Chapter 3

Less than a minute after I sent the message, my phone screen lit up.

Holden's reply practically crashed in.

[Send one more and see what happens.]

[You're in the city, aren't you?]

[This is my final warning. Stay away from Silas.]

Holden had connections throughout the city. It wasn't surprising he could trace this burner phone's IP address.

I needed to successfully divorce him before Holden found the owner of this phone.

My fingers flew across the keyboard as I replied.

[Silas says he doesn't want to live like a grass widow with you anymore.]

[Every time we're together, Silas says he can't live without me now.]

[Mr. Sterling, are you impotent?]

I waited a long time, but Holden didn't reply again.

Not until two in the morning, when the bedroom door was pushed open.

Holden's footsteps were stumbling, heavy, and completely erratic.

A thick smell of alcohol rushed into the room with him, like someone had knocked over an entire bottle of liquor, the fumes spreading rapidly.

Holden had never come home this drunk before.

He still didn't turn on the light. Only the moon pushed a small patch of light through the curtain gap.

I faced away from him, gripping the corner of the blanket.

Soon, the mattress beside me sank down.

Holden pulled up my pajama top, his fingers trembling slightly.

When he saw the bruises on my sides clearly, he completely lost control.

The next second, his scalding breath heavy with alcohol pressed down.

Holden suddenly flipped me over, his palm cupping the small of my back with force great enough to embed me into his very bones.

Before I could struggle, he lowered his head and kissed fiercely on those red marks I'd pinched onto my neck.

Then he kissed my lips hard.

Not a gentle touch, but a kiss filled with madness and fury.

His voice was hoarse and broken. "Silas, how could you let someone else touch you..."

My chest tightened. All the grievances and resentment rushed to my head in an instant. I could no longer pretend to sleep. I pushed hard against his shoulders.

"Holden, let go of me!"

"What are you doing!"

But not only did he not let go, he pinned my wrists above my head, immobilizing all my movements.

I was kissed breathless by Holden, tears falling uncontrollably.

Taking advantage of Holden pausing for breath, I turned my head away, my voice trembling as I spoke to him.

"Holden, I had an affair."

I bit out those words viciously, tears falling with my ragged breathing.

"I've been with someone else."

"I've already fallen in love with someone else."

"Aren't you a germaphobe? Aren't you the proudest person?"

"Then let go of me now! Divorce me!"

With each sentence I spoke, the violence radiating from Holden intensified.

He didn't fly into a rage, didn't push me away. Instead, he held me even tighter, so tight I could barely breathe.

He pressed his forehead against mine, those always-cold eyes red and frightening in the darkness.

"I won't divorce you."

"Silas, but I can let you compare whether your lover or I am better."