Page 146 of The Bad Husband

‘Like what? Go to the police? He forced me to marry him so he can keep an eye on me. It was either that or ending up in a ditch, covered in dirt like a roadkill. I picked the first option.”

My mouth is dry.

“What will happen when he gets his money?”

“He’ll set me free if he doesn’t change his mind.”

“Why would he?”

She shrugs.

“I don’t know. There’s also you. Maybe he has different plans for me, now that you’re part of his life.”

“He won’t divorce you to marry me,” I say. “We’re not in that kind of relationship.”

“You have no idea what kind of relationship you’re in. You know nothing about him.”

My head is spinning.

“I don’t understand. Why are you telling me all this? There’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Yes, you can. Don’t fall for him.”

“Fall for him? No one’s falling for him.”

My chuckle is filled with disbelief, and it quickly dies out before we share a few moments of silence.

She speaks first.

“You don’t know what will happen between the two of you. I asked him to let you leave with me. By giving you some space, he could figure out what he feels for you, and you could learn more about his intentions. You already know his answer. He absolutely forbade me to leave with you, so here I am, asking you the same thing. Tell him that you want to come with me to New York. You can see each other in the fall. A year from now, he’ll be a free man, and you’ll have your money. If you think it is wise to trust him with your life and your money, do it. That’s your business. I gave you a fair warning, but you do what you think works best for you.”

A few moments pass.

“I still don’t get it. What’s in it for you?”

“Nothing. There’s nothing in it for me. I just don’t want to spend the summer here in the guesthouse, while you two are having an affair. I also don’t want to end up dead because he changes his mind after he gets his money.”

“And you think I can stop him from doing that?”

“I don’t know what you can or can’t do. I think we’ll both be safer if we stay away from him. That’s what I think. Right now, he wants what he wants, and I’m forced to stay here with you. He can’t let me leave. And he doesn’t want you to leave.”

I ponder her words.

I never liked this story, and now I like it even less.

“What happened to the money that you stole?”

She laughs charmingly.

“Nothing. I no longer have it.”

“You think it’s funny?”

“Not in the slightest. I think Damon West owes me way more than what I had stolen from him.”

“You were in love with him.”

“No, I was not. I hated him.”