Page 1 of Coffee Shop Cupid
Chapter 1 - Tristan
~October~
Iglanced around the living room while my former mama-in-law looked on, tapping her foot impatiently.
“Are you going to be much longer?” she grumbled. “I have an appointment this afternoon.”
“You don’t have to be here Helen,” I replied. “Vince and I worked out all the details.”
“As if I’d trust him to do that properly.” She crossed her arms. “He mated you after all.”
I pushed my glasses up and pinched my nose. Of course she would try to get one last jab in, she’d always hated me.
“You could always call the cops if you think I’m going to walk out with things that I shouldn’t. I’ve got the divorce papers and they can check the list.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” she sneered. “Just hurry up.”
I turned away and started to rub my neck, but flinched when my fingers brushed the bandage on the back. Of course my asshole-ex was so impatient to get on with his new life that he hadn’t even allowed me time to let my severed bond heal properly.
No, he had to move in his new omega as soon as possible. The one he’d learned he’d knocked up while I was recovering from my final miscarriage.
The omega he’d been cheating on me with while I’d still been pregnant. The miscarraige that had caused me to lose my womb.
Don’t cry,I scolded myself as I forced back angry tears.Don’t you dare cry in front of Helen. Don’t give her the satisfaction.
I walked over to the mantle and took down my collection of figurines, feeling her eyes on me the entire time.
It wasn’t as if anything of Vince’s was up there. She just wanted to intimidate me.
I considered calling the police myself, but it wasn’t worth the drama. She’d play the victim card if I did and I’d never hear the end of it. She was too big a figure in our small town, and my mama would catch hell if I pissed Helen off. I just needed to do my best to ignore her. Still, I knew her, and that she would only escalate given her current mood.
Once I had everything down from the mantle, I started wrapping my figurines in newspaper and setting them in a box.
“Do you really have to wrap each one?” Helen demanded, coming over and kicking the box for good measure.
“I’ve had each of these appraised recently,” I replied, warning in my voice. “They’re antiques. If you chipped even one of them just now I will be sending you a bill.”
“Hah, as if you could prove I did anything. Things get damaged in shipping all the time.”
“Yes, but I have proof you just kicked the box.” I pointed to the security camera at one corner of the room. “The cameras are still on my account. No matter how much you whine, Vince has no access to erase footage of your harassment this time, and I’m not afraid to use it either.”
“Well as far as I’m concerned, you shouldn’t be taking them anyway,” she retorted. “You obviously bought them with Vince’s money…”
I held up my hand. “I inherited these from my grandpapa, and I used my own money to appraise them. They’re mine, and I’m not leaving them just because you think Vince’s new omega needs to step into a perfectly ready house. He already got almost everything, so back off and let me take my things in fucking peace.”
“Your money?” she scoffed. “Maybe if you’d quit working you wouldn’t have lost…”
“Don’t you dare complete that sentence!” I yelled, propriety be damned. “Did you ever once think that your constant nagging might have been a source of stress?”
I was done, and I realized I shouldn’t care about my own mama either. She was too busy lamenting my infertility to those who would listen to actually support me through it.
Helen gasped in mock-horror. “Well I never…”
“And you never will, you psycho bitch,” I snarled, standing and staring her down. “Just leave, go to your appointment and stop harassing me. You’ve already got everything you wanted. Vince is with a new omega, one who will give you your damn precious grandchildren. I’m about to be out of your life for good, so leave me alone so I can finish packing.”
“But…”
I pointed at the door. “Leave!” I shouted. “You’re not here by court order, and I’m sick of you questioning everything I pack. You don’t have any power over me anymore. If you don’t go I’ll call the cops and have you trespassed.”
