”

“Take. The. Money.”

“What about not selling my soul for a donation?”

“Honey, do you know how much good you could do with that kind of cash? Think about all the women you could help. All the families that could benefit.”

“Really, mom?”

“Sometimes, saving the world requires working with the broken system.”

“All of a sudden?” I laugh.

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