The Price Of Love, A Life Reclaimed

of Sophia' s office before the doorbell rang. I limped to t

it, her eyes sweeping over me with open contempt. She didn'

her voice dripping with disdain. "It's bigger than I thought

. "What do you w

But seeing you is... an added bonus. Chloe is hosting a small get-toget

unch to the gut.

's doing so well. And Chloe is so happy. It's a shame what happened, but I su

. I gave her nothing. I just stood there,

ng me this?" I ask

ou are nothing. A broken man living off the pity of a woman who felt sorry for y

n walked in, a wide, fake smile on his face.

ng light-hearted disapproval. Then he looked at me. "Etha

nt straight to my scars

sper. "Mark is a real man, Ethan. He takes care of Chloe. He gives her what

t out of my house," I said, my

d on my chest. "Hey, calm down, buddy.

I snarled, shovi

the face. The force of it sent me stumbling backward. My bad leg buckled,

at me. Mark with a look of fake concern

phia stepped out. She took in the scene in a single, sweeping

sk of cold fury. "Wh

y changing to one of sweet reason. "We just stopped b

hy there. Only annoyance. This was an i

him up," s

uch. I pushed myself up, using a nearby table for

you leave," Sophia said, her voice po

giving me one last, venomous

to her, his voice carrying clearly in the silent hou

t out a small

ited until they were gone, then

uldn't. The rage and

he cellar, Ethan," she said, her voice devoid of emotio

tch a gift for the people who had just assaulted

aughter pressing down on me. As I passed the entry

or, taken just moments ago. Below

inder of wh

The humiliation wasn't enough. The pain wasn

Let th

ade a promise to myself. I wasn't just going to expose th