Chapter 3

Janelle's POV

“Where do you expect me to go?”

My voice came out hollow, broken beneath the weight crushing my chest, but somehow loud enough to silence the room for a moment.

I slowly pushed myself up from the floor, every part of my body aching, my dignity already in pieces at their feet.

My swollen eyes found Kennedy’s face.

“You know I have no family,” I whispered. “You know I have nowhere else to go.”

Kennedy did not soften, not even for a second.

He simply slipped one arm around Brenda’s waist and drew her closer, his touch gentle in a way he had not touched me in months.

“You can sleep in the streets for all I care,” he said coldly. “Sleep in a shelter. Sleep in a zoo. Sleep wherever abandoned things go when they are no longer wanted.”

His gaze dropped meaningfully to Brenda’s stomach before returning to me.

“My concern is my child and the woman carrying that child. Whatever Brenda wants, Brenda gets.”

His voice hardened.

“But I suppose you cannot relate to that kind of blessing.”

The words struck like a knife twisted slowly inside my chest.

Pain gave way to anger so suddenly it made my whole body shake.

“Don’t say that to me!”

My scream echoed through the room.

Tears blurred my vision, but rage burned hotter.

“Do not stand there and speak to me like I have never carried your child. I was pregnant once, Kennedy. I lost that baby while breaking my back for this family while your mother treated me like unpaid staff, your siblings treated me like garbage, and you stood there and allowed it!”

My chest rose sharply.

“I buried that child alone while you buried yourself in your precious Brenda’s memory.”

The room fell silent.

For one fleeting second, guilt flickered in Kennedy’s eyes but it vanished.

I lifted my chin.

“I am not leaving my matrimonial home because of this woman. I will stay right here, and there is nothing you or anybody in this room can do about it.”

Brenda slowly lifted her hand and rubbed soothing circles against Kennedy’s chest.

“Relax, baby,” she murmured softly. “You don’t need to stress yourself over someone like her. I know exactly how to handle women like Janelle.”

Then she turned toward me.

“Listen carefully,” she said. “You have two options tonight.”

She stepped closer, heels clicking sharply against marble.

“You can kneel before me, apologize for your disrespect, unpack every one of my suitcases, steam my clothes for tomorrow night’s dinner, prepare my bath, and sleep outside my bedroom door …”

Her smile widened.

“Or you can spend the night in the basement.”

The word alone stole the breath from my lungs.

My heart began pounding violently, still, anger kept my mouth moving.

I laughed bitterly.

“Are you seriously giving me options in my husband’s house?”

My eyes dragged over her slowly then I smiled coldly.

“Let me ask you something instead. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”

Brenda’s face hardened instantly.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” I said sharply. “You should be ashamed. Do you know how pathetic this makes you look?”

I stepped closer.

“You’re beautiful, rich, polished, and supposedly everything a man could want, yet you still came crawling back to your ex’s house to steal another woman’s marriage.”

Her face darkened but I didn’t stop.

“So tell me, Brenda, even with your perfect body, perfect face, and perfect family name, could you still not find a man of your own?”

I tilted my head mockingly.

“Or was Kennedy the only fool still willing to wait while you sampled other options?”

“Kennedy, did you hear her?” Brenda shrieked, clutching his arm dramatically. “Did you hear what this fat fool just said to me?”

I gave a sharp laugh.

“I agree, I’m fat. But what does that say about you? He replaced me with you. If you were truly that unforgettable, he would have created space for you long ago. Instead, you had to come back pregnant and tie him down with a child.”

“Enough!”

Kennedy’s voice thundered through the room.

I turned toward him, breathing hard.

“Oh, please,” I spat bitterly. “You’re ruining your marriage for a woman who walked away from you to chase status and freedom. No, let me correct myself, for a woman who discarded you when you were beneath her family’s standards and only returned when it suited her.”

I shook my head slowly.

“I am ashamed of you, Kennedy.”

The slap came fast and hard.

My face whipped violently to the side as sharp pain exploded across my cheek.

Slowly, I turned back and stared at him in disbelief.

Tears gathered instantly.

“Did you just hit me?”

His chest rose and fell heavily, eyes blazing.

“If you say one more word about Brenda, I will do far worse than slap you.”

He pointed toward the hallway.

“Pack your things. You are done here.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

My voice trembled, but I stood my ground.

His expression turned frighteningly calm.

“You think I’m joking?”

Then he looked at his family and that was all it took.

His mother moved first, followed by his siblings and then strong hands grabbed me.

I screamed instantly.

“No…leave me alone! Put me down, I'm not going anywhere!”

Panic shot through me like lightning as they dragged me across the floor toward the back corridor.

My whole body went cold.

“No!” I shrieked, thrashing violently.

“Please, not there. Anywhere but there. Kennedy, please! I’m begging you. Don’t lock me in there!”

The walls seemed to close in before I was even inside.

“No, no, no—please!”

They threw me inside and I hit the floor hard before the door slammed shut.

From outside, Fiona’s amused voice floated through the thick door.

“When you finally learn your place, maybe we’ll let you out.”