Rebecca pulled out a check and held it up between two fingers.
"There's five hundred thousand dollars on this. Consider it compensation for playing house with Miss Henson."
"For backwater villagers like you, this should be more than enough to last the rest of your miserable lives."
Ivan and Kathy's eyes lit up like slot machines hitting jackpot.
"Yes, yes, of course. Miss Fletcher is always so generous."
Ivan's gaze crawled over my body, greedy and slow. He muttered under his breath, "What a waste, though. A wife like that..."
Kathy jabbed him hard in the ribs.
"Don't push your luck. With this kind of money, you can buy whatever wife you want."
"Besides, you already used her up. She can't even give you a son. Worthless. Let her go."
I kept my head down, letting their words burrow into my ears.
My face was numb. Expressionless.
Rebecca had brought servants with her. They cleaned me up, combed my hair, and dressed me.
When I stepped out in a white sundress, Rebecca looked me over and burst out laughing.
"Marina, you used to look stunning in white. I had no idea it would look so... wrong on you now."
"I'm so sorry, sweetie. I really didn't expect your skin to be this dark."