His Cold Revenge, A Hidden Love

e Fry

For two days, I had been lying in this lumpy, unfamiliar bed, a fever ragin

wed by my mother' s hysterical shri

from there! For Go

ious, sun-drenched bedroom overlooking the park. This was a cramped, water-stained box in a rund

father was perched precariously on the windowsill of the

is face blotchy and swollen with tea

with you!" my mother sob

ked, my throat raw.

o me. "Callie! My little

the lie tasting like ash in m

"There's one way. You have

ze. "

thing our family did for him, giving him a place, a wife... he owes us! He must sti

nly they knew he' d handed me divorce papers with a smile while talking about his true lov

id, my voice flat. "I

're his wife! Go to him, Callie! Use your looks, your charm! Do whateve

cating. I looked at my mother's terrified f

ed, the word a su

ight, black, and ridiculously short. "You look beautiful, darling," she sa

asking for help. I looked like a hooker. The thought made my stomach churn. What a jo

d signed that prenup without a fight. Was my mother right? Had he been in love with me? The thought was

es that it was hopeless. I had to let them watch me be hu

, gleaming skyscraper like hopeful vultures. The look on their faces as I got out

ex-wife. The fallen socialite. I could feel their eyes on me, hear their whispered comments. I held my head high, my bac

was sitting behind a massive desk, not looking up as I entered. The power in the room was a physical force, pressing down on

is face, but it didn't reach his eyes. Those were as cold

ado crumbled. "Kane, I... I n

athetic whisper. I felt m

Ask me? Why on earth would you think you

is was pointless. I was a

turning to leave. "I'm

n, every private act of contempt. He had every right to hate me. I deserved t

ai

me at the door. I

d and predatory. "I didn't say I wouldn't help. But everything has a pri

uld want? My body? The thought was laughable. This was the man who had slept

ned in close, his scent-sandalwood and success-filling my senses. His voice dropped

ed. I shoved him away, my hand striking his chest. "You

buy me, like some cheap commodity, just to humiliate me. Bec

gleam replaced by a familiar, chilli

I fled his office, my heart po

pped out of the building. "What did he say?

my head, un

er exploded. "After everything we

d. He doesn't owe us anything. We were awful to him.

arted muttering about finding a bridge, and my mother burst into tears. My head throbbe

led every friend he had. No one answered. He hurled his phone against the wall, screaming about fair-weather f

voice weak. "Go back to him. You must have got

at left me with nothing. I couldn't add that

o be humiliated!" my brother, Ju

filled with concern. "Did he...

word scraping my t

ane hope returning to her eyes. "See? He s

more. I stood up. "I'm

than spending money and planning parties. But I was beau

spent countless nights, dropping thousands of

entrance. But when I told him I needed a job, a flicker of pity crossed his face. He hired me on the spot as a

of shame and hope. Maybe I could d

e of ludicrously expensive champagne in my hand

en I s

a

raped over his arm. He was surrounded by men I knew-sons of billionaires and hedge f

nce. He was laughing, a low, rumbling sound that I had never heard before. It hit me then, with the force of a physical b

wanted to run, to disappear.

had been trying to get in with mine for years. Now, he was looking at me like I was someth

n me, stripping me bare. I knew what was c

ey. For my father, for my mother. I co

shatter. "Leo. Good to see you. Can

"I've got a better idea. I'll give you five thousand dol

my blood turning to ice. I glanced at Kane,

y indifferent, a silent spectator to my

ered. He reall

Mark," I said, my voic

a black credit card. "Ten thousand. Jus

t twenty, if you crawl over here an

ood. It wasn't about me. It was about him. Kane must have told them we were divorced. He must

owsill. I thought of the eviction

u haggle over a tip. There's no way you'd part with twenty grand." I looked him straight in

uldn't. He w

ng on his face. "You bitch! You think yo

ey were offering... it could solve so many pro

"Fine," I whispered, the word tast

it cracking, and began to

ch the carpet, a strong hand gri

to

as K