Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 64751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Turning, he cleans up all our things and then climbs up from the spot we’re in. Glancing over my shoulder desperately, I know I don’t have a choice, and I climb up after him.
“Ella and I called you to the lookout, we just wanted to do the right thing,” he says, casually, his eyes meeting mine. “But you were just so mad, you wouldn’t calm down ...”
“No ...”
“She told you that we had fallen in love. She was so sorry, crying her eyes out, saying that she didn’t mean to, and she didn’t want to hurt you. You got mad, and you lost it, pushing her over the side.”
“What are you doing?” I cry, shaking my head desperately.
He shrugs, casually. “I’m not going down for this. Fortunately, I have proof, so I don’t need to worry. You look pathetic, really, crawling around on the rock crying that you didn’t mean to. It’s all they’ll need ...”
No.
No.
He can’t do this to me.
“Please, Ethan,” I beg, my voice a desperate plea. “Please. I’ll do anything. Please don’t go to the police. I will do anything you want, anything at all, please.”
He pauses, and a slow smile spreads across his face.
Closing the distance between us, he reaches out and curls his fingers around my upper arm, pulling me close. “Anything?”
I nod, frantically. “I don’t want to go to prison. I don’t ... I didn’t mean for her to fall. Please. You’re my husband. Please.”
“Okay.” He squeezes my arm a little tighter. “I’ll keep your little secret. But hear me now, Alexis, I own you. From this moment forward, you do everything I tell you to do. You will be the perfect little wife. If you don’t, I’ll make sure the whole town knows what kind of monster you are. You know they’ll believe me the moment I show them that video. You will go down for the rest of your days.”
An agonized wail rips from my throat.
“Do you understand what I’m saying?” he growls.
I nod, hiccupping as my knees try to give way from beneath me.
“Good. Now you’ll never go against me.” He smiles, pleased with himself. “If you do, the police will receive the video of you crying out as you stare over the edge of the cliff, Ella’s dead body lying on the ground below.”
He’s a monster.
A true monster.
And now, he owns me.
Once again, a vicious nightmare rips me from my sleep.
Only this time, I’m on the sofa.
Ethan was out last night, but he wanted the bed free in case he decided to bring someone home. That’s the kind of man he has become. The power of control has gotten to his head, and, with it, he thrives. He knows he can do anything and I’ll say nothing. He knows that he owns me, and he knows that I won’t go against him. The idea of living the rest of my life in prison with everyone thinking I’m a murderer is something I can never live with. To me, that is a thousand times worse than this.
Picturing the look on my mother’s face if she thought I killed someone is enough to make my stomach twist.
Nobody knows the kind of man Ethan is.
To them, he is a saint, because that’s the face he shows them.
Ella’s case was ruled a suicide. Of course, we were questioned, and of course Ethan told them that the two of them had been getting close, but when she wanted him to leave me, he told her he couldn’t. He put on the best show of his life, and the cops ate it up. They never asked for our phones, it was shoved aside and never looked into again. But I know, oh, I know that if they ever got that video of me, it would change their investigation. A tip from Ethan would have them looking at me and wondering if maybe, just maybe, Ella was pushed.
Pushing off the sofa, I check the time. I start work soon, but I desperately need a run. I’ve been taking to running because it’s the one thing Ethan doesn’t stop me from doing. His words are something along the lines of Yes, you need to run. I don’t want a fat wife. Of course he doesn’t, so he allows me this little bit of freedom, and I take it. Every single morning and afternoon, I take it.
Eventually, I learned to absolutely love it.
Slowly, my body is changing, growing healthier and slightly fuller.
Returning home, I come face to face with the man I once loved so dearly. He’s standing, shirtless, and any other woman would swoon at the very sight of him. Instead, he makes every sense in my body come alive with fear and concern. I’m always on high alert when I’m around him, never knowing just what it is he’s going to do. The last few years have been hell, but somehow, my body has learned to adjust.