The concealer did little to hide the angry purple bruises blooming across Alicia's skin as her pained cries did nothing to dull the sting of humiliation clawing at her heart.
"Carlos, get off me! Don't you dare touch me!" She thrashed against him, but his grip was ironclad around her wrist. His laugh was sharp, mocking. "*Alicia*, I'm your damn husband. If not me, then who the hell do you think has the right?"
His roar left her ears ringing, tears burning tracks down her cheeks.
All she'd wanted was to buy him a birthday gift—how had a simple errand turned into this? Framed, doubted, now trapped by her own husband. Worse, he didn't believe her. He'd treated her like some cheap fling.
Alicia had always pushed his limits. Carlos would've given her the moon on a silver platter—but defianc
