Chapter 4
895 Words
No sooner had Mrs. Hale finished making a scene at my office than Keith called my mother, saying he planned to bring me back to my parents' home for a visit.
My mother, knowing nothing of what had happened, called me right away, full of excitement, asking when we would be arriving.
I understood immediately that this was Keith's way of threatening me.
After thinking it over carefully, I decided to reach out to Knox for help.
We agreed to meet at a quiet café.
He looked genuinely apologetic as soon as we sat down. "I'll keep my mother‑in‑law and her entire family under control. They won't bother you again.
"And I'll warn my brother firmly. He won't dare go near your mother or cause any trouble there either," he assured me.
'As if they had any right to act so boldly.'
I still had the private videos and explicit photos of Audrey in my possession, yet they still dared to push this far? It was shameless beyond belief.
I was the victim here. The fact that I hadn't gone after them first was already more mercy than they deserved.
This whole family had no sense of decency at all. They committed such terrible wrongs, and then tried to drag everyone else down with them.
"Your brother tricked me into a marriage where I spent two years living like a widow," I said, my voice rising with frustration. "Your wife is having an affair with my husband. Your mother‑in‑law marched into my workplace and caused a scene. You owe me an apology, your entire family owes me!"
I knew full well that he was just as much a victim as I was, but my anger had been building up for too long, and I couldn't hold it back.
Yet Knox remained completely calm. He sat across from me, steady and composed, and listened without interrupting while I let out every bit of my frustration.
Then, without a word, he signaled the waiter and ordered a slice of my favorite mousse cake.
"Eat something sweet," he said softly. "It'll make the bitterness in your heart feel a little lighter."
He was right. For two years, my marriage had been nothing but a mess of disappointment and pretense, and I'd carried all that pain inside without a single person to talk to.
I scooped up a bite with my fork and let it melt on my tongue. The rich, sweet flavor spread across my mouth, and slowly, my tense emotions began to settle.
Keith had never once paid attention to what I liked or disliked. But Knox…
I looked across the table at this man, and a sudden thought took shape in my mind.
"Saying you're sorry means nothing. You need to make it up to me."
Knox's expression didn't shift at all. "Name it. I'll do whatever I can."
"First of all," I said, speaking almost before I had time to think, "Audrey leaves this marriage with nothing. Not a single asset, not a single cent."
Then I leaned in slightly, my tone turning bolder. "And second, you belong to me."
I still couldn't understand how Audrey could have cheated on a husband like him.
Knox never complained about how freely she spent money or how much she consumed. Even when her mother made unreasonable demands, he did his best to meet them.
And as for her leech of a younger brother? Whenever he asked for cash or favors, Knox gave it without hesitation.
He was a workaholic, running his company and working nearly around the clock just to provide for his entire family.
I remember one summer holiday, when he was actually home for once. I'd stopped by to bring him some homemade soup I'd made myself, only to find him unconscious in bed, burning with such a high fever I thought he might damage his brain.
While I was wiping his body down with alcohol to bring his temperature down, I noticed a hole in the heel of his sock.
He'd smiled awkwardly when he caught me looking, and explained, "I walk a lot at the office. They just wear out. Audrey hasn't noticed yet."
At that moment, I'd felt such a sharp pang of envy.
If only Keith had been even half as good a man as his brother, I would have gladly lived out the rest of my life in a loveless, empty marriage and never complained once.
How could Keith ever compare to someone like Knox, a husband who spoiled his wife, provided for her, and was the very definition of a good partner?
I wanted that kind of marriage too. A real partnership, built on respect and care.
Knox pressed his lips together, and for the first time since we sat down, his expression changed.
The look of apology and concern faded from his eyes, replaced by deep thought and careful scrutiny.
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp and intense, locking onto mine like a hawk.
"So," he said, his voice low and steady, "you want to use me to get back at them both?"
- Writer
