Chapter 3

3: 3

"Nice work last time. Now she doesn't have the nerve to make noise in front of me anymore."

"Come on, Nelson, listen to yourself. Women don't behave unless you teach them. So Madeline's finally too scared to say a word?"

Nelson laughed, low and sure of himself.

"Yeah. Hasn't dared come near me all day. Probably still at home crying. That's fine by me. Means she won't be nagging me about every little thing later."

Byron sounded a little surprised.

"You still planning to marry her? I thought you'd already made up your mind about your little intern."

"You don't get it. Someone's got to keep the house running. Sally stays on the outside, always ready to please me. A wife plus a mistress on the side. Works out pretty well."

He said it like a man laying out a strategy, and half the warmth in me went cold.

So in his head, I was nothing but the worn-out stay-at-home wife he'd stash at home.

Handling everything for him so he could stay comfortable while he chased whatever caught his eye out there.

My hands curled into fists without my meaning them to, ten fingers clenched white.

What he didn't know was that I'd already decided to leave him. Never again would I obediently play the good, devoted wife he kept locked up at home.

I didn't say anything. I turned and walked away in silence, and had Shirley find Byron's license plate for me.

A moment later, she sent it over.

I searched the garage for a while, and finally spotted that black Range Rover off to the right.

I was working out how to get the dashcam out when Nelson's car came rolling in.

And in the driver's seat, all in a fluster, was Sally Donaldson.

I ducked behind the car fast, and heard her complaining to Nelson without stopping.

"Boo-hoo, my coworkers are all bullying me. So much to buy and they sent me alone! I'm so tired~"

The man seemed to be soothing her softly on the other end of the line, and before long he'd hurried down.

On his face was a doting look I hadn't seen in ages.

"You should've told me sooner, I'd have gone with you. Sweetheart, you wear yourself out?" The girl hugged him tight and nodded hard against him.

I thought back to when Nelson's company was just getting off the ground.

He was out chasing clients, and everything inside the company fell to me to handle alone.

There was a renovation once, and I'd skipped breakfast and my blood sugar dropped.

A loose board came down and knocked me out cold, splitting the back of my head wide open.

They rushed me to the ICU, seven days and seven nights fighting to save me.

And when I opened my eyes, all I saw was the blame in Nelson's eyes.

"The renovation's behind schedule because of you. Is that fair to everyone else who's poured their heart into this company?"

Back then it hurt, but I still told myself he just cared too much about our future and had overlooked me.

Only now do I see he simply didn't care about me at all.

Didn't care what I gave up, didn't care that I got hurt, didn't care about my tears.

Watching the two of them tangled up together, something in me let go.

It's fine, Nelson. I don't care about you anymore either.

Not ready to be done, Nelson lit a cigarette, in a corner he wasn't watching.

The little sparks caught a pile of trash in an instant and spread fast.

I wanted to run, but Nelson's car backing up cut off my way, a wall behind me, tall cargo trucks on either side.

He grabbed Sally and rushed to get out, and all I could do was scream his name with everything I had.

"Save me, Nelson."

He only glanced back at me once, then turned and walked away without a second of hesitation.

My despair died out in his silence and his letting it happen.

Had he come to loathe me so much that he wished I were dead?

In the flames roaring higher and higher, there was no way out.