Chapter 6

Evelyn clearly wasn't done. She put on that same wounded, concerned look again.

"Willow, I know you hate me, but Martin only gets angry because he cares about you. You went too far today. That was your wedding ring. How could you just throw it away like it meant nothing?

"He's had enough pressure on him all these years with the company. Of course he's going to lose his temper sometimes. Can't you try to understand where he's coming from?"

If my friends hadn't told me the truth last night, I might've actually believed her.

Martin had spent the past seven years holed up at some monastery in the middle of nowhere while I handled every project and kept the company running.

What pressure had he possibly been under?

Before I could say anything, Evelyn suddenly grabbed my hand.

"Willow, this is all my fault. I'm sorry. Why don't we put the past behind us and start over? We can both help take some of the pressure off Martin and work together to grow the company."

I hadn't even had a chance to respond when Evelyn gave a short, humorless laugh. Then, without warning, she dropped to the floor with a cry of pain.

Martin froze before rushing over to help her up. The next second, he slapped me hard across the face.

"Willow, Evelyn was trying to make peace with you! Why did you push her? You know she just had surgery. Are you trying to kill her again?"

I was speechless. The way he was panicking over Evelyn, he really must have been drunk out of his mind.

Evelyn might have been frail, but she wasn't made of glass. There was no way one little push would send her sprawling like that.

"I didn't push her. She fell on her own."

"So now you're saying Evelyn risked her life just to frame you?"

Before Martin could keep laying into me, Evelyn grabbed his arm and gave him a sweet, understanding look.

"Martin, don't misunderstand. Willow would never do something like that. My blood sugar was acting up, that's all. It happened seven years ago, and it happened again just now. Please don't get mad at Willow because of me."

Watching Evelyn play the innocent victim made my stomach turn.

I might not remember what happened seven years ago, but I wasn't stupid. Maybe I'd fallen for her act back then, but I wasn't falling for it now.

I slapped Evelyn hard across the face. She was so stunned that she just stood there, staring at me.

Before Martin could turn on me, I gave a careless shrug. "See? I hit her that hard, and she didn't even fall. So how exactly could I have pushed her down without you noticing?"

Martin froze, and some of the drunken haze seemed to leave his eyes.

"Willow, you've lost your mind! No matter what happened, you had no right to hit someone who's still recovering from surgery! You think there's something going on between Evelyn and me?

"Fine. I'll give you what you want. I'm moving out right now, and I'll stay with Evelyn!"

He turned to leave, but I grabbed his arm. "Wait!"

Martin stopped, crossed his arms, and gave me a knowing smirk. "What, having second thoughts? Weren't you the one insisting I leave and demanding a divorce?

"I'll admit I haven't treated you very well these past seven years. But as long as you apologize to Evelyn, I'll forget everything that's happened these past few days. I'll even move back home.

"We've been married for seven years, after all. And haven't you always wanted a baby with me? If you behave yourself, I can give you that too—"

I grimaced and tossed the fake marriage certificate onto the table. "We're not even married. Why the hell would I have your baby? And you've got it all wrong.

"I'm not trying to stop you from leaving. You've been living in my house for seven years without paying a cent. Pay me what you owe me, then get out!"