I figured it was Mr. Harrison calling to cancel, but when I squinted at my phone, it was actually my bestie Lily.
The second <b>I </b>picked up, she went off like a freaking machine gun in my ear.
“Harrison’s wife is absolutely unhinged!”
“She calls me at midnight saying their kid’s having a breakdown, lies that you’re MIA, begs me toe check on Pearl. I walk in and this psycho starts bawling that Harrison didn’t just find one recement–apparently he found TWO<i>!</i>”
“I visit their house like twice a year, and always with YOU, but somehow I’m some homewrecking recement? Make
it make sense!”
“We look nothing alike! When I asked why she thinks I’m a recement, guess what she said? Because we both have ‘Lily‘ in our names. I literally can’t even-”
The string of F–bombs that followed made me hold the phone away from my ear.
Lily’s actually an autism specialist–she’s the one who got me this gig with Harrison.
Unlike broke–ass me though, Lily’s trust fund royalty. Like, makes the Harrisons look middle–ss.
“Did she forget I was literally at their wedding? She seemed normal back then. What the hell happened?”
“I told that crazy bitch exactly where she could shove it before I left, but I feel bad for poor Pearl…”
“When I was leaving, she was just staring into space again. She’d been doing so much better with you around all these
years<b>…</b><b>‘ </b>
Lily sighed before warning me:
“Word is Kira bailed originally because she couldn’t handle having an autistic kid.”
“He’s gonna call you back for sure, but don’t cave. Get tangled up with someone that batshit and you’ll never get out.”
Sure enough, thirty minutester Harrison called, sounding like he’d been hit by a truck:
“Evelyn, I’ll double your sry. Pleasee over now–Pearl won’t stop crying and I’m at my wit’s end.”
Thinking about my current ten–grand monthly sry doubling to twenty, I gritted my teeth, threw on my jacket, and
hauled ass over there.
When I got to the Harrison house, I didn’t hear Pearl crying.
Instead, Kira was cooing all sweet:
<b>13:23 </b>
Hell Yeah. Forget the Other Woman. My Smart House Was Cheating On Me!
22.19%
Chapter <b>2 </b>
“Baby, I told you–I’m her real mommy. Of course she needs me most…”
Then Kira spotted me in the doorway and her voice went shrill: “Why the hell are you here again?!”
“I knew you hadn’t given up! Still thirsty for my husband! But newssh–now that mama’s home, there’s no room for cheap knockoffs!”
At 3 AM, the Harrison mansion was lit up like Times Square, with the butler and staff looking like they wanted to die.
They were already pissed about Kira’s drama keeping them up, and when they heard hertest crazy talk, a few couldn’t keep poker faces.
Kira caught them and went full Karen mode.
She pointed at the butler and screeched:
“You think this fake’s gonna rece me, so you’re brown–nosing Evelyn, right?”
“Did you tell this slut she was the first woman Harrison ever brought home?”
“ying matchmaker for their little romance!”
The butler was done.
Everyone knew Harrison had a wife and autistic kid. Women came through this house all the time–first woman my
ass.
The butler kept quiet while Kira turned on Rosa, the housekeeper:
“And you! Did you tell this homewrecker that you hadn’t seen Mr. Harrison smile like that in forever?”
Rosa looked totally confused.
Harrison Corp was crushing ittely, Pearl’s condition was improving–of course Harrison was in good spirits.
It’s 3 AM, nobody’s sleeping, and while the staff had to suck it up, I was over it.
“Mr. Harrison, if you dragged me here at ass o’clock for this shitshow, I’m bouncing.”
Harrison looked like death warmed over, rubbing his face:
“When I called you, Pearl really was losing it. But Kira managed to settle her down<b>.</b>”
“Sorry for the wild goose chase. Don’t worry, I’ll pay you triple–no, five times overtime.”
Kira was hanging off Harrison’s arm like a damn ko, giving me major stink–eye.
But when she heard about the overtime pay, she flipped:
<b>13:23 </b>
Hell Yeah<b>, </b>Forget the Other Woman, My Smart House Was Cheating On Me<b>! </b>
<b>22.49</b><b>% </b>
“Harrison, that’s OUR money! I’m not okay with-”
I wasn’t here for their Jerry Springer episode. My brain was stuck on Harrison saying Kira had gotten Pearl to sleep in
minutes.
Pearl’s had insomnia from hell since birth. No way she’d conk out that fast.
I pushed past them and booked it to Pearl’s room, gently tapping her tiny face:
“Pearl, wake up sweetie. Come on, wake up.”
The kid waspletely out.
Kira strutted in behind me, all smug: “Evelyn, I get that you’re salty. You thought you could y Harrison through my
daughter.”
“But you forgot about that mother–daughter connection…”
I jumped up and grabbed Kira’s wrist, going full mama bear: “What the fuck did you give her?”
I scared the shit out of her, and she spilled:
“I… I just gave her some Ambien…<b>” </b>