Chapter 2

In the bathroom, I washed my hands over and over until the skin turned raw.

The woman in the mirror was pale, but her eyes were unusually bright.

Yesterday at the hospital, I'd overheard nurses talking.

The girl Liam had chased down so desperately --- her boyfriend was HIV-positive.

Standing there under the running water, I laughed.

There was still a divorce agreement locked in the desk drawer in the study. My lawyer had everything ready to go.

We were supposed to file with the court next week.

The evidence against Liam was rock solid --- infidelity, emotional abuse, psychological manipulation. I could have walked away with at least half of everything.

But now, I didn't want that anymore.

Half wasn't enough.

I wanted all of it.

I dried my hands, carefully folded the check into my pocket, and texted my brother back.

“The money situation is handled.”

Liam came home sometime after 3 a.m., reeking of perfume.

I was lying in bed, forcing myself to keep my eyes shut.

Liam glanced over at me and gave a low, quiet laugh.

"I know you're not asleep."

His shadow fell over me, carrying the scent of another woman.

He leaned down. His hot, alcohol-soaked breath hit the side of my neck.

The second his skin touched mine, a wave of visceral, uncontrollable nausea rose up from somewhere deep in my stomach.

I turned my head away and stumbled into the bathroom, dry-heaving over the sink.

Liam stood in the doorway.

"What's your problem, Ellie?"

I had my back to him. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to push down the churning in my gut and the dull, spreading ache in my chest.

"I'm not feeling well today."

Liam gave a cold laugh.

"Pathetic."

That night, he didn't come home.

The next afternoon, I got a call from the building manager.

"Ms. Hartley, Mr. Liam has moved a young woman into your property at Lakeview Manor."

My phone slipped from my fingers.

Lakeview Manor.

The one thing my mother had left me.

That house held every good memory I had. Even when Liam had driven the Hartley name into bankruptcy and had every property and car seized and auctioned off, he had never touched that house.

He knew what it meant to me.

This was his retaliation for last night.

When Liam came home that evening, I was waiting in the living room.

"Why that house?"

My eyes were red. My voice trembled slightly.

He shrugged off his jacket, his tone casual.

"Cara likes it there. It was just sitting empty anyway."

I stared at his indifferent profile, and felt something hollow out in my chest.

"That house is mine."

Liam turned to look at me, and there was nothing in his eyes but contempt.

"Wake up, Ellie. Everything you have right now is because I allow it --- including that house. The Hartleys are finished."

"If you're good, maybe after Cara gets tired of it, I'll let you have it back."

I clenched my fists until my nails broke the skin.

"Liam. You're going to regret this."

Liam smiled, but his voice dropped cold.

"Regret? Ellie, you're the one who should be regretting things."

I watched him turn and walk away, and I fought back the burning behind my eyes with everything I had.

A second later, my phone buzzed. A message from my brother.

“Ellie, the check --- it looks like it's been frozen...”