Before we'd built ourselves up from nothing, that woman had made his life hell.
She'd forced him to eat slop meant for pigs. Made him kneel before her.
On our wedding day, she'd shown up at the venue and set a fire.
Our ceremony had only made it halfway through.
After all that suffering, Ray—and his entire family—were now protecting this woman. I couldn't wrap my head around it.
When I exposed the truth, Ray scrambled to cover it up.
"That's all in the past. Why bring it up now?"
The elder Dickersons didn't seem to mind either.
Of course not. After all, she was pregnant now.
I lifted my chin, forcing the tears back.
"Ray, you've loved her for years. Now that you're rich and she's carrying your child, you brought her back."
"You got your parents to accept her. All of you, letting bygones be bygones. How pathetic can you be?"
A slap cracked across my face.
I stumbled, barely catching myself.
The burning sting on my cheek deepened my despair—but it also hardened something inside me.
"Marital assets. I'm still entitled to an equal split."
"Ray, don't push this too far. I've agreed to the divorce. But if you think I'm walking away with nothing—"
I swept my gaze around the room.