Chapter 2

Zack snatched the paper before Adam could read it.

"What death certificate? She probably forged one and printed it at some public library!" He snickered. "Allow me to take care of this piece of trash for you."

He ripped the certificate to pieces and tossed them into the trash, and Adam never once tried to stop him.

A chill swept through my body despite the summer heat.

Holy shit, this man was a monster. His own mother had called him on her deathbed, and he hadn't even bothered to pick up. He'd been too preoccupied with Zack's problems.

I was nearing hysteria, but I fought to keep myself under control and glared coldly at him. "That's it. Let's get a divorce. Ron is coming with me."

The room fell into a chilling silence, broken only by their audible gasps.

Adam slowly looked up and met my gaze. "Oh, so that's your next trick, Stephanie? Faking a death didn't work, so now you're waving divorce around like a threat! You're out of your mind, woman.

"Can't you at least notice that we aren't alone and stop embarrassing everyone with our private affairs? There's a time for this, and this is not it."

I swallowed hard and fought the lump in my throat. "No. This is the best time. You're always too busy for me, so I have to take whatever chance I can get to talk about the things that actually matter. When else am I supposed to get another chance?"

Adam turned toward our son, Ron, who stood in the doorway. He rose to his feet, scooped him up, and carried him back to his room. Then he locked the door, leaving our boy inside.

Yolanda and Zack sensed that a huge fight was about to erupt and quickly left.

That left Adam and me alone in the living room.

He lit a cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke. It curled through the air and assaulted my nose, making me gag.

I had told him countless times not to smoke inside for our son's sake, but he had never bothered to listen.

He had never truly treated Ron or me like family, had he?

"Is this about what happened at the office earlier today?" he asked.

I almost nodded, but in the end, I shook my head.

In the grand scheme of our relationship, what had happened earlier that day was merely another mark in a long, unbroken string of similar incidents.

He had always denied me money, even when I needed it for an emergency. He had always pulled out that ledger and waved it in my face. He had always lectured me from his lofty perch about how I needed to be more frugal and learn to manage money properly instead of spending it whenever my "womanly impulses" pleased.

"I can't help but wonder why you're so strict about my spending when you're perfectly happy playing philanthropist for Yolanda.

"Aren't I your wife? You'd think that would count for something. But no. Your own son got sick, and you couldn't even spare a little extra money for his medical expenses.

"I quit my job after Ron was born. I don't have an income of my own because of that. Everything I do and everything I need depends on your almighty mood. I'm sick of living like this," I said.

He pulled the cigarette from between his lips and shot me a look. "That's a very specific narrative you're painting, Stephanie. All I'm doing is putting a reasonable cap on your spending. I've never denied you necessities.

"And don't twist what happened with Ron. He had a common fever. You asked me for 150 dollars over a simple fever, Stephanie. You could've asked for less and bought some basic medicine from the pharmacy."

He leaned back against the couch as if the conversation were already exhausting him. "And why are you comparing yourself to Yolanda?

"If I hadn't helped them, Zack could've been arrested and thrown in jail. He's too young to have his entire life ruined by a criminal record, don't you think?

"For God's sake, less drama and more reason. You can't possibly be that dense."

Fury erupted from my throat.

"How dare you?! Are you telling me you think Mom's life is worth less than Zack's stupid future?!" I roared. "You're a piece of shit, Adam!"

Adam seemed to have endless patience for Yolanda and her endless requests. But for me? He couldn't even be bothered to argue.

He shot to his feet and snarled as he slapped me hard across the face, "You just have to be so damn dramatic, don't you? If you have this much trouble calming down, then I'll help you calm down!

"I know you hate Yolanda's guts, but what has she ever done to you? Her only sin, as far as you're concerned, is that she's constantly by my side. But why wouldn't she be? She's my employee!

"I give her money because she works for me! It's that simple. It's perfectly reasonable. On the other hand, you are my wife! Taking care of the household and our son is your duty as my wife!"

I could hear his teeth grinding.

That slap broke something inside me. No, it shattered five years of care and devotion. If some tiny part of my heart had still cared for him, he had killed it the moment he struck me.

Ron burst out of his room in furious tears and planted himself in front of me. "Stop! Stop, you jerk! I won't let you hurt my mom!"