manipulative shrew underneath. She took a step back, her eyes darting

issed, the syrupy sweet

repeated, my

ractically fleeing the room. The silence she left behind was a relief. I

y was sho

rk stood there, his face a thunderous mask of rage.

the small room. "She came to me in tears! Accusing a pregnant woman, threat

lready tried and convicted me in his mind, based on t

ic fire, Mark," I said, my voice da

ck white bandages on my arm, the bruises blooming on my skin. For a split second, a look of genu

ickly as it came, repla

laced with justification. "But Emily was scared. She was trapped, panickin

you'd b

ucted to absolve himself of his unforgivable choice. He hadn't left me because he panicked. He left me because he had assessed the situatio

y love for him turne

y voice hollow. "You didn't know I'd be okay. You ran past you

oice rising again. Emily whimpered beside

me I was being 'dramatic'? Why have you spent every waking moment catering to her while I'm lying in this bed with a b

not capable of something like that! You're jus

uilt a life with, the man who swore to love and protect me, left me to burn. I'm hurt that you

at him, and saw a stranger. A w

o a whisper. "Was it really love? Or was it just to defy the 'de

flicker of gu

for three years, pret

ain. He had no answer. He couldn't defend the indefensible. He just stood there, a guilty

s all the conf