Airport Novels & Stories

The day I won the eight-million-dollar East Harbor renovation bid, I handed the lead role to Grace Whitman, Ethan Hale’s childhood sweetheart. Ethan thought I had finally learned to be sensible. He happily told me he was taking me to the Maldives for our wedding anniversary. Grace found out that night. She pretended the pressure from work was too much and cried uncontrollably. Ethan panicked so badly that he canceled a board meeting, stayed with her for three days, then called our anniversary trip an emergency client visit and gave Grace the second ticket. When he called me, his tone was still calm, almost entitled. “Sofia, we can talk about emotional stuff later. The company comes first right now. Grace has never handled a project this big on her own. I need to be there with her.” “You’re my wife. You should understand.” I sat alone in our empty apartment and looked at the photo Grace had just posted. In the private airport lounge, Ethan had draped his jacket over her shoulders. Their knees almost touched. Her caption read, [Some people never have to say love. They just show up first, every time.] I didn’t question him. I didn’t cry. I only replied, [Okay.] Ethan probably thought I had finally learned my place. Satisfied, he promised that when he came back, he would give me an even better anniversary. What he didn’t know was that I had already submitted my resignation to Hale Creative. And he didn’t know that the document he had signed three days ago wasn’t a project authorization form. It was our divorce agreement. By the time he realized what he had lost, I was no longer Mrs. Hale. I was Sofia Bellandi again. And Bellandi women do not beg for seats at tables they built.

"You're mine. You're my wife. You're fucking MINE," my husband roared furiously, slamming me against the wall. I instinctively lowered my hand to protect my belly. He didn’t know I was pregnant, yet. “I will never leave you. I will never let you go,” he whispered this time, his voice breaking as he pressed his forehead against mine. “I’m drowning without you.” My vision blurred with tears. I reached up and caressed his cheek. I knew he needed me. I knew he wanted me. But not as a wife… He only wanted, needed, my body. It had always been about my body and sex… and it would always be. He wanted me to be his submissive. His sex slave. Beneath him. Controlled. Obedient. With a trembling breath, I whispered, "I'm not, Raf. I'm not yours. We can't be together. We came to the end of this useless marriage." His phone rang... It was Debbie. The other woman. His jaw tightened as he stepped back. “I’ll take this quickly… then we’ll finish this.” I didn’t need him to. I already knew. He would always choose her. The moment he walked out, my tears fell freely, burning down my cheeks. With shaking hands, I wiped my eyes harshly and grabbed my phone. “I’m leaving,” I said. “Can you take me to the airport?” Trembling, I turned toward my closet, searching for something to cover the bruises on my skin… and the ones far deeper. *** I loved my husband with everything I had… even though he was dark, cruel, and dangerously possessive. I was his little dirty secret. Hidden wife. We got married under some circumstances. Marriage no one knew existed. I’ve made my decision. I'll never let him treat me like his submissive again.NEVER!