“Ariadne,” Marvin growled, his voice low and threatening. “Don’t push me. Delete the comment and apologize to Lindsay, or we’re done.” His accusatory tone hit me then.
He thought I was bluffing. That I was just lashing out in anger, he didn’t believe I was serious.
And now he wanted me to apologize.
I laughed in disbelief.
“You want me to delete it?”
2:15
“If you do, I’ll let this slide…”
“Keep dreaming.”
I hung up on him and blocked his number everywhere.
For the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe again.
The memory of his demanding tone only solidified my resolve.
Divorce was the only option. There was no turning back now.
I contacted a lawyer and finalized the divorce papers quickly.
Most of the money Marvin had used to start his business had come from me, so I’d get a fair settlement even without citing his infidelity.
With that squared away, I took a cab to the hospital.
Marvin’s shove had split my scalp open, and I had an appointment with a doctor today to get stitches.
But as soon as I arrived, I ran into him and Lindsay.
They were chatting and laughing outside the dermatology clinic.
Judging by their demeanor, Marvin was probably there to accompany her for a prenatal checkup.
I wanted to ignore them, but Marvin spotted me before I could turn away.
“Ariadne? What are you doing here?” he asked, surprised.
Then his expression shifted as if he had just pieced something together.
“I can’t believe you followed me here. Fine, just apologize to Lindsay so we can put this behind us.”
I let out a bitter laugh, thinking, “Does he actually think I was here to grovel?”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “I’m not here for you.”
Lindsay, ever the actress, chimed in with a teary voice, “Ariadne, don’t be mad. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten between you two. I’m so sorry.”
I stared at her, stunned by her audacity.
“Are you done playing the victim? You’re sick, but you still have the energy to meddle. What’s next? Do you want me to slap you again?”
The memory of the last time I hit her must’ve been fresh because she instantly stepped back and hid behind Marvin.
“Ariadne, stop scaring her! Just apologize so we can move on,” Marvin snapped.
I crossed my arms. “Why on earth should I apologize?”
Just then, the doctor I had an appointment with came over.
The doctor was young, confident, and undeniably handsome.
“Mrs. Greville, it’s time for your appointment,” he said.
I followed him without a word, but before I could take another step, Marvin grabbed my arm.
“Who’s this?” he demanded.
I stared at him, confused at first. Then it dawned on me. He thought the doctor and I were involved. How laughable.
After all, I had never had any male friends before, which led him to think that I had no romantic prospects.
But he forgot, before being with him, there were countless people chasing me.
Smiling faintly, I said, “Not your business.”
Without giving him a chance to reply, I walked into the consultation room with the doctor.
Inside, he examined my wound. “Who did this to you?” he asked.
“Why does it matter?” I thought, but I answered him anyway.
His name was Michael Blakely. He was not only good–looking but also unexpectedly chatty. He peppered me with questions, and eventually, he patched me up.
When I stepped out, Marvin was still waiting.
His eyes were red, his expression forlorn. He looked like a scolded puppy.
“Who is he, Ariadne? Don’t you think I deserve an explanation?”
“An explanation?” I said coldly. “And who do you think you are?”
“You’re cheating!” Marvin declared, his voice rising.
I raised an eyebrow. “Cheating? I just met the man. By your logic, what does that make you and Lindsay?”
Marvin stiffened, but Lindsay tugged at his arm, trying to calm him down.
“Marvin, don’t overthink it. Ariadne’s just upset, she said softly.
Marvin’s face lit up like he’d had an epiphany. “Ariadne, I get it. You’re doing this to make me jealous. But you don’t have to. I know you love me. Let’s just fix this.”
I looked at him with icy disdain. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
I had no feelings for him, so it was impossible for me to go out of my way to make him jealous.
“Come on, enough of this. Apologize to Lindsay, and we’ll go home,” he insisted.
He grabbed my wrist again, his grip painfully tight.
I struggled, but his strength was overwhelming.
My skin turned red where he held me.
I desperately tried to break free, but he pulled tighter.
“She doesn’t want to go with you,” Michael said, stepping in and prying me free from Marvin’s grasp.
“And who the hell are you?” Marvin growled.
Michael smiled, calm but cutting. “Just a decent human being, unlike you. You shove your wife, parade your mistress around, and still pretend to be
the victim?”
For a moment, I was speechless. Michael had seemed so mild–mannered earlier. I didn’t expect him to be this sharp.
Marvin glared at him, fists clenched. “This is none of your business.”
“Ariadne,” he said, turning back to me. “This is your last chance. Stop testing me.”
Mindy also frowned. “Mom, how can you do this, this is an affair, I hate you.”
I smirked. “It’s fine with me. I don’t expect you to like me anyway. Just go live with your Ms. Fowler.”
Before leaving, I threw him one last blow. “The divorce papers are ready. You’ll get them soon. Sign them quickly so we can finalize this. I want nothing to do with you anymore.”
15
I grabbed Michael’s arm and left without looking back.
Outside, I turned to Michael. “Thanks for stepping in back there.”
“No problem,” he said.
“Let’s exchange contacts. I want to treat you to dinner sometime,” I offered, exchanging contact information before parting ways.
