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Thirty arden tub, her hair slick with brown semi-permanent dye

"Color from a box" Albert made a series of tsk-tsk noises and adjusted the plastic hair cap covering her wet strands "It makes my heart hurt"

"Do you remember when I tried to dye it eant?" Disaster didn't cover it Her mother had been too mad to snipe at her—a first

"Blue" Albert laughed, a deeper sound than one would expect froed to look pristine, even noith half his face bruised up "A beauty queen with blue hair Thank God for eency hair stylists"

The stylist had had to strip the color out of her hair and start fresh She'd sht it would be more pastel blue and less electric blue"

He sat down on the vanity chair opposite her, his unlined face peaceful "Things so seldoo exactly the e plan"

Wasn't that the story of her life She was supposed to be a trophy wife She'd gotten close She'd married Taz, but he hadn’t been on the hunt for a trophy wife He hadn't realized it, but he'd been looking for love, and she wasn't made for that kind of commitment And now she knehy Because it hurt—not just her, but everyone around her

"Albert, I'm so sorry about this I never should have involved you"

"Involved ht me tooth and acrylic nail to leave Essie here while you went down to Fort Worth"

"So I could blackmail Taz Another brilliant plan"

"Not your best, I'll agree, but you were desperate and backed into a corner"

"And look how er of a ed into a gunfight Essie was right back where she'd started "I should have just taken Essie to another country and lived under a fake name"

"You knew as soon as you got Essie out of Redfin that Jarrod would never give up until he took her back That's the real reason you went to Fort Worth with that cockaet a million dollars from your ex-husband Because you don't kno to just ask for help"

Was he right? Had she just been looking for an excuse to ask for help? She'd like to have said no, but there wasfor help had never been on her list of talents Hell, she'd been raised to believe that it did nothing but ht trouble to innocent people's doors

She clasped her hands together as tightly as she could, the pain helping to center her "I asked for your help, and look what happened"