Chased by My Possessive Ex (Dylan) novel Chapter 9

Chapter 9

DYLAN

94

I woke up early, dragging myself out of bed despite the weight pressing down on my chest. Every movement felt sluggish, like my body was resisting the day ahead. I forced myself to get ready, pulling my hair into simple ponytail and slipping into comfortable clothes.

But no matter how much I tried to go through the motions, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this job wasn’t right for me.

Diane’s words from yesterday echoed in my mind. How she said I wasn’t qualified enough for a higher pay rate despite my professional experience. How she acted like she was doing me a favor, like she was tossing me scraps now that I was no longer Beckett’s wife.

I should’ve seen it coming.

People like Diane weren’t friends with me–they were friends with Beckett’s wife. And now that I was no longer that person, I was nothing more than a charity case to her.

Did I really need to put myself through this? Did I have to swallow my pride and accept this humiliation just because I needed money?

My fingers hovered over my phone. I was about to call Diane to tell her I wasn’t going to take the job when a sharp, aggressive knock echoed through the small apartment.

I frowned.

Nobody knew we lived here. My parents had been careful about keeping our whereabouts under the radar, especially after everything that happened. Had they mentioned someone coming over? I tried to recall, but nothing came to mind.

The knock came again, louder this time.

Cautiously, I approached the door and cracked it open only to be met with the sight of a middle–aged woman glaring at me like I’d personally offended her just by existing.

Her hands were on her hips, her mouth already twisted into a sneer. I didn’t even have a chance to say anything before she barked out, “Who are you?”

Her voice was deliberately loud, like she wanted the entire neighborhood to hear.

I tensed, glancing around nervously. The last thing I needed was unwanted attention. “Hey, old lady. Would you please keep your voice down?” I said it before I could stop myself.

Her face darkened instantly.

Oh. Bad move, Dylan.

“Old lady?” she spat. “How dare you call me old lady? And who are you to tell me to keep my voice down? This is my property, and I’ll do whatever the hell I want! If I want to shout or scream right here, you can’t do a

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Chapter 9

damn thing about it!”

Great. Now she was definitely attracting attention.

I took a slow breath, trying to rein in my frustration. “Look, I didn’t mean any disrespect,” I said, my voice more measured this time. “But who are you, exactly?”

She scoffed, crossing her arms. “Who am I? I’m the owner of this building! Now, who the hell are you?”

Realization hit me. Of course.

“My parents are renting this place,” I explained as calmly as I could. “I came to stay with them for the meantime.”

Her expression twisted even further, if that was possible. “Oh, so those two rats even managed to bring another mouth to feed when they can’t even pay their rent on time?” she sneered.

My stomach dropped.

Before I could respond, she barreled on, her voice laced with irritation. “Where are they? Tell them they need to pay up now, or I’m throwing them out on the street!”

I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my emotions in check. But the humiliation burned deep.

I swallowed down the sharp retort sitting on the tip of my tongue. Fighting with this woman wouldn’t do me any favors, but God, it was hard to bite back my frustration.

“My parents aren’t home right now,” I said, forcing my voice to stay even.

“Well, isn’t that convenient?” The landlady rolled her eyes dramatically. “They’ve been avoiding me for weeks, and now, when rent is three months overdue, they’re suddenly missing?”

I stiffened. Three months?

“Look,” I started, trying to keep my temper in check. “I know it looks like they were avoiding you, but I’m sure they’re trying to get the money together. My grandmother recently passed, and-”

The landlady scoffed, cutting me off. “Oh, please! You think I haven’t heard that sob story before? ‘Oh, I just need a little more time!‘ ‘Oh, my situation is complicated!‘ Blah, blah, blah!” She waved a dismissive hand in my face. “I don’t care. What I care about is getting my damn money!”

I clenched my fists.

“So, unless your parents are coming back today with a check in hand,” she continued, her voice dripping with condescension, “then I don’t want to hear any excuses!”

“I don’t know when they are coming back. But I can assure you that once they’re back, they’ll have your money. I promise,” I assured her.

“I’ve given them more than enough time to come up with the payment. If your parents aren’t here to pay for what they owe me. Then, why don’t you pay for it?”

Chapter 9

My stomach twisted. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me, princess.” She gave me a once–over, her eyes narrowing like she was trying to figure out how much I was worth. “You look like you’ve lived a cushy life. You must have something–savings, jewelry, a rich ex–husband willing to throw you a bone.”

Her words hit their mark.

I did use to have money–a lot of it. A life filled with designer clothes, luxury vacations, and a bank account that never dipped below six figures. But that life was gone. The money, the security, the power–it all disappeared the moment I signed that prenup.

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