The Hour He Never Gave

After Pierce Emery and I got back together, I started "renting him out."

Every time his old flame, Daphne Roach, called him away, I stopped crying and causing scenes like before.

I charged by the hour instead.

Ten grand an hour during the day. Twenty at night. Triple on holidays.

Three months later, my account was up almost two million dollars.

Pierce had promised to help me pick a dress for a banquet, but Daphne called him crying, saying she'd sliced her hand while cooking.

I didn't even look up. I just held out my phone with the payment screen open.

One night, I came down with a brutal fever. While Pierce was driving me to the hospital, his phone rang again.

Daphne.

He stared at the screen for a long second before answering.

Her voice came through shaky and tearful. "Pierce, the thunder's so loud. I can't sleep. Can you come stay with me?"

I quietly pulled out an umbrella and told him to let me out at the next intersection.

He looked at me like he wanted to explain something, but I just smiled.

"Don't forget to transfer the money."

The same thing happened again on the day our daughter went in for her routine checkup.

Except this time, she was the one asking him for money.

The guilt on Pierce's face vanished instantly.

He shot to his feet and pointed at Ellie. "Lucia Leighton, is this what you teach our daughter?"

I calmly pulled Ellie behind me. "What's wrong with it? If she can't get love, she might as well get money. Better than ending up like me and learning that after a divorce."

Pierce went silent.

The tension hung in the air until his phone rang again.

Jared's voice blasted through the speaker. "Hurry up! You promised to ride the Decepticon coaster a hundred times with me!"

At that, Ellie's grip tightened on my clothes.

She'd begged Pierce over and over to take her to an amusement park. Every single time, he said he was too busy with work.

Noticing her reaction, Pierce didn't answer right away this time.

He reached over to pat her head. "Be good, Ellie. Go with Mommy to your checkup today. Once you're better, Daddy'll take you to the amusement park, okay?"

Ellie dodged his hand and blinked up at him. "It's okay. Just send me the money."

Like he hadn't expected that answer, Pierce's face went completely dark.

Before leaving, he snapped, "Lucia, you and your daughter can keep this up if you want. Unbelievable."

The front door slammed shut, making my heart jump with it.

Ellie tugged on my sleeve and stood on her tiptoes, holding up her smartwatch. "Mommy, look. Daddy added so many zeros. Is this enough for my surgery?"

I looked at her face, forcing down the lump in my throat. Then I crouched and pulled her tight against me.

"It's enough. After your surgery, we're leaving this place."

Once I pulled myself together, I took