Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 75891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Don’t play innocent with me. Did you have something to do with Charlotte losing her job?”
“As a matter of fact I did.” He didn’t speak for a good few seconds. Almost like someone won knew the answer but was still shocked to learn it was true.
“How could you do that? Why are you such a vindictive bitch?” Now it was my turn to keep silent. “When did you find out?” His voice changed once again. How did I never realize that he’s nuts?
“Does it matter? What matters is that I did and you’re a liar and you both deserve what’s coming to you.”
He ranted and raved about me being childish and claimed I should have come to him to talk things out before just leaving the way I did and cutting him off without a second thought. “You’re not worth it.” Well, that just pissed him the hell off. I’m not sure what he expected me to say; he was the one who cheated after all.
“Is that all you called for? I need to go ask my fiancé what he has planned for you and see if I can get in on the action.”
“You bitch!”
“Your mother!”
“Have you fucked him?”
“Every day since I left your place.” I snickered in his ear and held the phone away when he started screaming.
“Were you seeing him while we were together? And you have the nerve to judge Charlotte and me?”
“You wanna know the truth? He’s my one and only true love.”
I knew those words would eat away at him like a canker sore because he prides himself on being a great catch. “He’s the reason I never let you touch me.” Well, that did it. I didn’t know grown men could make that sound.
“Are you done? My honey bun doesn’t like me talking to other men for so long, so get whatever you have to say off your chest because this is the last time you’ll ever hear my voice.”
“You think this is over? It’s not over. I’ll make you pay for this, for stringing me along all this time and for destroying my life. You’ve made me redundant in my own hometown; no one will hire me. I bet you’re the one who spread the news about me losing my job and making it seem like I had something to do with what Charlotte did.”
“You can think whatever you want? Is that it? I need to go join my man in the shower. In the future, try not to be such a scumbag.” I hung up the phone during his rant.
JULIUS
I was about to head back into the room when I overheard her conversation. I hadn’t planned on telling her that I’d had him blacklisted since they had no reason to ever meet again in this life, but I guess the cat was out of the bag.
I didn’t do it because they’d been together; I did it because he’d hurt her. As much as I don’t want her talking to him, I learned something valuable tonight. She doesn’t really open up about our years apart, and I couldn’t bring myself to ask, but hearing her say that she’d never let him touch her filled the hole in my chest.
I had a shit-eating grin on my face, which I got rid of before opening the door and heading into the room, because if she knew I’d eavesdropped on her conversation, she’d have my balls for dinner. She likes to play the grown-up, after all, and pretend that her life was just dandy without me in it.
I’ve been feeling both guilt and some kind of twisted anger about the time we’d missed, knowing that it was my fault that she’d run into the arms of another man, but now I know that I’d been worried for nothing.
It’s not exactly easy being the only one with a family curse hanging around my neck like a damn noose, and she makes sure to remind me every day that she’s not the one who can’t live without me. Had she been anyone else, I’d have strangled her and left her body out in the wild by now.
That mouth of hers works overtime as soon as our paths cross. I sometimes get the feeling that she’s pushing to see just how much I can take or how willing I am. I’m stuck because, on the one hand, is my guilt and, on the other, is my mother.
Every sane man wants his woman and his family to get along, but these people take that to a whole new level. I’m not sure what she fed my mother, but Mom seems to think that I’m the biggest screw-up and not much of a man at that.
All because this one told her that I mistreated her and ran her out of the house. I have yet to get to the bottom of what I’d supposedly done, but Mom took it as gospel and gave me the cold shoulder for a few days until my soon-to-be mother-in-law broke out the wedding mags.