He Broke Me, Another Man Fixed Me

ss Don of the Parks fa

't hesitate. He left me-his wife who had just been poisoned-pinned again

a Parks" died in

by Hamilton Nixon, a man who loved me in the sha

er man's son and that his mistress had been drugging him. Instea

e, and dragged me back to the

our marriage bed

stroking my hair as I struggled against the bond

sture. He thought he could erase the abuse wi

ed me. And he under

from the ashes not as his wif

ummit. He knelt before me on live television, holding a te

you back," he ann

destroyed me, then at Hamilt

lapels and kissed him

nto the microphone, watching his world sh

pte

na

n't even co

back, like a runaway dog be

ding a separation, demanding my freedom. I thought I ha

s na

y those who know the truth; it be

er of the Parks estate. The marble floor was just as cold

emanded, my voice

ble, his suit tailored to perfection, not a hair out of

k you can

ibrated through the floorboards. "You think

rembling despite my best efforts to hold it high. "You

ong strides, gripping my shoulders. His finge

d to do. For us.

hurt my throat. "There is no 'us'. There is you

, a crack i

ans to an end. You know the rules,

he barren vessel

. I need you here. I need you to be the lady of this house. If yo

elled his cologne-sandalwood and tobacco-a scent that used

to my hair. "I will mak

rigid in

we never had. I remembered the lies. But I also felt th

lock me in the tower. I ne

e word tasted like

. But I need spac

washing over his features. "Of course. Ta

he door. My phone buzzed against my thigh. I

are movin

avy, like a shackle. I opened the bottom drawer

on forced me to atten

his cuffs in the mirror. "We need to sh

g to every curve. It felt like a costume. It felt like armo

ensive perfume and the metallic tang of hidden violence.

I saw

n close to Candida. He wasn't touching her, not overtly. But the w

d to give me before th

he said, her hand brushing

bile rise i

epping away from her, and walked toward m

he nearby Capos to hear. "A token of

diamond necklace

"Ten million dollars. In you

ver. She hooked her arm through Jackson

package. You have nothing else, do you? No child. No real status.

mpagne, the perfume, t

and ran for the restroom. I barely made

e door banged open. Jackson st

hat?" he hissed. "Yo

he mirror reflected a woman I barely recognized-pale, hollow-eyed,

dly calm. "I saw the way you looked a

eir!" he shouted. "I have

to your twisted laws, she is your wife. And I am just the mistre

hat followed

be too hard on her, Jackson. She's just upset because she knows she'

flict warring in his eyes. But he didn't go

oment the last

I said. "For what you did to

g close, looming over me. "You

I summoned every ounce of

head in mock defeat. "I'll stay

ng his jacket. He thought he had

he said, an

faded. Then I looked at mysel

d gi

o

l died in th