He bent his head and bit down on my lip.
The taste of blood spread fast, and I winced.
One year together, four years married, and he had never once kissed me first.
Even at the closest moments, it was always me reaching for him.
There was a time I used to dream he would just want me, even a little.
Now all I felt was sick.
I bit back, hard.
He hissed in pain and shoved me away.
I lifted my head and stared at him through burning eyes. "You want a child? Go find another woman to give you one. That little assistant of yours looks like she'd be thrilled to."
Edwin froze. "What did you say?"
I screamed it out, eyes red and raw. "I said, if you want a child, go make one with your little assistant! Stop making me sick."
"Edwin, the man you are right now truly, truly disgusts me!"
He stared at me like he wanted to skewer me where I stood.
Three seconds later, he laughed.
"Fine. Since you're so generous, I'll give you exactly what you want."
"Don't you dare regret it. And don't come crying to me to beg."
The door slammed.
Then it was quiet.
I looked at the shut door and the tears came without a sound, until I was sobbing out loud.
As if I could finally cry out all the years of swallowing it.
Edwin, this time I won't regret it.
And I won't lower myself to beg you ever again.
I wiped my face and made a call.
"Bro, that funding we gave Edwin in the beginning. Pull it."
He didn't come home all night.
The next morning I went to the lawyer's office to have the divorce papers drawn up.
It was the weekend. He didn't have work.
I just had no idea where to find him.
That was when a video popped up on my phone.
Crystal's voice exploded right after it.
"Mare! Isn't this your untouchable, too-good-for-everyone husband?"
"I was out shopping at The Lumière One and there he is with some woman! Crouching down to tie her shoelaces himself!"
"You're barely four months along and he's already out hunting? That bitch, does she have any shame left? God, I'm going to kill the both of them!"
I tapped the video open.
There he was, the man who had always kept himself so far above me, crouched down to tie a girl's shoelaces because she'd pouted at him a couple of times.
She was laughing, filming him on her phone, and he was laughing too, like he couldn't help it.
My chest still twisted at it.
It wasn't that I'd never wanted that from him.
Back then he was always so far above me.
He never refused, but he never obliged either.
He just left me to find my own way out of the awkwardness.
I forced a bitter smile and texted her back.
"We're getting divorced."
The message had barely sent when an unknown number rang.
"Is this Ms. Pruitt? Your husband's gotten into an altercation with a friend. Please come down to the police station as soon as you can."
Crystal had a temper, but I hadn't expected her to move this fast.
I flagged a cab and went.
The shouting was still going strong before I even reached the door.
"Edwin! Can you live with yourself? She's barely four months pregnant and you can't keep it in your pants! Out there in broad daylight with your mistress, tying her shoes! Why don't you just drop dead!"
"Our Mare was so good to you, loved you so—"
"Didn't she throw herself at me?" Edwin cut her off, his face cold.
I went stiff where I stood.
His voice kept going. "Did I ask her to be good to me? Did I ask her to love me? Wasn't it her who threw herself at me, came chasing after me, crawled into my bed, married me the second I crooked a finger? So what does her being good to me have to do with anything? I don't love her. Why should I give her anything back? She's pregnant now, so what, I'm supposed to stay tied to her side forever?"
