“But why?”she balked, bewildered by my disdain.“You are his wife.Is it not your duty to provide him with children?”
I spit out the toothpaste and nearly tossed my toothbrush into the sink in anger.Straightening my spine, I turned to her and glared.
“No, it isn’t, Sloane.But is it not my husband’s duty to remain truthful to his wife?To refrain from betraying her trust by engaging in deceitful tactics for his own ambition?”
Sloane tilted her head, shaking it slightly as she failed to grasp the issue.
“But why would he need to lie to you?”she implored.“Why do you not want to bear his children?”
“Because I want to spare them from the horrors of this life!”I nearly shouted.I could feel my chest heaving as my blood pulsed with irritation.“Darren intends to torturemychildren so they will become just as cruel and ruthless as he is.What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t do everything I could to prevent that?Even if it meant averting their existence entirely.”
With that, I shot around her tall frame to storm into the closet and find something I wouldn’t be able to wear to dinner in a few months.As I aggressively sorted through the dresses, trying to find the ugliest thing possible, I could feel Sloane’s eyes on me again.
“What do you mean he intends to torture your children?”she asked carefully.
I sighed as I tilted my head back and stared up at the ceiling.This woman was seriously testing my patience today.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and slowly let out all my frustration.
“When Darren was a child, his father would have him and his brothers tortured once a year for three days to build up their pain tolerance.And he intends to keep this tradition going for his future sons since it worked out so well for him.”Finally finding something suitable, I slipped on an ugly sleeveless burnt orange peplum dress, then flailed hopelessly with the zipper at the back.“Would you mind?”I asked Sloane as I turned to the mirror to angrily smooth the fabric down.
I watched her approach from the mirror, her eyes downcast as she took the zipper between her fingers and carefully zipped it up my back.
“You must understand,” Sloane began as she hooked the clasp at the top of the dress closed.“Men must be strong in this world, as the weak will not survive in it.Your husband’s methods are certainly harsh, but I understand his reasoning.”
I sighed again and rubbed my tired eyes.“You understand then why I would just rather not have children at all.”
Abandoning the pointless argument, I moved to the corner of the closet that contained my vanity and sat down to make myself look more human and less zombie.After adding some simple mascara, under-eye concealer, and a touch of blush, I looked a little less pissed off and slightly more awake.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, and that you’re upset about your pregnancy,” Sloane suddenly said, making me pause applying my lip gloss so I could glance at her through the mirror.“It is unfortunate that your husband lied to you and dishonored your trust for his own gain.”
I felt my stomach twist as I absorbed the sincerity in her face, uncertainty for her own skin splintering inside my gut.Was she trying to get herself killed?
“You shouldn’t talk like that.Darren wouldn’t like it,” I said carefully.“I don’t want to see him hurt you for appearing disloyal to him by siding with me.”
Sloane’s eyes flickered with what seemed like appreciation, the corner of her mouth curling up ever so slightly.She then nodded her head and moved to exit the closet."I’ll wait for you outside.”
I watched her leave through the mirror, tremors pulsing through my limbs as fear for her safety suddenly hit me.She was sympathizing with me, something Clive and Owenneverdid.Maybe because they were smart, or maybe because they didn’t care.But Sloane had told me she felt I was worthy of her protection.How far would she go to stay committed to that ideal?She certainly wouldn’t be able to do any of it if she crossed Darren.Which meant I too needed to watch what I said around her.
Selecting a pair of low gold heels, I slipped the shoes on and checked myself in the mirror one last time.
Even under all the makeup, my eyes still looked haunted, and my complexion was pale and lifeless, worsened by the harsh color of the dress.Releasing a slow, heavy breath, I closed my eyes and counted backward from five.When I reached zero, I felt calm enough to confidently walk through the hurricane that awaited me downstairs.
Stepping through the bedroom door, Sloane raised her head to glance at me and then followed as I walked past her.
“Where’s Camaro?”I asked softly as I moved down the hallway toward the stairs.
“With her trainers, working on new drills,” Sloane answered from behind me.
I nodded, making my way down the stairs, clutching my stomach at the sound of voices catching my ears.Rounding the corner, I found Darren standing next to Daniel and Katherine near the dinner table, each of them holding champagne glasses.
All eyes landed on me when my heels announced my entrance into the dining room.And then I glanced up at the congratulatory banner hanging over the wall and scowled.
Katherine took the opportunity to set her glass down and quickly rushed over to me.Her burns were concealed under the long-sleeved yellow dress she was wearing, her hair draped strategically around the scarred side of her face.
“Congratulations, Jaden!We’re so happy for you,” she said enthusiastically, and then wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace.“I know you’re upset,” she whispered into my ear, “but just go with it.”
When she pulled back, she smiled at me, reminding me to give her one in turn, though much less animated.“Thanks,” I replied.