OTTE'

I expected when I w

type who saw women as part of a che

wasn't what I ima

as c

calm. The dangerous kind. The kind that

ry to charm me like most men would wh

ike I was another detail in a l

ed me off

't a d

wasn

room and stared at the ceiling, unsu

ose

my cheeks, but I wiped them awa

re. Not in Barry's house.

for

ng co

he already rui

ung more than t

as always about power. Always l

t

ned me. Like the version of me she loved h

day she moved on

instinctively opening my notes app, the

e: The

r imagined her signatu

ayed, trap

pped

wasn't fict

was m

morning," no "how are you feeling?" Just a cold

end a dinner at their estate tonight

rized puppy being

st closed the door and

rm

f into a dress that wasn't made for comfort and pr

oulder, sleek and subtle. Not flashy, not soft.

something out of a ric

oughts before you even had them. Everything screamed money, but it was

d in, dressed in black. Of cou

d at me like we were business

stab him w

d, I s

ised, an

ther and mother waited, looking like they had

said smoothly, rising to gr

e to roll my eyes.

me Adam. We'

ade my sto

e, small talk, and veiled warn

lips with a linen napkin, "What are your views

ed. "I'

believe secrets should stay between husband and wife? Or

here

ss, staring at his plate like it held a

onesty is useless if the person list

was a

ed. "She's smar

ill didn

e car. The silence between us was thick,

stepped in, I

our puppet

kno

uiet. If I find out wh

he cut in, h

ntua

I saw something flicker behind them

n it wa

stepp

ght Cha

oor c

write anything, I did

iling, wondering how many lies it wo

e this marriage wasn't t

unravelin

s stuck