st like the shattered gla

arly with glass shards that keep clinging to my skin. Demons t

. It's embedded in my flesh like an invisible terror. I'm t

it anot

anger make me shake too much anyway. I toss the tweezers and groan, barreling my head into my palms. Wave a

mysel

ture him reaching for a change of clothes in the giant walk- in closet. Stripping ou

T-shirt. Leaving his boxers on because he prefers

every part of him. I ignored his secrets because I di

bably reaching for his glasse

e home

that's

rt her. If I wasn't so busy slashing the couch like a madwoman,

better. A little calmer. It helped that, when Jerrison passed me, h

rating when I realized he had le

much of

. It'

offering a win? My husband didn't run after his mistress afte

the tears prickle my eyes. My life is

t leave hi

married for

hink I've made it clear that

three strikes. One mor

hunched over, on the toilet, moa

Cocky. Charismatic. Whenever he entered a room-whether it was a

ore than tha

glowed. Otherworldly. Supernatural. Could any man be

cheekbones were slashes on his face, too aristocratic to belong to someone without some kind of fancy title-Lord, Duke, or Prince. H

e around him. To be

as chosen. I

airytale before I reali

e daydreaming about my perfect life, my perfect wedding. As

. All

iage is strangers trapped in mindless infatuation, a passion that

A destructive force with a fe

s are the g

ight, the details, the planning-who should sit where, picking the food, the cake, the flowers-i

eality that all women eventu

d is chea

a rush of tears to my eyes again.

o hold the tear

hes in front of me, wearing a look that's far too tender

ush myself up. In doing so, I unwittingly agi

eling the pain. Grabbing my arm, he holds it stil

" I snatch

Sinking to his knees, he throws the cu

you doin

e. I thought we kept it in

smooth away. He rushes out the door. I

get up and wash my hands again, hoping t

doe

the baking soda along with a plastic cup. I watch in mild amuseme

dow installation, so that was a given." Jerrison sets the cu

. "I told yo

. My shoulders tense, but I decide not to fight hi

s not at the surface. His head bends in concentra

nd from his voice. He wraps up the area in a bandage and straightens. "That should cause the

ught cheating a couple hours ago and he's giving me those bedroom e

e eggshell paint is a giant picture of us on our wedding day. Bright smiles. Hands locked. Eyes f

. He says nothing about the blonde, about h

iliar. We haven't talked about much. The co

voice sounding distant even th

er turning a

ay for what happened today." My nos

ally thinks they're making a difference. "And I'll handle it if there are any charges a

or the first time in my life, I consi