illuminating the false domestic bliss of my life. R

," he said, tur

his lips brushed my cheek. It felt

ncern in his eyes. "Everyth

myself a glass of water, my hand steady. My

from behind. "The past still haunts you, doesn't i

m screaming. I simply nodded, pulling away from

any

ttle too quickly.

lled coffee all over my passport, ruining it completely. Robert had laughed, calling me clum

"But I need to get new photos taken anywa

e called, I felt the first small thrill of victory. He thought he had me trapped, a bird with broken w

spent the rest of the day at the library, using their public computers to dig deeper into the shell corporations Rober

a. "It's time we started going out again," he said. "

"Let's show off S

e she was, Scarlett Evans, holding court in the center of the room. She was wearing a blood-red dr

ayed on her lips. She glided over, w

voice dripping with false sympathy. "I

branded as "Sterling-Evans Design." She had taken

" I said, my voice

ooming. It turns out, having a CEO without a massiv

hey did. I could feel the eyes of

t Olivi

from thos

ve she'd show

in my face. A reporter from a sl

make a comeback? How does it feel to see

ice shouted, "Hey, I remember yo

hot and suffocating. It was five years ago, but it felt l

ave my wife alone! Can't you see how much she's suffered?" He held me, his body shie

me through the crowd, his face a mask of righteous anger. The

was watching Scarlett. She stood by the door, a look of pure, unadulterated pleasur

periodically. "I'm so sorry, Olivia. I shouldn't have made y

window, my heart ham

e thought I was sedated with the sleeping pills he'd so "thoughtf

airs. I crept to the top of the staircase, my bare feet silent on

essing my ear to t

arlett on

and excited. "She's a complete wreck. The public humil

od ran

replied through the phone. "I

anything I put in front of her. That life insurance policy is as good as ours. A little 'accident' on a w

e policy. An ac

ent with taking my com

planning t