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When I close the door softly, I roam around until I find a spacious bathroom which I assume is for guests and do my business, twist the faucet—that’s made out of real gold—and wash my hands before splashing cold water on my face. When I grab a cotton towel, I dry my face and toss it on the counter, then I tiptoe to the front entrance and slink out.
Once I make it to my apartment, I toss my keys into the fishbowl by the entryway and remove my shoes, setting them next to the door. I need some sleep before my shift starts tonight at the bar, and I’m bone tired. When I glance up, my heart jumps in my chest as I find Link perched on my dingy couch. My hands shake as he stares at my dress and messy hair.
Anger clouds his pupils as he watches me like a hawk in the sky. I haven’t spoken to him since I called off the wedding. How the hell did he know where I live?
“How did you get into my apartment?”
His gray eyes are dull, his face is pale, and his lips are red. At one point, I used to be in love with him, so attracted to him, but now I look at him with disgust. I have no feelings for him. It was stupid of me to think he would be my happily ever after.
“I convinced your landlord to give me your information.”
He pushes himself up, and the couch squeaks across the worn, vinyl flooring. My heart matches his steps, and before I know it he’s standing in front of me. He reeks of liquor and his clothes are wrinkled as if he has slept in them.
All of the pain he caused crashes into me. The memories of me catching him in bed with another woman and the time he told me how stupid I was because I didn’t do something right in his eyes.
Hot tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to let him see me cry.
I try to move past him, but he grabs my arms, his nails biting into my flesh.
Pure rage flashes in his eyes, and I shrink back. He never put his hands on me but in this moment I wouldn’t put it past him. Link has always had a temper, and the way he’s glaring at me, I hope he doesn’t strike me. He balls up his fist and punches the wall beside my head and I scream at the top of my lungs.
I glare at him. “Get out, now.”
He folds his arms across his chest, and he’s so close I feel his body heat. “Where were you? You didn’t come home last night!” He grits his teeth.
I try to sidestep him but he steps right in front of me, blocking my movement. If he tries anything, I’m going to knee him in the balls.
“Are you stalking me?” I keep my tone calm.
He shakes his head, then he strokes the pad of his thumb against my lips, and it takes everything I have not to bite him. Slowly, I peel his thumb from my mouth and that earns me a frown. “You need to come home and stop this foolishness, Poppy. I get it, I fucked up and I cheated, but everyone lies and cheats. Everyone has their demo—”
“Enough already.”I stab my finger into his hard chest, but he doesn’t budge. We’re the same height, but his demeanor is scaring the shit out of me. “I’m not going to stick by you while you sleep around on me. You sound like a broken record. Saying the same shit just to get me back with you so you can dog me,” I say calmingly. His words might have worked the last time, and the time before that, but it isn’t going to work this time. I grab my phone from my purse. “You need to leave now, please, before I call the cops.”
The cops in New York City are shitty and don’t care about the people on this side of town. They probably won’t show up for at least forty minutes, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“After a while, little birdie, you will be running back to me. Your mother won’t accept you until you’re married to me. Do you really want to live your life without your family?” His shoulder brushes against mine as he makes his way to the door. “You will crawl back to me sooner or later, and when you do, I’m never going to let you go.” I hear the sound of the door click shut and I sigh loudly as my heart still beats a million miles a minute.
I remove my dress, hop in the shower, change into my pajamas, and crawl onto my hard mattress, yanking the blanket over my head and effectively blocking the sun.
Link is the main reason why I don’t want a relationship with anyone. I don’t want anyone telling me or making me feel as if I’m not important. All the things he used to say to me enter my mind like a whirlwind.
How I only deserve the way he treats me.
How I’m not going to be shit without him.
How much I will never amount to anything.
He wants to sleep with other women, and I’m supposed to be okay with it. I will never be okay with my partner having mistresses. I spent my entire time in our relationship looking for his approval and no matter what I did, it was never enough. He broke my heart in so many ways that I don’t think I can recover.
And he’s right—my mother does want me to marry him, because his family owns a winery and my stepfather needs this connection so his own winery business can flourish, but I’m not going to risk my well-being for them. I love my mother, but I’m not going to get trapped in a marriage where I’m always degraded. What Link failed to realize was my mother doesn’t care about him, she wants to use him. He’s replaceable. Once I find a fake fiancé, she will not give Link a second thought, and I’m looking forward to that day.
I am awoken by someone knocking on my door. I get up with a groan and hurry to open the front door. Lake stands in the arch of the doorway with a dress bag and a box of shoes under her arms. She must have to go to work and wants to change into her work clothes.
“You look like you haven’t gotten much sleep,” Lake notes, pushing past me and placing her stuff onto the couch.
“I haven’t,” I answer as I sit on the dingy chair I purchased from Goodwill.
She glances around my apartment. It’s not much. Just one bedroom, with peeling paint on the walls and unfinished floors. At least she isn’t judging me. If my mother and sister saw how I lived, they would be disgusted. I went from living a lavish lifestyle to one paycheck away from homelessness. But it doesn’t matter, I’m proud of it; it’s the first place I’ve owned without my parents’ money. This trust fund baby is learning how to navigate the real world. Yay me!
