Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 134531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
Sally had, of course, helped me decorate the entire thing. Her eye was excellent, and I trusted her taste. Plus, I hadn’t really developed one of my own.
“I didn’t have many friends. Everyone I’d known from high school was in college. But I had Violet, and I didn’t mind. I viewed our life as perfect. We were talking about another child. I thought I was miles away from the life my mother had.”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
“He hit me for the first time after he’d come home late from work,” I pushed the words out on little more than a whisper. “I’d made roast duck. I was mad because it was my first time making something fancy, and I’d spent all day on it. I told him that. And he just punched me square in the face. He left me on the floor and went to bed.”
The tile was cool against my body, and my face was stinging with pain. I didn’t even cry. It felt like my body was not my own. Like I was living out a story, a movie, a scene out of something that couldn’t be my life.
Eventually, Preston came back.
“Come to bed,” he demanded.
I’d stayed on the floor.
My body tensed as he walked toward me. I flinched away from his hands. But he’d lifted me up and carried me to bed.
The next morning, I’d woken up late. Preston had Violet in front of the TV. He brought me coffee.
His hair was wet from the shower, he was dressed for work. I’d watched him approach carefully. This was my husband. The man I’d been married to for four years. The boy who’d stood up to my mother. He was my safe place.
And in that moment, he was a stranger.
He leaned in to brush the hair from my face, and I stiffened.
“Not too bad,” he murmured, inspecting the area where I suspected there would be a nasty bruise. “You should be able to cover the worst of it with makeup,” he told me, straightening. “Just so Violet doesn’t notice. I’ll tell my parents you both have the flu. You won’t leave for a few days, until you can cover it properly.”
I’d blinked at him as he spoke, unable to compute his even tone, as if we were discussing an upcoming barbeque.
It filled me with anger. Fury.
“You need to move out,” I blurted suddenly.
Preston’s face cleared. Completely. It turned horrifyingly blank.
“Excuse me?” he asked.
I sat up in bed, wincing at the pain in my face. It felt tight and hot. “You need to move out,” I repeated, stronger this time. “If you do, I won’t press charges.”
Preston’s features transformed into the patronizing expression he wore with waiters. It was something I’d never realized I hated until this moment.
How he looked down on almost everyone.
Including me.
“You won’t press charges,” he informed me jovially. He seemed amused.
That only fed my anger. “You hit me,” I gritted out. “That is a crime. One that you could go to jail for.”
Now he laughed. Laughed in my face.
“No, sweetheart, it’s not,” he proclaimed once he was done. “My father plays golf with the chief. They go way back. Most of the force have mortgages with our bank. They know what would happen if they convicted an Edwards.” His eyes tracked over me. “Not that anyone would take you seriously anyway. Not with who your mother is.”
His tone sickened me. He’d never talked to me that way. Spoken to me like he truly thought I was trash.
“I’ll leave,” I choked out, realizing what he was saying was true. “I’ll take Violet.”
His eyes blazed with anger. “How will you leave?” he scoffed. “Both of the cars are in my name. Same with all of our bank accounts. You don’t have a fucking cent to your name.”
I blinked at the truth. He was right. Everything was in Preston’s name. It had made sense at the time. I’d trusted Preston to take care of it all. I had my car, I had the card in my purse that I used to buy whatever I wanted for the house, for Violet.
But none of it was mine.
The reality of that fact was suffocating.
Preston smiled cruelly.
My stomach curdled in repulsion.
“Yeah, you get it, babe,” he sneered. “You don’t have a high school education. No credit score. No family. Nowhere to go.” I held my breath as he leaned down to brush my cheek. “I do love you, babe. And I intend on keeping you as my wife for as long as I see fit. Our marriage will be a happy one.”
He stepped back and adjusted his tie. “You just need to learn how to stay in line.” He winked at his reflection. “You need to get up. Violet needs to be dressed. And you need to clean up from last night. I’ll be home early. I have a sick wife to look after.” He leaned in to kiss me on the cheek before he walked out.