The Last Leaf of Devotion
And now, all she wanted was to divorce Ansel.
Odessa's heart went numb with pain, tears quietly streaming down her cheeks. She pushed Ansel away and said, "Do you remember when we first got together at 17? I told you I'd leave without hesitation if you ever betrayed me. You promised you never would. It was a matter of principle."
When she'd been murdered, her killer had stabbed her 17 times. Each wound was a cruel echo of the blind devotion she'd held at 17.
Ansel's gentle mask cracked. His eyes grew cold, glittering with disdain. "Principle?" he scoffed. "Do you really think something we said as kids still matters?