o a digital

ently against the nightstand i

campaign had hit the legiti

of my supposed disgrace, branding me as

line, set above hit pieces that accused me

ies from legitimate merchants I h

nct to contact my legal team, but F

telephone from m

coldly stated, and forbad

led through

elled, my voice cracking. "The business I built

my phone chime

pted video mess

it, his expre

red at the screen, a cold numbn

footage of me changin

camera installed directly in

ak the footage to the public if I did

k with an uncontrol

, my head tilted bac

tening devices within his walls?" I demanded. "Or did

d-just for a heartbeat-toward the bedroom door, and I knew he was calculating how she had managed it. During one o

might crack, and for a split second, I saw t

cs and his own twisted ego. To punish her meant admitting hi

ing to contain the scanda

th appear weak," he argued, his tone maddeningly

eep the peace. Bury this," he told me, demanding my compromise to save his pride. He didn't want the

lready posted a gloating, coded mes

king a "certain naive civilian" for being so ea

ce that held my bones upright seemed to dissolve, and

attacker was now harboring my abuser

my silent horror

his arms open in a

to leave to handle Family business with S

back of my hand, the ta

udio and turned on

was already dialin

rived, the world w

ne being

to become hi