Erased By His Lies And Love

Payn

e urgent care clinic said, his voice gentle. "It' s

ection Desmond had left on me, though

ny thing, barely a scratch, but he had acted like I' d been mortally wounded. He' d cleaned it with an antiseptic wipe,

ver existed at all. It was over. That

zed with a t

d okay? I' ve asked my secretary to handle the

. He couldn' t even be bothere

. I don' t ne

se. The silence inside was a physical presence, pressing in on me from all sides.

He moved through the darkened living room, his silhouette backlit by the moonlight streaming throug

side me, his hand reaching out to stroke my hair. "Ariel," he murmured, h

oting up my arm from my stitched hand. "Do

t, I could see a flicker of surprise in his eyes, as if he coul

hand through his perfectly styled hair. "It' s been a hell of a night

d sincerity I knew so well. "You know you' re the only on

l, pathetic joke. I was the wife he kept hidden

e. He stood up, stretching. "I'll sleep in

g me alone with the throbbing in my

killers. As I passed the study, I heard the low murmur of his voice. He was on t

ow, all traces of sleep and alcohol gone. "Harrison has the original. We can off

e the person on the other end, pr

satisfaction in his tone. "She' s always been... emotional. But I think she finally und

being considerate. He had no i

he used to use only with me. "Everything is on track. The IPO is in a month. On that da

y proposal. The one

ause. His next words were colder, sharper, la

tand... the years I spent with her, clawing my way out of poverty... that wasn' t

ped my throat, something between a sob and a scream. I clamped my goo

ghtm

h... it was all just a shameful night

y hand was nothing. A dull, distant ache. The real wound w

sion blurring. A laugh, high and hys

nightmare. And I had fi

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