Jonathan was dead set on teaching me a lesson. I started angry and frustrated, but after a few days, I realized I had to find another way out.
He showed up to work like clockwork. Sometimes, he stayed late at the office, but he mostly holed up in his study to get work done.
He still slept next to me at night, but there was a clear line between us, like a wall neither of us would cross.
I had no idea what Jonathan was thinking. All the fights and drama were useless with him. He was like a brick wall, stuck in his own way and completely uninterested in what I had to say.
One night, Jonathan lay down behind me like he always did. Just as he was about to pull me into his arms, I suddenly opened my eyes and looked at him. “I was wrong.”
He paused, his deep eyes fixed on me. The dim light only made him look more striking. Honestly, that face could ruin someone.
I knew it when I was 18. He didn’t need to do anything, and that face alone was enough to have people throwing themselves at him. I was just one of them.
Back then, I never said a word about my crush on him, and I just watched him from afar. Years later, he wasn’t exactly the same person I used to picture.
Jonathan’s features were still as striking as ever, but he came off more grounded. That same confidence was still there, but now it made him seem even more like a grown man.
That explained why Alicia was so hung up on him.
I pushed aside the contempt in my mind and kept my tone earnest. “I messed up.”
Jonathan gazed at me for a moment before asking, “What exactly did you do wrong?”
I responded, “I shouldn’t have thrown a tantrum. Can you set me free now?”
He muttered, ‘Do you mean it, or do you just want to get out?”
I furrowed my brows, feeling sick of this in my head. But I still forced myself to look sincere. “I shouldn’t have upset you and talked back like that. Please forgive me. Don’t keep me locked up.”
I even softened my tone to sound like I was backing down.
I thought Jonathan would go easy if I played nice, but he just looked at me and chuckled. “When did you learn to lie to me, Elise?”
I paused for a moment and lowered my gaze. “I made a mistake. Isn’t owning it enough? Alicia was right. I shouldn’t have caused you trouble.”
As I finished my sentence, he suddenly grabbed my chin. “You promised you would always be real with me.”
Jonathan’s voice was low and tight with anger. “Are you serious right now, Ellse?
I looked up, looking baffled. Lying through my teeth just now already made me sick. Was that still not enough for him?
I couldn’t go head–to–head with him, and even backing down didn’t work. He had been impossible to deal
with.
Just as I was about to say something half–hearted, he seemed to have sensed my intention, so he just got up and left. “I’m heading to the office.”
He casually grabbed his coat and put it on. I quickly called out. “Hold on. Does that mean I can leave now?
Jonathan paused with his back to me but didn’t respond.
“Do what you want,” he muttered. That was all he said before leaving me alone in the bedroom.
It took me a second to realize, but he had allowed me to leave the house. I could finally relax a little. I had to save up one hundred million dollars fast so I could finally divorce him.
Besides that, I had to come up with something else.
Earning 100 million dollars wasn’t going to be easy. If I could get Jonathan to bring up divorce himself, I might even get something out of it.
1 couldn’t sleep, so I got up and sat in front of the dressing table. Looking at my reflection, I couldn’t help
but sigh.
