Chapter 3

3

Natalie stumbled backward, utterly shocked that the man who had always obeyed her was fighting back.

"Who do you think you are compared to Marcus? Now everyone knows what happened! How am I supposed to marry him now? You just can't stand seeing me happy, can you?"

She sank onto the floor, hurling her bag at me like a madwoman.

"This isn't the first time you've ruined things for me!"

"Last time, when I was in Marcus's arms kissing him, you blew up my phone asking me to come home for dinner."

"Nolan, why are you always such a buzzkill?"

"I'm sick of you interrupting whenever Marcus holds me! Do you have any idea how upset you made him?"

"Divorce me! We're getting a divorce right now! Looking at you makes me sick to my stomach!"

She covered her nose in disgust as she spoke.

I could not suppress the rage boiling inside me anymore.

I slammed my fist onto the coffee table, making it rattle with a deafening crash.

Ten years of marriage, and I never realized how utterly shameless Natalie was.

She had ripped out my devoted heart, stomped on it, and complained that it bruised her feet.

All those nights I waited up for her at home, she was sleeping with Marcus and mocking my stupidity.

I wanted to kill her.

Yet, thinking of our eight-year-old daughter, I forced down the murderous impulse.

I could accept a divorce.

But I had raised our daughter with my own hands, and I would never let Natalie take her away to call another man daddy.