He sat up, serious for once, his gaze steady. “No,” he whispered. “I could never hurt you. I’d rather die than see you in pain.”
And I believed him. Completely.
But that version of him was gone.
He hit me again. And again.
The second slap made me taste iron. The third made something inside me snap.
I stared at him, trembling, my face wet with tears I hadn’t realized were falling. He stood there breathing hard, like I had offended his existence.
I reached for my ring, pulled it off, and threw it at him. It hit his chest and rolled to the floor. “Let’s divorce.”
For a second, he looked stunned. Then he laughed—a low, mocking sound that filled the space. “Divorce? You think it’s that easy?”
He took a step toward me, smirking. “You signed a prenuptial agreement, remember? You get nothing. And even if you try, my family would never agree to a divorce. They condone it. They’ll side with me, Emerald—they always do. Even your parents!”
“I don’t care,” I whispered. “I’ll convince them if I have to. I just don’t want to see you anymore.”
I turned toward the door, ready to leave, to finally walk away. But before I could take another step, Nathan grabbed my arm and pulled me back.