After She She Stopped Loving Him

Yolanda bolted out of bed and marched straight to the master bedroom. Without a second thought, she drove her foot into the door, splintering the frame. It was a raw, violent act, completely unlike her.

She shouted. “Charles, remember that cross necklace I gave you? You gave it-“The words died in her throat.

He doesn’t know I know about Sophie, she realized in a flash. Confronting him now would be a mistake. He’d just offer some hollow apology and keep right on cheating, his conscience clear for good.

Charles stepped out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist, his hairgripping. The roar of the shower had drowned her out. “What did you say?” he asked,

She took a step back. turning to leave.

She needed a new plan to get the necklace. “Nothing. I’m going to bed,” she muttered.

But his hand shot out, clamping around her wrist. He pinned her against the ruined door, his gaze dropping to her mouth. “Are you sure you didn’t come here to keep me company?” he murmured, his voice low.

Yolanda’s eyes flickered to his shoulder. Fresh, red scratches ran across his skin. They were clear marks from someone else’s nails.

The truth hit her like a physical blow. “How could I have been so blind? Everyone knows about his affairs but me. No wonder he’s so brazen, she thought.

She just replied. “I have my period. I don’t think it’s time for this.”

The light in his eyes died instantly. He wasn’t going to do anything, anyway. He let go without another word.

Yolanda fled. The moment she was in the hall, her phone buzzed insistently. Another message from Sophie lit up the screen.

Sophie: [Charles said this necklace was from you. It’s so plain. Are you that hard up for cash even after you married him? For comparison, he gave me two apartments. Fifteen million dollars. Said he didn’t want me to feel cheated.]

The final text was a knife twist: [Two years as his wife, and you’ve got nothing to show for it. Doesn’t that just make you feel cheap, Mrs. Sinclair?]

commercial. Yolanda personally picked him up and escorted him to

also on set, filming an advertisement of her own. She was a rising star now, fresh

the

makeup chair, Yolanda stepped out to wander the hall, her face

small cross necklace dangling proudly from Sophie’s neck. A makeup talent was fussing over

7:45 Thu, Sep 11

Chapter 39

in the doorway, a wave of smug satisfaction

me. He said he wanted me to have a piece of him watching over me, she said, her voice sweet. “I just never wore

so sweet,”

her collar, a blatant trophy displayed for the one woman she’d

simply walked back in and tried to ignore Sophie’s

into my dressing room. As the Sinclair Group’s top endorser, flush

her calm, beautiful eyes unblinking. I heard you’re interested in the Magnifique

face tightened. “None of your business. Now get

is, they signed Joelle, Yolanda cut in. “That star from overseas. You know, the lively girl with eyes just like yours. Rumor has it Mr. Sinclair waited for her all night once and got stood up. They had a

aimed straight for Sophie’s insecurities. “Your real competition was never his wife. It’s Joelle. It makes you wonder, doesn’t

wrist easily. Furious, her face flushed a deep red,

not daring to look back,

slapped me before, and we haven’t settled that score. Now you have the nerve to come here and

her grip slowly. “I’ve had a change of heart, Ms. Sutton. There’s no need for us to be enemies. My talent is still on

in? It’s too late for

information, Yolanda corrected gently. “And I’m a

her weaknesses. If you want to

shifting from