Charged for a Wife I Never Married

Summary

I was standing at the register of a high-end designer boutique, ready to pay for Sadie’s new work tote, when the terminal screen flashed an unexpected balance: $56,800.00.

My thumb hovered over the keypad. I frowned. "Fifty-six thousand? Wasn't the tote three thousand?"

Sadie leaned in, her gaze dropping to the digital display. "Why is it that much?"

The sales associate, a polished woman named Gia whose nametag glinted under the recessed spotlights, offered a practiced, symmetrical smile. She tapped a manicured nail against the bottom line of the screen.