Mrs. Bet came back home looking pretty upbeat. The lovebirds, Selena and Mr. Bet seemed happy enough, but you could feel the chill in the air between them. Gone were the days of sweet gazes and whispered words. Yep, it was a definite coolness.


    Even when they got up close and personal, intimacy wascking, and Ava couldn''t help but feel a pang of sympathy for Mrs. Bet. Being a woman herself, she knew all too well that love-or theck of it-made a big difference when it came to intimacy. Without the warmth of love, just going through the motions wasn''t going to bring any real joy to a woman, let alone win her heart back.


    She nced over at Everett, looking as frosty as ever, and sighed inwardly. The poor guy just didn''t get it.


    Men, they were all the same! Handsome or not, rich or poor!


    Ava figured Mr. Bet would eventually realize his mistake, and when he did, Mrs. Bet should definitely make him pay for it!


    After breakfast, Selena plopped down on the couch in the living room, pulling out her little notebook to jot downst night''s activities. She thought for a second, then drew three tallies.


    With Everett''s relentless appetite, maybe by the time they split up, they would hit that hundred mark, and that would be enough to call it quits, setting her free atst.


    She imagined a future with endless possibilities, no longer bogged down by a marriage that felt like a swamp.


    If she could get her uncle and Ricky settled, she might even skip town for a bit and see what else the world had to offer.


    The world was huge, and three years ago, she had boxed herself in by focusing only on Everett, that jerk!


    Only by getting stronger could she live life on her own terms and no longer at someone else''s mercy.


    With some cash in her pocket, she might even snag herself a young, charming guy. Isn''t it said that younger guys are quite the catch nowadays?


    Lost in her daydreams, Everett''s cool voice snapped her back to reality.


    "Mrs. Bet, you got the count wrong!"


    Selena blinked, looking up at Everett


    standing there with his arms


    crossed. She had indeed


    miscounted, only recalling up to the


    point she was too tired to continue.


    But why would he point it out?Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Sure enough, Everett continued, "Last night, it was just once!"


    Selena''s eyes widened, unable to "Everett, are you kidding?


    Oven know what you''re


    talking about? How are you proud of doing it just once?"


    "And why not once?" Everett replied, lounging in an armchair with his legs crossed, his eyes yfully sizing her up. "I never left, did I?" Selena caught his drift. No wonder he had lingered after they were donest night; she''d thought it odd. He had been plotting this all along! It was intentional!


    Her face flushed with anger. She''d seen people argue, but this was on another level!


    She almost spat, "You jerk!"


    Watching her all riled up, Everett felt a lot better. He was not angry at all and propped his chin on his hand, watching her. His leg brushed lightly against hers. "Mrs. Bet, thanks for thepliment. We can take our time settling up."


    Did she think she could just walk away with his money?


    Did she believe a hundred times would be enough to break free?


    She shouldn''t even think about it until he got bored with her!


    Everett nced at his watch, noting it was nearly time for his meeting He stood, pulling the fuming Selena up with him, and nted a lingering French kiss on her neck.


    Satisfied, he whispered huskily in her ear, "Mrs. Bet, I''m heading to the office. Tonight, wait up for me, alright?"