Sean immediately released Tessa, who continued to fight off the urge to vomit. She braced one hand against the door jamb, afraid that her trembling legs would give out from under her.

Sean shook his head. “You got it all wrong, baby,” he assured Brittany in a soothing tone. “She came on to me, even though I kept telling her that I wasn’t interested, that the only girl for me was my Brit.”

Tessa gasped. “That is not true! Not even close to the truth. He attacked me, said the most revolting things, and I - “

Brittany gave her a vicious shove, hard enough that Tessa banged her head against one of the kitchen cabinets. “Shut up, you stupid whore!” she hissed. “And leave my man alone, do you hear me? Otherwise, I’ll make you regret it. I knew you’d be trouble the first day we moved in here, but if you know what’s good for you you’ll keep the hell away from Sean.”

Tessa was almost quivering in fear by now, hot tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, as she looked from a furious Brittany to a smug Sean. She longed to smack Brittany across her pudgy face and give Sean a vicious kick to his balls, but all she did was to shake her head and murmur, “You’re welcome to him. And he’s lying to your face, Brittany. I have never once come on to him. Sean is the one who started this, not me.”

Brittany scowled, clearly unwilling to believe that her boyfriend might have made a pass at another girl. “I don’t believe you. You’re just trying to cause trouble between us, maybe break us up. Why don’t you get your own boyfriend and leave mine alone? Don’t you have any morals, you stupid slut?”

Sean gave Tessa a very self-satisfied smirk as he wrapped an arm around Brittany’s shoulders, hugging her close against him. “Brittany is all the woman I need, aren’t you baby?” he cooed, nuzzling the side of her thick neck. “How could you ever think I’d want anyone else? Tessa here is only trying to make trouble, just like you called it.”

Debbie walked inside the kitchen next, carrying a wailing baby in one arm while tugging a squalling Cooper along with her free hand. Kimmie followed behind her a ways, seemingly engrossed in sending a text on her phone. “Jesus, what the hell is the matter now?” Debbie asked wearily. “Sean, take your son, would you, for Christ’s sake? And Brittany, Mia’s diaper needs changing. I’m not the goddamned nanny, you know.” She glanced then at her daughter’s sullen expression and then at Tessa’s tearful face, and rolled her eyes in disgust. “Someone want to fill me in on the latest drama here?”

“I walked in on this bitch trying to put the moves on Sean,” Brittany burst out. “She denied it, but I know Sean better than that. No way would he even look at another girl, much less try to make out with one. And I’ve got a feeling this isn’t the first time this has happened. Tessa’s trying to cause trouble between us, to break us up so she can have Sean for herself.”

Tessa stared at her dumbfounded. “You have got to be kidding,” she muttered in disbelief. “He’s probably the last guy on earth I’d be interested in.”

Sean glared at her, his masculine ego undoubtedly bruised by this outright rejection. “Brittany’s telling it right, Debbie,” he confirmed. “Tessa’s been making the moves on me for weeks now, ever since we moved in, and I keep telling her to knock it off.”

Debbie handed Mia to Brittany and released Cooper’s hand as he ran out of the room screaming about something. “Is that right, Tessa?” she asked menacingly.

Tessa shook her head emphatically. “No, not even a little. Sean’s been the one saying suggestive things to me, and I do whatever I have to do to stay out of his way. I don’t want to have anything to do with him.”

Debbie’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “So you’re calling my daughter and her boyfriend both liars? That they’re the ones trying to cause trouble, and not you?”

Tessa’s chin quivered at the threatening tone of Debbie’s voice. “They aren’t telling the truth about this particular situation, no,” she mumbled.

Debbie drew her cigarettes and lighter from her purse and lit up, taking a long drag before pointing an accusatory finger at Tessa. “Well, I happen to think they are telling the truth. That you have been trying to cause trouble between them. And I won’t stand for that kind of thing, you hear me? There’s enough shit going on in this house without you causing additional trouble, and I don’t need any more grief. I think you’ve overstayed your welcome here with us, Tessa, and that it’s way past time for you to go. So get your things and get out of here. Now.”

Tessa’s jaw dropped open in shock. “What? Just like that – with no warning or anything? Where – where am I supposed to go?”

Debbie shrugged, clearly unconcerned, and intentionally blew a stream of cigarette smoke directly into Tessa’s face. “That’s your problem. I’ve tried my best, offered you a home when you were a complete stranger to me, didn’t have to stick my neck out. And this is the way you repay my hospitality. I’m sure a girl like you must have a few boyfriends, maybe more than a few. Go crash with one of them. But I want you out of here within the next ten minutes, so better hurry and get your stuff.”

Tessa opened her mouth to protest, looking worriedly from Debbie’s grim, unsmiling face to Brittany’s plump, smug smile of satisfaction, and avoided glancing in Sean’s direction altogether. Kimmie was still tapping out a text, rather frantically at this point, and Tessa knew the situation was hopeless. She wished Michelle was here to go to bat for her, but knew that her friend likely wouldn’t be able to change Debbie’s mind at this point.

Fighting off both tears and an ever increasing surge of panic, Tessa walked down the hall to the bedroom she occupied. The few things of hers that weren’t already stashed in the trash bag were swiftly tossed in, along with a handful of toiletries she grabbed from the bathroom. When she returned to the bedroom, an anxious looking Kimmie was waiting for her.

“I just texted Michelle,” she whispered. “Haven’t heard back from her yet. I don’t know what to do, Tessa. I’m sorry.”

Tessa shook her head. “There’s nothing you can do,” she assured Kimmie gently. “Or Michelle either. I think Brittany has been working on your mom to get rid of me ever since she and Sean moved in last month. This would have happened eventually, and I’ve sort of been expecting it.”