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“What do you rily “Hey!”

A vortex of energy whirled inside My legs were tre and I didn’t want to look at him, didn’t want to shake the incredible resolve I found within et rid of him I slapped his hand away as he stroked y escape

“You hurt her How could you do that?”

Now he looked frustrated “I gave them some details about her, that’s all I didn’t knohat they would do with the inforave me three thousand dollars, Natalie What was I supposed to do? Say no to three thousand bucks?”

Yes, that’s exactly what you were supposed to do

What did I ever see in him? “You knew that her boyfriend was rich and fa about their arrangement”

“Oh, come on!”

“It’s serious, Ben She signed a NDA—no one was supposed to talk I wasn’t even supposed to tell you about it, but I did it anyways because I thought I could trust you You’ve ruined her relationship and you led the press to those ani them on television alain—I don’t want this!”

I pulled off the engagehtened over it

“Are you serious?” he exploded “You’re going to end our six year relationship over this?”

It’s not just that, a tiny voice inside h to admit that to hi away like the wreckage of a ship? For the past year, I felt pieces ofaway as he spent more and more time at the law firm I did not want a husband as married to his job

Please stop following me I wanted to curl up on the couch without his poisonous eht sank the couch down and he pulledme I shook my head and cried noisy tears

“Natalie, let’s talk about this”

“No, I don’t want to”

“Natalie,” he said a little desperately “Come on!”

“Please go!” I cried “Just leave me alone!”

“I’ until we talk about this”

Talking wouldn’t change my mind; it would only weakenalone I did not want his hands onmy head, or any part of hiht He kept pulling me backwards when I tried to jump out of his arms

“Let o!”

In the flailing liainst his cheek His hold loosened ondeeply Deep satisfaction rolled throughbroke between us

I pointed to the door, still shaking “Go”

Ben raised himself and looked down on me like he quite wanted to hit me back for the humiliation he suffered “Fine,” he said coldly

He turned around and leftthe door in his wake I ran to the door and locked it, as if it was soainst hio as he pleased

The half-eaten apple lay on the kitchen table I took it gingerly, as if it had a contagious disease, and threw it in the trashcan Then I sprayed the wooden table with Windex and cleaned any remnants of his filth I wasn’t supposed to use Windex because it would dae the wood, but the table was shit anyways and it was all I had on hand I couldn’t stand the idea of his essence clinging to anything in this apart of my bed sheets, I wanted to vomit