ly

't breathe. I couldn't think. All I could see were his

say," he said through gritted teeth

e was going to kill me. Right here in front of Sarah,

going to die like this. Not here. Not now. No

as hard as I could, r

and let go of my throa

ran for the front door, gasping

rah screamed behind me

hospital clothes, my feet bare on the cold pavement. I di

yelling. The city was alive around m

was. Some street in Manhattan with bright lights and busy traffic. I looked bac

that I was standing in the middle of the road. The driver honked

oss the pavement and scraping my arms a

river yelled out his window.

ver. I had almost died. Twice in one night. A

. It was getting dark now, maybe around 9 PM. The streets were busy with pe

family. No friends. No money except

control. Everything I had worked for, everything I had

fancy car. A Lamborghini. The kind

a man inside. A handsome man in an expensive su

" he asked, his v

embarrassed. "I'm

. You look like you'

re like a sob. "That's a pret

billionaire. His face was on magazines and billboards all over the city

Stark," I s

curb in the middle of Manhattan, crying an

believe me i

y m

concerned, which was more than I could s

tried to kill me,

t serious. "Are

I don't know an

ve? I can give y

ve a home. He threw me out. He's li

lfri

month. Right after our divorce is final

moment, studying my f

ha

You can't sit out

nowher

'll come

"I can't. I don

I have a mansion in Upper East Side, and I promise you, I'm not go

Lily Wi

liams. Now get in the car b

anger wasn't smart. But what choice did I

in t

smelled like expensive cologne and money.

tell me about this

ed back in the seat, suddenly exhausted. "He's

appened

lost, about finding them in my bed. About Alex trying to strangle me. To

, he was quiet

we going?

eed a safe place

't pay

asking

ncier. Finally, we pulled up to a mansion that looked like somet

ere you liv

e parked the car and

n the outside. Marble floors, crystal chandeliers, a

called out. "W

s uniform appeared

us for a while. Can you get her settled in t

ir. Right thi

apartment had been before I married Alex. There was a king-sized bed,

ndly. "Take whatever you need. Dinner will be re

ime I had felt clean in days. I found a simple dress i

like a library, sitting in a lea

better?"

k you. For

r across from him. "I want to

in. Every cruel word, every moment of

d. "Seven years of marriage, and he was

all. I was just a placeholder un

're living in

house, the car, the furniture. Even the money I

I told you there was a way to get back at him?

do you

Lily. Sweet, sa

him. "I don'

me seriously. "I have a proposition for y

ka

rry

ke a bomb that had just gone off. I sta

did yo

of it as a business arrangement. You marry

stand. Why would yo

s. "Because I hate men who hurt women. And because I hav

? That's... t

everything from you. Your home, your dignity, your

About the way they laughed at me. About

ly are you

al events with me, play the part of the happy couple. In return, I'll gi

ter the

ed. Plus, you'll have enough mone

ng I had ever dreamed of. Revenge. Security. A ch

stranger? Eve

nk about it,"

e all the time yo

es

u stopped being the victim an