“Let me help you. What about Tina and Angelica being at your house?”        

            “It’s a business thing and I don’t think it’s your concern”

            “Well, since we’re talking about my wife and child, of course it is”

            “Ex-wife” the brunette corrected him.

            “Still, what if Mrs. Peabody discovers that, that’s not your real family and that you’ve been fooling her for the whole time?” he smirked again, and Bette was starting to feel the want to beat him.

Bette let out one of her fakest laugh ever, “How much do you want, Marcus?”

            “Well, let’s see. Not too much, twenty?”

            “Twenty it is. I’ll sign a check after Christmas holidays” she said looking into his eyes, “At one condition”

            “Shoot”

            “You won’t contact Tina or Angie until Christmas holidays are over”

            “They’re my family, if I want to I will”

            “Then there will be no deal” this time Bette was the one to smirk. She stood up and made her way to the table, but Marcus stopped her. “Okay, okay”

            “Contact my office. Give my assistant your number and address” she handed him her card.

            “It was nice to deal with you, Bette” he stood and walked away.

            It was a few days before Christmas and Bette and Alice were talking with Peggy about the last details in order to conclude the business. Tina approached the three of them and offered the tree women some delicious dessert, “Cookies, ladies?”

            “Mm-mm! Those cookies are delicious” Peggy uttered.

            “Well, where were we?” then Alice added. “Oh yes, the contract to move”

            Tina stopped dead as she was going back to the kitchen “Move?” she asked.

            “Don’t worry about it, darling. It’s business you wouldn’t understand” Bette laughed nervously.

            “Oh I think even my little brain can understand what it means ‘to move’. Will the mall move to somewhere else?” she asked Peggy.

            “Oh yes, of course. And that means that most of your employees will lose their jobs. But you said that’s not a problem” the rich woman said, turning to Bette. The brunette stammered but Alice came to the rescue “No, there’s no problem at all. Because we have already a plan, it will be just fine”