Free The Wrong Side of Midnight by Terri Marie

throws no one out, and works with people. She owns the building, so I'm not worried about it."
    "Matthew still hasn't figured out who you are?"
    "No, but that'll happen any day now."
    "Let me guess, you sent him money?"
    "Not quite…" Chloe explained as much as she could with the little time she had left before work.
    "I'm proud of you, love. You're such a good person. If and when he does find out, I'll be behind you a hundred percent."
     
    ∞  ∞  ∞  ∞
     
     
    Sherry had a hot cup of coffee in her hand and held it out for Chloe. She gratefully accepted it and sat at the table with her new boss. She wrote down the tasks she had to do, then set off to find the supply closet. Being in the hallway gave her a headache at first, but after a short while she didn't notice the smells. She got to know some of the tenants when they went in and out of their apartments. They were all kind.
    While Chloe cleaned, her mind churned. Even though she knew that keeping Matthew wasn't going to be an option once he found out, it hurt her just the same. Preparing herself for such a horrible loss was so hard, and just the thought of it brought her to tears.
    She cleaned meticulously, and Sherry was very impressed. What she didn't know was that Chloe was trying to clean off her own black marks. That's exactly what she'd become in Matthew's eyes. A big black mark… Please, just let him get the truck before he leaves.
    At the end of her day, Sherry approached her with a look of concern.
    "Did I do something wrong? I'm new at this, so if I messed up, I'll go back and fix it."
    "No, dear. Can you come and sit for a minute?"
    Chloe sat down on the edge of her seat in the office, not because of the dirt on the fabric, but because of sheer nerves.
    "What's bothering you, Chloe?"
    "Nothing's wrong, I'm just tired I guess."
    "Listen, no matter what it is, you can come and talk to me."
    "I'm okay, Sherry. I'll keep that in mind." Chloe wasn't looking forward to the impact her deceit was going to have on these people she cared about. She wasn't even honest to Matthew about her parents or her best friend's real identity.
    Chloe opened the door to her apartment and then slid to the floor. Maybe she wouldn't be able to keep the new wonderful feelings she'd gotten from people accepting and loving her, but at least she now knew what it felt like. For that, she was thankful.

 
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
     
    Matthew didn't get his lunch break until two o'clock, and he was famished. Being across town made it impossible for him to stop home, grab some food, and then be back at the job site in thirty minutes. He hurried out of the house, late again, and was unable to pack himself a lunch. His father was taking more time in the mornings to get up and take his treatment. His coughing spells were lasting longer, worrying Matthew so much. He wanted to take him to the doctors, but his father refused due to the medical bills that were piling up.
    It'd be three more days before he was able to pay himself and the crew, but he needed food and his lunch break was almost over. Hopefully there're a few bucks in the account. Pulling up at an ATM, Matthew used his debit card to check his balance and pull out ten bucks if he could. Fifty thousand, thirty-seven dollars on the receipt under ' balance ' made Matthew crack up. Are you kidding me?! Even though it was a rush to see that kind of money, he knew better than to touch it. The bank made a gross error and would demand every cent of it back . Man that looked amazing, even though it wasn't mine. Shaking his head, he took his ten dollars and headed to a drive-through. He wouldn't bother calling the bank; they'd be quick about recovering that amount of money. I can't wait to show this to Chloe. She'll laugh as hard as I did.
     
     
    ∞  ∞  ∞  ∞
     
     
    Chloe was glad to be working. Her anxiety about this contest was making her crazy. She was tempted to call the dealership and find out what the delay was. While