Chapter 6
I looked straight at Riley. “You know better than anyone-I’m sensitive and suspicious by nature.”
Riley’s face went pale as he remembered that day I called, asking if someone had been at the house.
He’d caught on immediately, afraid I might have picked up on something. He rushed to get in touch with Brody, ask- ing him and his girlfriend to help him cover it up.
Back then, even Brody and his girlfriend had tried to talk some sense into Riley.
“Alora doesn’t tolerate even a speck of sand in her life.
“You need to end it. Now.”
But Riley thought he could keep everything balanced-that he wouldn’t hurt me, that he could still be with Jasmine. He never imagined I’d actually piece everything together from those tiny clues, or that I’d be able to pull the rug out from under him like this.
Riley looked completely lost.
I walked up to him, raised my hand, and slapped him hard across the face. I smiled as I looked at him.
“Do you remember what I told you?
“I warned you-if you ever betrayed me, I’d make sure you’d never recover.”
Then I pulled out a pen. “Sign the papers, Riley.
“And don’t even think about getting a dime from me.”
Nicole jumped in right away to back me up.
“If you want to take this to court, so be it! I’ll fight you with everything I’ve got, even if it costs me every last penny!”
Nicole came from old money. When we started from nothing, she’d helped me more times than I could count. Now, seeing me finally tear off the last shred of civility, Riley’s regret finally seemed to catch up with him.
But before that regret could even take root, Jasmine stepped in front of him.
“If you want to hurt someone, come at me! Leave Riley alone!” She shielded him like a lioness with her cub. “I se- duced Riley. I tricked him into bed. What gives you the right to hit him?”
I looked at Jasmine, and for a moment, it was hard not to just give her what she wanted. I raised my hand and slapped her across the face.
She stared at me in disbelief, clutching her cheek. “What gives you the right to hit me?”
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“Simple,” I replied with a cold smirk. “You’re a homewrecker.”
Jasmine’s eyes filled with tears.
Riley quickly pulled Jasmine to his side, glaring at me. “That’s enough!
“Alora! Are you saying you’ve never done anything wrong?
He seemed to suddenly find his courage, lashing out at me, “You always have to be the best at everything-work, your career, even how our home is decorated!
“Where things should go, where things shouldn’t be, even where the shoes should be left, how they should be ar- ranged-everything has to be your way!
“I’m sick of it, Alora!
“I’m done!”
Riley yanked off his tie and threw it violently to the floor.
“See? I’ve been nothing but a puppet!”
His eyes were red as he glared at me. “Even down to what shirt I wear with what tie, what I should do at what event- you micromanage every detail like some overbearing mom! I’m a person, too! What gives you the right to treat me this way?”
I looked at the same man who once begged me, “Alora, no matter how big or small, I want you to make the deci- sions.”
“You know I’ve never felt safe, not since I was a kid.”
That was what Riley told me, back when he was just a boy.
“I want someone to look after me. That would make me happy.”
