The Empire He Sold To Her

hen back to my face, a mask of dawning horror. "Mrs. Woods... you... you can't be serious.

stark contrast to the storm raging within me. "Then call him. Te

ate, chilling finality in my eyes. He pulled out his phone, his fingers fumbling

ust basic human decency. That he would declare this whole sordid arrangement a misunderstanding, a joke gone wrong. Five years of marr

ome back.

h and irritated, boomed from the speaker, making Grover flinch. "What is i

his voice barely a squeak. "Mr. Salazar is almost here, and

edulous laugh. "Elena? Signing? What the hell is she

ilent command. He turned back to the phone. "She... she says she's pre

k. He'll eat her alive." He paused, and I heard a muffled giggle in the background, a woman' s soft sigh. Brittnie. "Fine. Whatever. Just get it don

ing on the crimson dress, imagining our rekindled passion. While

ed. It wasn't a death, but an execution

fell. Not yet. Not for him. I wo

gh the ringing in my ears. "Send him the

he tablet. "But... Mrs. Woods, M

my patience gone, repla

louder this time, infused with a fresh wave of irritation. "What? More papers? Grover, if you keep interrupt

background, unmistakably Brittnie's.

y and thick with desire,

ul e-signature. My divorce was finalized. J

. A click, a harsh, final sound. Li

mb, the tablet still in my hand. Five years. Five years of my life, my love, my loyalty. Reduced to a few lines of legal

r. And another. They came unbidden, a betrayal from my own body. My face felt frozen, rigid, but the tears kept flowing,