After 7 Years in Jail, I Left Them

Chapter 3

Two hours later, Theo came back. My eyes were closed tight. His warm fingers trembled almost imperceptibly as he trailed lightly down my forehead, stopping at my cheek.

Finally, he let out what sounded like a soft sigh.

A whiff of faint perfume hit my nose.

His voice was thick with exhaustion. "Riana, take some time to really think about what you've done."

After that day, neither of them came around again. They had the nurse remove my pain pump, and the housekeeper took away my phone. The hospital room turned into my own personal lockup.

A month later, Theo came to take me home.

The second I stepped through the front door, a shower of party streamers burst all over me, and Fiona stood there holding a huge bouquet of flowers.

"Riana, Fiona took special leave from her film set just to come celebrate your birthday. She has to fly back tonight," Harry said.

The gift Fiona gave me was a delicate necklace.

Her eyes were glistening red as she leaned down and wrapped me in a hug.

I couldn't even take care of myself, and I wanted nothing to do with any of them. So I bit back the wave of nausea rising in my throat and forced those words out.

"Thank you, Fiona."

Theo and Harry both looked thoroughly pleased.

Harry said, "Alright, everyone's starving. Let's eat first. You two sisters will have plenty of time to catch up later."

At the dinner table, two perfectly peeled shrimp landed in Fiona's bowl at almost the exact same time.

Fiona looked a little flustered. She quickly picked both shrimp up and dropped them into my bowl, then turned and gave Theo a mock-annoyed glare.

"Forgot how to take care of your own wife already? I'm warning you, if you ever treat my sister badly, my brother and I won't let you off the hook."

Theo smiled a little. "Of course. If I ever wrong Riana, I wouldn't forgive myself either."

But for a split second, a flicker of loneliness and sorrow crossed his eyes.

Fiona dropped her gaze and looked away. Theo, his mind clearly elsewhere, scooped me a bowl of soup.

I drank it silently. Almost immediately, my lips swelled up bright red and puffy.

Theo noticed it, snapped a quick look at the soup, and his first move was to snap at me, voice sharp with irritation, "Riana, you did this on purpose, didn't you? You know full well you're allergic to cilantro and you still eat it? Haven't you had enough of staying in the hospital?"

My throat clogged up, and I could barely choke the words out. "They don't make exceptions for cilantro in prison. You have to eat whatever's put in front of you. I thought this was your way of punishing me."

A flash of guilt crossed Theo's face. "I wasn't paying attention. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Fiona knew exactly where the first-aid kit was. She grabbed it and rummaged through it for allergy meds.

That was when I spotted an already opened pack of morning-after pills. There was no way they were mine.

Fiona seemed to notice where I was looking only then. Panicked, she tried to slam the kit shut.

"Ah!" She yelped in pain, her finger had been caught hard in the lid.

"Fiona!" Theo lunged forward to cradle her hand in his, his whole body thrumming with panic. Then he seemed to remember I was right there and pulled his hands back awkwardly.

Fiona's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. She grabbed her phone and blurted out, "It's fine! My assistant's here to pick me up!" With that, she bolted out the door like she was running for her life.

Theo immediately moved to chase after her, but Harry stopped him and went after her himself.

I stared at Theo's ramrod-straight, tense back, and spoke in a soft, steady voice, "Theo, I want a divorce."