Page 65 of How to Get Even

And Bella burst into tears.

‘Oh my God, love, what’s wrong?’ Astrid’s voice floated to her from the screen that Bella couldn’t see from the tears flooding her eyes.

‘I’ve messed up. I’ve really messed up.We’vereally messed up.’

‘What’s going on?’ Sienna asked as she clicked onto the call.

‘Shit, Bella are you okay?’ Paige’s voice demanded.

‘No, it’s all wrong. It’s all so, so, so wrong,’ Bella said, near hysterical. She really wasn’t good at being bad at all.

‘Bella Carmichael, you stop crying this minute,’ Sienna snipped through the phone, which had the desired effect. Bella sucked in a breath of air and swallowed the sob that had risen in her chest. ‘Now find a bench, sit down and tell us what happened.’

‘What is she doing in New York in the winter without a coat?’ Paige hissed to Astrid, who simply shrugged, looking as confused as the others.

‘He wasn’t married,’ she hiccupped. ‘I mean, not really.’

‘Who wasn’t?’ Sienna asked.

‘Oh shit!’ Paige exclaimed, realising who she was talking about.

‘Yes, he was,’ Astrid bit back. ‘She told me. She had a ring and everything.’

Bella swallowed. ‘She was after more money in the divorce. She’d cheated on him. With his best friend.’

And as she said each extra bit, she felt worse and worse and worse.

‘Wait. What, Chase? Chase wasn’t married? Ohshit,’ Sienna said.

‘No, hewasmarried,’ Astrid insisted. ‘Because if he wasn’t, then…’

‘Then we just got revenge on a man who walked in on his wife shagging his best friend,’ said Paige. ‘Fuck.’

‘Can everyonepleasestop swearing?’ Bella practically shouted down the phone.

All the girls stopped talking and looked at Bella, shocked by her or the situation, she didn’t know. Bella wiped at her cheeks.

‘I’ve got to get back to work,’ she said, taking a deep breath of frigid wintry air.

‘You’re going back to work?’

‘Fu— I mean, screw that?—’

‘That’s still technically swearing?—’

‘You should get out of there. We’ll make up some excuse for you. Just pack up and get out of there,’ Sienna said.

Bella shook her head. ‘I can’t do that. I’ve literally destroyed this man’s career. I can’t leave it like that.’

Astrid bit her lip. ‘You weren’t to know.’

‘I know but…’ Bella took another deep breath, reason returning as she realised what she needed to do. ‘I’m going to make this right.’

‘How?’ Paige asked.

‘I don’t know yet,’ Bella admitted, her lip wobbling a little.

‘I can be with you in minutes. Just say the word,’ said Astrid. ‘If you want me to go in there and explain the entire situation to him, I’ll?—’

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