Served Scraps By My Cruel Husband

e, but now I was a ghost in my own kitchen,

as insane; he sat with his mistress, Kandace, an

the world into believing I was unstable, and made

sion, a calculated risk to protect my

t my silenc

into a hollow shell, unaware that I

ed my father' s grave, the last ember of my old li

not just escap

rs and fraud with me, and I won't stop

pte

bowl. My hands were steady. Too steady, perhaps,

ice, sweet as poison, drifted from the dining room. "Unless

steel of the spoon showed nothing. Just blank

t." My own voice, flat and even. "I

ndace' s eyes on my back, even through the wall. Jud

ry crease. My fingers moved with deliberate slowness. Every g

air, her perfect, predatory smile. She watched me, her gaze lingering on my hands,

etched, thick a

ow, possessive gesture that felt like a physical blow. Their laughter, light and intimat

mooth, the voice that once promised me fore

ling, guess what? Our little Leo slept through the night! I'm practica

ace's shoulder. A flash of something unreadable

rds were automatic, a well-rehears

mor at the corner of her lips. She didn't like my c

clock on the wall ticked loudly. Breakfast. It was always

l. It was Leo' s, thick and creamy. He was just a b

d into his own. "Cassie, are you going to join us

"No, thank you, Bolden. I have

eet. "Come, sit with us. You' ve been working so hard." She pat

"It' s quite alright. I prefer to be on

xchanged a glance with Bolden, a silent communication o

ng them. Bolden had made me kneel in the scorching sun for hours, my skin burning, my knees raw. It was a warning. A brutal lesson that any defian

eggs onto a plate, then slid it across the table towards

to scrape the scraps into the trash, as I always did. But Bolden' s eye

waste that. Do you have any idea how much those truffles cost? Such a precious ingredient." He spoke with a false k

, a silent spectator to the spec

discarded napkin, picking up the croissant. It was stale, congealed with egg yolk. I brought it to my lips. It took every ou

ispered, forcing a smile.

er chair back with a loud scrape. "Bolden, no! This is too far!" She look

n's voice was low, dangero

t? Fear? It didn't matter. I had a