Married to the Man Who Killed Me

ye

been gone f

ment, was a ghost of itself, teetering on the

they once shared. Dust motes danced in the weak sunlight fi

ivia had rented. A plain cardboard box, sealed with

them. Leather-bound, cloth-b

g, neat and precise

ather-bound one. The spine was cracked,

faded blue. He

*

urnal - Firs

ney and fresh cigars. Harrison Cole, a man whose face looked carved from granite, laid out the terms. A merger of fami

indow, back to me. H

aid, his voice thin. He was already a broken man

hat else was

Hayes family heirloom gown, lace yellowed with time. Ethan

o say his vows, he leaned close. His

g more. Don't forget it." His voice

er of something, maybe defiance, maybe jus

an," I whispered b

ll, strangled gasp. My father simply stared at his s

His father proposed a toast to the happy couple. Ethan ra

rrying through the suddenly quiet ba

hot flush on my cheeks

ryone I was nothing to him. But I

ass. "To profitabl

me then, a flicker of surprise in

, leaving me s

opulent hotel suite, he didn't

he said, "You'll regret t

statement of fact, a promis

s how many times I found evidence of his affairs. A lipstick stain. A whiff of unfamili

l, sharp pain. At first,

ng night echoed in my mi

t marrying him. It was loving him, despite every

e's expensive, cloying perfume clinging to him lik

sneer, if I dared to even look at him

he apartment. A scarf. An earr

kitchen, trying to replicate a

t for her," he muttered, not to

within me. Not my love, that was too deeply roote

red to go out again, to

. My voice was

now, Olivia? Can't

t a di

s hung i

d. Then, a slow, wolfish grin

hed. "You finally c

make it ugly. He always underestimated

r across the polished hall table. A simple statement, written by me. I would walk away

uickly. Disbelief warred w

awyers? No demands fo

ser

was none. I was tired. So incredibly tired. And

our game,

. Just..

signed his name with a flourish on a divorce petition he'd had drawn up

ng over his features. "Tomorrow. Civil

as a familiar companion these d

ne of his lawyers waiting discreetly outside, stepped in.

won't cause trouble. She

ps. He pulled out one of his Cole Development

"In case you need a job. Though

ed me to throw it back in

en met his eyes. I smiled.

. I might just ta

ldered by my calm. He didn

l

d regret this. Not the di

not seeing.

t all, when i

quiet way, woul

*

Olivia's calm. Her strange smile. He remembered i

up anoth