Page 55 of Billionaire Neighbor

I smile as I set my briefcase down on my desk. Amelia has been around for several of my media explosions in the past, so I know she’s familiar with the drill. I also know she’s using them as an excuse to order food for delivery from her favorite restaurant.

“Well, Amelia, I can’t handle the thought of you missing your lunch because of those reporters, so why don’t you order something on your company card,” I say.

I catch the smile on her face out of the corner of my eye.

“I already have.” she says. “You go have a seat so you can start reviewing those proposals I put on your desk.”

“Yes, ma’am. You’re the boss,” I say.

Chapter 27

JADE

I thought Magdalene’s sour attitude would subside after her buzz wore off, but I was wrong. In fact, her attitude is much worse than it has ever been, and I don’t know why. She’s been a total nightmare lately and I’m starting to come unhinged.

“Make sure my son has enough sunscreen on,” she orders aggressively. “I don’t want him coming home burned.”

Even though her bad attitude is in full bloom, she somehow managed to pull herself together enough to shower and comb her hair. Unfortunately, she hasn’t let the wine go just yet. I know she’s not drunk, but I also know she’s not sober. If this goes on for much longer, I’ll be the one needing a drink just to calm my frazzled nerves.

She has some nerve being so nasty to me. I’ve never come home from an outing with Jacob being burned anywhere. She doesn’t even know what his sunscreen looks like, and what’s with this “my son” business?

“When you come home, I want this place cleaned from top to bottom. All your little outings recently have made you lax in your work, and I’m not paying you to half-ass clean,” she groans.

You are pushing the envelope way too far with all these insults and snide remarks.

I have never in my life half-assed anything, ever. Magdalene seems to be going out of her way to be nasty to me. Part of me wants to tell her off and let her know what’s what, and the other half of me wants to cry. I’m usually very understanding, but Magdalene has been going overboard. I try to chalk it up to her hurt feelings over Heath, but right now she’s just being downright mean to me for no reason.

Maybe she’s jealous I’m going out on dates while she’s stuck at home alone?

I double check Jacob’s diaper bag and push his stroller out the door and down the hall to the elevator. He coos and blows spit bubbles smiling up at me while beating on the tray in front of him with his Tiffany & Co. rattle.

It’s good one of us is completely oblivious to what’s going on right now. I just wish it was also me.

Today has been a hard one, especially with Magdalene being on the rampage, so I decide to take a break and head to the park. An hour of pushing Jacob in the swing and going down the slide a million times is the welcome break I need before heading back into the lioness’s den.

If anything, Magdalene is the one who needs to be out here getting some fresh air. It would certainly do her some good. Maybe I’ll get lucky and she’ll get bored and just go shopping.

I don’t really care where she goes. I just don’t want her home when I get back. Her attitude is too much to handle, and I don’t want to confront or ignore her. I’d rather she just left me and Jacob alone as she normally does.

I hate to seem like a tattletale, but maybe I should reach out to Heath and let him know what’s going on. He probably won’t care how she’s treating me, but perhaps he’ll be able to rein her in a little for Jacob’s sake.

I take Jacob out of the stroller, put him in the baby swing, and push him back and forth slowly. He laughs and kicks his feet as I push him higher. It’s been a while since I could spend quality time with him, and this is the break we’ve both been needing.

When Heath dropped him off the other day, he refused to even see Magdalene, demanding that I come get Jacob and his things from the lobby. Talk about crushed, she cried for hours after that happened.

I did my part and retrieved Jacob from his father, but one thing I hate is being trapped in the middle of someone else’s feud.

“It’s not fair is it, kiddo?”

Jacob looks up at me with his big green eyes, poking his tongue between his lips as he blows more spit bubbles.

So carefree and completely detached from the shit storm happening around him.

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