eli

care of Zora-to ensure the di

xpected was to be

, reduced to nothing more than

together and he only let o

housewife who's been nothing but a leech all these

dd

shaking her head as if s

ed because of me. be

noring Zora's weak whimper and t

trembling. "That way, Adeline won't feel so insec

were coate

ng beneath th

n an insecure woman, d

his voice softening as he

eason a family falls apar

ment something

p your mo

rough the room,

abeth froze, clear

an affair or not-none of that concerns you," I con

ickered between shock and anger, as i

ately. "Elizabeth isn't someone you can speak to

tugged at the c

she

r truly loved me, I had

zabeth returned, e

for nine months now tr

new exa

th reached for

away, shooting her

id. "People like Adeline," he pointed at me accusingl

lowered her head like

ght curl of her lips and the

ging into my palm as I forc

rian demanded, his tone turning cold again

m, my expressi

I would still obey him like a train

him one last cold glance, tur

line Carter,

thundered

t stop, not

hailed a cab, and went stra

the door shut and leaned against it,

f sacrifice and effort would reduce me to not

heavily in my chest,

off slipped

was done with

was let

ing to Elizabeth still ling

ds they still ha

shed myself off the d

toward my bedroo

nt I saw Adrian's name on th

ss," I m

ation, I reje

again an

a second thought before finally

ed onto the bed and stare

court, I would do whatever it

tter

I closed my eyes, wanting nothing more

y-but eventually

ad been asleep when I was

y phone. It was the so

Bang

ntly, my insti

d given me was in a decent neighborh

g could

Bang

came again-lo

as I stared towa

didn't

n't exactly part of Robbing 1

ho wa

Bang

echoed through

th, forcing myself to calm do

d peered through the peepho

ri

e found me and wha

e other side, loud and impatient. "Open this door now, or I'l

w tig

hell was

h enough to kee

causing a scene

o the count of th

umstances, I woul

anything went wrong, it would be

wo

h, I unbolted the doo

sed, glaring at him. "How dare you show up here

yourself," he said co

hut the door again, but his

d you walked out like s

ct, his hand close

ned sh

ded, trying to wr

rip only

want," he said, unmoved

agged me forward, pullin

ree hand to hit his arm. "Why should I take care of t

nly, my feet left the ground. Before I co

ou

t scolding. "Neither is she the one who stayed home all those years, living off

bas

mpletely. It wasn't until we reached the

d the ground, I grabbed h

n tormenting me, don'

wrapped his hand around my

t listen carefully, Adeline, if you don't come back and take care of that

nched as I g

elt like the worst

as what it took to finally cut him off for good. t

free and shot h

word, Adrian Carter, I

pulled open the passen

used condom lay discarded