The Price of His Control

antiseptic. It was a world away from the cold, glass-and-steel cage I had left. The first thing I did was block Mark's numbe

about Mark and Lisa. It made a sick kind of sense. They were two of a kind. Both obsessed with image, both deeply selfish, both skilled at using a

asted for

to enjoy a simple plate of pancakes, when the bell on the doo

vinyl booths. Lisa was right behind him, a shadow in a designer dress. They

canning my simple sweater and

re eating?" he said, his voice a low command. "It's

my pancakes, looking right through him as if he were a ghost. My

e, Sarah? You're going

e, his hand moving to take

d," I said, my voic

eing told no. He swatted at the plate, not just trying to take it, but trying to knock it out of my han

ced gesture of placation. But she chose that exact moment to stumble, her ankle tw

e saw his loyal assistant, hurt while trying to man

ss the table a

pain. But the bigger shock was the act itself. He had never hit me before. H

p at Mark with wide, innocent eyes. "Mark, it'

against me. She looked at him with such adoration, such loyalty.

mess on the table, then at Lisa on the floor, and final

The water was cold in my hand. I looked directly at L

the water

perfectly made-up face, her expensive

ping one, unable to process what had just happened. The woman he had controlled for y

y sputtered, his voice trembling with rage.

" I

the space between us. It was a c

d a twenty-dollar bill on the table to cover the pancakes and left