Part 3Wanted: A Spouse

At three in the afternoon, I was in a meeting when my phone started buzzing nonstop.

David shot me several dirty looks.

I offered an apologetic smile and slipped out, hiding in the restroom to take the call.

"Leo's mom? School's out. When are you coming to pick him up?"

Leo. That was Leah’s son.

I fought to keep my voice steady. "I'm not his mother!"

The voice on the other end immediately turned accusatory.

"As his mother, you've never once picked Leo up yourself. That's not very responsible, is it?"

"He's been looking forward to you picking him up all day. He told everyone how beautiful you are. Are you really going to break his little heart?"

"No matter how busy you are with work, a child's youth only happens once!"

My patience snapped.

My own youth only happens once, too.

Seeing that reasoning was pointless, I cleared my throat, plastered on my most sincere, professional smile, and purred into the phone.

"Hello, ma'am. Have you considered refinancing your home loan?"

"We offer low interest rates and fast approval. I see here that you have an excellent credit score…"

Before I could finish, she slammed the phone down.

I smirked and dialed back immediately.

"Hi there, I really think you should consider our company's offer…"

Finally. Blocked.

When David heard what was going on, he broke protocol and let me go home early.

But as I reached my front door, I got a call from an unknown number.

A cold, female voice drifted through the speaker.

"Ava. You didn't work late today. Looks like you listened to what I said yesterday."

"But Leo gets out of school at three-thirty. You're not cutting it as a new mom!"

"I can watch you now, but what about after I'm gone?"

"Who knows if a tramp like you will abuse my child!"

The voice was low and raspy, and it made my scalp tingle.

I slammed the phone off, my eyes darting down the empty hallway.

The motion-sensor lights were off, leaving everything in shadows.

A chill crept up my spine.

How did Leah know when I got home?