Chapter 2

I called a car home. As expected, the wedding fiasco was already all over town.

I stood in the doorway and looked around. The place was full of Stella, every corner marked with something that belonged to her.

When Robert and I first got together, I only knew he had a few childhood friends. I never expected one of them would be a woman.

Back then Stella showed up uninvited, and she settled onto Robert's lap like it was nothing.

"You must be Maya. I'm Rob's best friend."

A woman's instinct is rarely wrong. I could feel how much hostility Stella had toward me.

After that, wherever Robert and I went, she came along. Every outing for two turned into three.

"Maya, Stella and I grew up together, we've never been apart. It's just one more person. Don't mind it."

It took me a while to come back to myself.

We'd bought this place together, once. Because I loved Robert, I'd bitten my tongue again and again.

But now, I didn't want to anymore.

I called a renovation company to come remake the whole place. Once it was done, Robert came back with Stella and the rest of them.

"Rob, and the bride, we've got plenty of games lined up for the wedding night. Better be ready."

I stood across from them, meeting their eyes.

Robert noticed the change first. "Who told you to renovate?"

I turned around, my voice cold.

"I don't want any trace of anyone else in this house. And I don't need anyone's permission."

In front of Robert I'd always been gentle and easygoing. What he never knew was that I'd tamped down my real nature only because I loved him.

Robert started to say something, but Stella cut in.

"Maya, since I stood in for you at the wedding today, I'll take the wedding night for you too. No need to thank me."

The words were barely out before Stella hooked a finger in Robert's belt and pulled him toward the stairs.

Maybe to spite me on purpose, Robert didn't even shut the door.

The sounds got louder and louder. I meant to go out, but my feet were rooted to the floor, and I couldn't move.

When it was finally over and everyone had gone, Robert came down bare from the waist up, covered in red marks.

Seeing me stare straight at him, he looked a little smug.

"Maya, as long as you behave, I can throw you another wedding. But if you don't know your place, you're the only one who gets hurt."

Looking up at him standing there above me, I suddenly gagged, and ran into the bathroom and threw up.

Stella slept in our master bedroom. I watched Robert throw my things out of it with my own eyes.

I knew he was sulking at me. Any other day, I'd have gone right up and coaxed him, groveling. But today I just waited until he finished, then quietly picked everything up.

The gasping came from the room all night. I put in my earbuds to shut it out, but my heart still couldn't help stinging.

The next morning, Robert was taking Stella back to the Sanchez house.

As they were getting ready to leave, I'd already bought a ticket to France and was reading through a travel guide.

"You're going on a trip?"

I hadn't heard Robert come up behind me, and now he stood there, staring at my screen without blinking.

I shook my head. "I'm leaving."