Dennis Rowe and his childhood sweetheart had been at each other's throats since they were kids. Neither one ever backed down.
On our wedding day, she decided she couldn't stand to see Dennis happy, so she had me pulled off the road and raped.
Then she had the video played, out loud, in front of everyone at the reception.
At my bedside, Dennis's eyes went red with grief, and he ground his teeth and bolted for the door.
"She can't beat me, so she takes it out on you! Angela Finch, just wait. I'm going to peel the skin off her today!"
But half an hour later, a synced text notification popped up on his tablet.
The sender was pinned at the very top of his list. The photo was Hailey Fox.
A whole screen of filthy messages, and every word cut into my eyes.
Hailey: 【You show up pretending you're here to settle a score, then you pin me against the wall and kiss me. Is that how you avenge your girlfriend?】
Hailey: 【Still, the way you looked at me just now, eyes all red like you wanted to devour me—it's addictive.】
Dennis replied: 【Angela's innocent. She's given up so much for me. I really do love her. We can't keep making this mistake.】
Hailey shot back: 【Fine. Then tonight I'll go spend the night with my boyfriend.】
The next second, Dennis fired off a new message, urgent:
【Don't. Go wait for me at the usual place.】
【As for Angela, I'll treat her well my whole life. I don't want to hurt her. But it seems I… I really can't quit you.】
……
The screen went dark.
I gripped the edge of the blanket and bit down on my lip.
Quick footsteps came down the hall. I shoved the tablet back under my pillow.
I picked up the phone off the nightstand and dialed 911.
The door opened.
Dennis walked in carrying a food container.
He saw the numbers on my screen, lunged over, snatched the phone out of my hand, and pressed the button to end the call.
"Angela, what are you doing! You can't call the police!"
"Give me the phone," I said, cold. "I want Hailey behind bars."
"Have you even thought about it?"
Dennis threw his arms around me.
"The moment they open a case, everything that happened to you goes on the record. Those videos become evidence. They'll play them over and over!"
"The media will know. People online will know. Everyone will look at you like you're something to stare at. I can't put you through that!"
"But she hired men to rape me!"
I pushed him off. "I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I be the one hiding? I want her to pay!"
Dennis dropped to his knees at the bedside and grabbed my wrist.
"Just leave it to me, all right? I've already taught her a lesson she won't forget."
"I'll make her wish she were dead for the rest of her life. Trust me, please?"
I looked at him, and all at once he felt like a stranger.
Junior year of college, on my birthday.
Hailey poured a full glass of red wine down the front of my white dress.
Dennis shot up out of his chair and flipped the table in front of him.
Plates shattered across the floor.
"Hailey, what is wrong with you!"
Hailey said it was an accident.
Dennis grabbed a beer and dumped the whole bottle over Hailey's head.
"It was an accident too. Get out!"
He smashed the bottle on the floor.
From that day on, I thought he would always keep me behind him, safe.
"You went and hit her?"
Dennis buried his face in the curve of my neck, his shoulders shaking, and didn't answer the question.
"Angela, as long as I'm here, I will never let anyone hurt you again, not even a little. We won't call the police. Let me handle this, okay?"
I lowered my head, about to speak.
And I caught it—a faint scent of lemon and sea salt perfume.
Hailey was the only one who wore that brand.
My eyes drifted down.
Deep inside the slightly open collar of Dennis's shirt was a dark red mark.
