Chapter 317
hapter 317
Chapter 181: You Told Her
Reese
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The whisk in my hand scraped harshly against the bowl, metal clanging metal in a way that grated even my own nerves. I should’ve kept my goddamn mouth shut. I should’ve just kept baking. Pretending. Smiling. Talking. But there are days where my patience, my restraint, my carefully constructed mask slips–and today was one of those days.
Today, I was not interested in being the family shield or the family monster. Today, if someone wanted to start a fire, I was going to burn the whole house down with them inside it. Even if that person was my brother.
Roman slammed his hand down on the counter, the impact almost making the utensils jump. “I said, what the hell did you just say p>
His voice vibrated through the kitchen walls. The cabinets rattled. The air thickened with the kind of tension that could split bone.
All I had to do was say nothing. It would have been so easy. But easy isn’t something I am capable of. Especially not today.
Today I was tired. Tired of swallowing glass and calling it peace. Tired of being the designated villain of this family. Tired of pretending loyalty and silence was still something I owed anyone.
I wasn’t in the mood to be daddy’s shield today. If the general wanted to spit lies about me, then fine. He could choke on the truth.
So I talked. I looked my brother dead in the eye and repeated it.
1
“You heard me, Roman. Dahlia was planning to divorce you.” The words left my mouth sharp, unapologetic “Your wife was so miserable she wanted out. She was alone. She was suffocating. She was drowning in a marriage where she was treated like furniture you occasionally polished to make yourself feel good. Your wife was done with your emotionally constipated ass and she finally found the courage to leave p>
His jaw tightened. His eyes twitched. I could almost see the crack form in his chest.
“And
you know what else? ” I stepped closer, heat rolling off me. “Our father knows exactly what pushed Dahlia that far. He just didn’t tell you. Because he likes watching us tear each other apart. It entertains him. It works in his favor. ”
Roman froze. His entire body went still, shoulders rigid, breathing held, like I had just pulled a pin from a live grenade and dropped it between us.
Good. Let him feel it.
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09:24 Sat, Dec 20
Chapter 317
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“You think your ‘ once –in–a – blue–moon love‘ was enough? ” I hissed. “You think showing up with flowers sometimes and
kissing her forehead solved anything? You think staying awake to bake a fucking cake for her birthday would not have
meant the world to her? You think she didn’t cry because she had to lie next to a man who didn’t know how to be a
husband? She died waiting for you. Died hoping you’d look at her and see that she was lonely p>
I saw it hit him. The way his shoulders slumped in slow motion, the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed something
jagged. But there was no satisfaction in me. Just rage.
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“She couldn’t even ask her own goddamn sister for help,” I continued, voice rising, “because she knew Penny would run to
you the second she did and you’d do what you always do–talk your way out of accountability. You would convince her to stay in a marriage that had its hands around her neck and was choking the life out of her. You’d sweep her pain under the rug just because you, Roman Blackwood, couldn’t stand to admit you failed at something. That you sucked at being a
husband p>
That was the final match. Roman lunged. His fist locked into my collar, yanking me forward. His other hand lifted, knuckles curling, arm trembling, ready to break my face open. The wooden spoon clattered to the ground.
“Go on!” I screamed at him. “Do it! Hit me! You want to swing at someone? Go ahead! It’s always me! I’m always the one
you take your shit out on p>
The whisk fell from my hand, clattering to the floor. His fist hovered in the air, trembling. “Take it back,” he growled.
“Take it back right now p>
“No.” I shoved his chest, hard. His grip loosened. “Because it’s the truth. And you don’t want to hear it p>
His breathing turned jagged, uneven. For the first time in a long time, Roman looked unstable. Not angry–broken. He also looked furious at the same time. And I knew exactly where this was going before he even opened his mouth.
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.