His words echoed in her mind, making her frown. Okay. He hadn’t been forced. He’d been a willing participant. Fabricated…what did he mean—
No. She wouldn’t be this person. Someone who overlooked cheating because she was in love. For whatever reason, he’d done it. Period. And there was no excuse for that. So that meant her only two options were to get rid of him, or leave her new life. She couldn’t allow herself to linger and risk him finding out about Lekzi simply because Alekzander was Sacha’s greatest weakness.
She straightened her spine. The next time she saw him, she would make it clear there was no reason for him to pursue this. If it seemed he was going to do so anyway, she would leave.
Hearing Angela singing a Maroon 5 song to Lekzi and Tanner out in the living room had Sacha’s heart aching. She didn’t want to give up her life. She didn’t want to start over with nothing and no one. She didn’t want that for Lekzi.
Maybe she wouldn’t have to. Justin had spoken to their family lawyer today. What if there was another option she could live with?
“Hello in there! You gonna walk the catwalk for us, or what?”
She almost smiled at Angela’s shout but didn’t quite make it because she was once again wondering how Alekzander would react if he found out about their daughter. His fuse was a long one, but once it ran out, one was smart to stand clear of the shit storm that normally ensued.
Smoothing her dress over her hips, she went out so Angela and the kids could rate her choice of date clothes. Or, at least that’s what she thought Angela had said earlier. Maybe she’d been mistaken, and her friend had said they would rate her dated clothes.
Angela whistled like a construction worker. “Well, damn, girl.” Her friend was drying her hands on a towel as she stepped away from the sink. Tanner was hammering at something in the playpen and Lekzi was happily kicking her feet in her high-chair after just having finished some fruit.
“You look like Kim a couple of years ago. Remember when she went caramel. Shiiit. You have the hair and the ass. And don’t tell me those thighs didn’t drive that gorgeous man wild at one time. Did I tell you I think he’s gorgeous? That smolder? Come on. It’s too bad he’s a delusional, disloyal, cheating ass. Anyway, look at these puppies.” She flustered Sacha by reaching out and pushing a finger into the side of one of her breasts. “You lucky beotch.” She cupped both her own much smaller boobs. “What the hell? I’m breastfeeding, too, and I look like a damn boy.”
“You do not look like any boy I have ever seen.” Angela was much thinner than Sacha, but she was gently rounded and was clearly a woman. “You are perfectly sized for your body type.”
“Uh-huh. Is this the only formal dress you have?”
Sacha looked down at the elegant sleeveless dress. It had no plunging neckline or open back, but it was still lovely. “Yes.”
“Thought so. Why didn’t you buy something new? You wore this to the last three benefits I dragged you to.”
Angela was often sent by her boss to stand in for her at charity dinners. Sacha suspected the friendly woman was secretly sharing the fancy meals and formal dances with her employee. And, in turn, Angela shared them with Sacha when Steve wasn’t available.
Feeling emotional all of a sudden, she turned away to get her wrap from the closet. “I have more important things to do with my money than spend it on clothes.”
“Oh, really?” Angela looked around her unit, then frowned. “Hey, where’s all your stuff?”
“I put it away before Alekzander could see it.”
“Oh, yeah. Guess he’d have wondered about the billion photos of baby girl, here.” She got Lekzi out of her chair and put her on a blanket in front of the couch. “So, what’s this important stuff you spend your money on? Shit must be invisible, ’cause I don’t see it.”
“I do not spend it, I save it. Some of it goes into an account I set up for Lekzi’s college fund, and the rest I put away in case I have to leave.”
“Well, since me and the boys aren’t going to let that happen, we’ll go shopping soon.”
Sacha gave Angela a regretful look as she laid her wrap over her arm. She was briefly distracted and became breathless when she remembered doing the same with Alekzander’s coat today. Up close his lips had looked velvety and firm, and she knew for a fact they were.
“Steve was accurate about one thing last night,” she said. “Alekzander will not take it well if he learns what I did. I cannot sit here and wait for that to happen.”
“Uh-huh.”