Chapter 9 - I Slapped My Husband

Evelyn

I didn’t sleep much that night.

Even when I closed my eyes, that message kept replaying in my head.

[Stop crying. It doesn’t suit you.]

The water ran down my skin, warm, steady. My fingers slid through my hair slowly, my eyes closing for a brief second as I tilted my head back, letting the water hit my face, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt at peace.

Finally… I was going back to modeling. Finally… I could leave.

The thought alone was enough to steady me. I had already messaged Tessa, and her reply was still fresh in my mind, the divorce papers would be here today. Today. That word echoed quietly, heavy with meaning, with finality, with something that felt like the beginning of the end.

“Babes…”

My eyes snapped open.

“You look so sexy…”

I turned sharply, and there he was. Sebastian. Standing there like nothing had changed, like nothing had happened, completely naked, completely comfortable, like this was normal, like I was supposed to react the same way I always had.

But I didn’t. All I felt was disgust.

My hand moved immediately, grabbing the towel and wrapping it tightly around myself as I stepped back. “What are you doing?” My voice came out colder than I expected, my brows pulling together as I stared at him.

He didn’t stop. If anything, he moved closer, like my reaction meant nothing. “Come on,” he said lightly, reaching for me. “Let’s bathe together.”

“I’m done,” I replied quickly, stepping away, but he didn’t listen. His hands reached out, touching me, and for a split second, my body reacted out of memory, out of habit, but it faded just as fast, replaced by something sharp, something rejecting.

“Let’s try for a baby…” he murmured, his voice softer now, almost coaxing.

I froze. Then I scoffed, the sound dry, bitter, as I pushed his hands away. “I have to go to bed.”

I turned, ready to leave, but before I could take more than a step, his hand caught the towel, pulling it loose slightly, his touch trailing down my body like he had every right to be there.

“Are you crazy?!” I yelled, my voice louder than it had ever been with him, sharp, cutting. “I said I’m not in the mood!”

He froze. The shock on his face was immediate, clear, like he didn’t recognize the woman standing in front of him. I had never raised my voice at him before. Not once.

But I was done.

“Sorry…” he said quickly, his tone shifting, trying to soften things. “I didn’t mean to—”

I didn’t let him finish. I grabbed the towel properly and wrapped it around myself again, turning away from him without another word.

Morning came too fast.

I was already dressed by the time I stepped out, my bag in hand, my movements quick.

“Where are you going dressed like that?”

I didn’t stop. “I have a job now.”

I didn’t need to turn to know what his face looked like, but I did anyway, just for a second, and the shock there was almost amusing.

“What?” he said, his brows pulling together. “Are you joking? I provide for you. What else do you need elsewhere?”

Everything.

I didn’t say it. I just adjusted my bag and turned to leave, but his hand grabbed mine, stopping me.

“You’ve been acting weird lately,” he said, his voice tightening slightly. “What’s the issue? Are you....cheating on me with my brother? Is that it?”

My fingers curled slowly into fists, nails pressing into my palms in anger.

My hand moved before I even thought about it, hitting his cheek.

The sound echoed.

His head snapped slightly to the side, his cheek turning red almost instantly, and for the first time, I saw it clearly, the disbelief, the shock, the realization that I wasn’t the same woman anymore.

“How dare you?” I said, my voice low now, but steady, dangerous. “From your mouth?”

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, following me as I moved toward the stairs. “I didn’t mean it like that, I swear—”

I ignored him. Completely.

I walked out, my heels clicking against the floor, each step firm, until her voice stopped me.

“Seb… you said your wife would do the cooking so I wouldn’t have to worry. Why is there no food?”

I froze. Slowly, I turned my head, my eyes landing on Kate in the kitchen, casual, relaxed, like she had been living here her whole life.

The audacity.

So that was it. She came here expecting to be taken care of. By me.

A short, humorless laugh almost escaped me.

“Honey,” Sebastian said, turning to me like this was normal, like this was reasonable. “You didn’t make meals? You know I don’t eat out. It’s not safe for me. You’ve always cooked, so why—”

I walked toward him slowly, my gaze steady, my expression unreadable.

“Get used to it,” I said calmly, cutting him off. “From now on, let your so-called cousin do the cooking. I won’t cook ever again.”

I paused just long enough for it to sink in.

“I’m a busy woman now.”

Then I turned and walked out, not waiting for a response, not caring.

The moment I stepped outside, I exhaled, my chest rising and falling, like I had just stepped out of something suffocating.

And then I saw it. The same SUV pulled into the compound smoothly, the engine quiet but unmistakable.

Damon.

“Hey,” he said, stepping out with that same easy smile.

Before I could respond, the door behind me opened again.

“Evelyn, what do you mean you won’t—” Sebastian’s voice cut off the moment his eyes landed on the car. On Damon.

The air shifted instantly.

“So, it’s really true?” Sebastian said, his voice changing, twisting into something ugly. “You’re becoming a whore?”

My eyes widened.

And before I could even react—Damon moved fast.

One second he was beside the car, the next he was right in front of Sebastian, his fist connecting with his face in a clean, brutal punch that snapped his head to the side.

My hand flew to my mouth, my eyes wide as I stared at them.