Page 74 of Repluse

My nose tingles from the pain, but I don’t back down. “You. I’m talking to you. Now, let go of my fucking hair before I scream so loud it’ll wake the dead, the dying, and every other fucker in this place.”

He gives another hard yank on my hair before letting go.

“I’m going to put your behaviour down to grief.”

“Oh, I’m not grieving. I’m fucking celebrating. Her death has set me free.”

He laughs. “Oh, I should’ve known this was coming. You think because you no longer have to worry about her care, you can just walk away? Well, think the fuck on, because I have a signed contract that says if you ever leave our marriage, you’ll be liable to repay me the cost of her care. Which, the last time I checked, was around two million. Do you have that to pay me back?”

Ice creeps through my veins, but it’s caused by rage, not shock. I fucking knew he’d have something up his sleeve,

“I never signed a contract. What contract?”

I don’t know why I’m arguing with him. I’m more than aware of what him and his family are capable of, and I’m in no doubt there is, or he will somehow produce, a contract signed by me, stating whatever it is he wants it to say.

“But you did, Mila. Maybe your memory’s going. Perhaps you’ve got whatever it was she had going on, which wasn’t alot from what I’ve been told. Dementia can run in families, you know.”

“Fuck you.”

“Yep, that’s the plan. We’ll get the funeral out the way, then you’ll come back to Yira, and I’ll be fucking you every day until you’re pregnant and you give me the son and heir you should’ve given me already. Once that’s done, you can fuck off and do what you like, go where you like, because your job will be done.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Mila, come on now. Do you really think you have a choice?”

At some stage during our exchange, I’ve stood up, and I’m now facing him. I stare, wondering what the fuck he’s on about. “I have a choice.”

“No, silly girl, you don’t. You’re my wife. There’s no fucking walking away from that until I say so.”

“So, what are you going to do? Kidnap me and take me back to Yira? Keep me locked in the house?” I think of Ella, and I know that’s exactly what he’ll do.

“Yep. If I have to, I’ll do all those things.”

“You’re fucking delusional. You really think I’m just going to let that happen?”

“How you going to stop me?”

“I just won’t go.”

He laughs again. “Then I’ll drug you.”

I fold my arms across my chest, shake my head, and take a step back. “Why? Why me? You could have a baby with anyone. You don’t love me. You don’t even like me…”

“Because…” His phone rings. He pulls it from the pocket of his jeans and looks at the screen, then swipes to answer. “Dad? What? How bad? Yeah… Okay. I’ll be there as quick as I can.” He ends the call and looks at me. “There’s been a fire. I need to get back to Yira.”

I’m hit with a wave of panic. Is he going to drug me right now?

“I have to meet my sister in the morning and plan the funeral. I need?—”

“You can stay. Stefan is waiting outside. He’ll take you to the funeral home tomorrow, then he’ll bring you back to Yira once everything’s arranged.”

“Who’s Stefan?”

“He’s your new best friend. Unless you’re with me, Stefan will accompany you everywhere from now on.”

Once again, I want to laugh. I want to tell him everything, that none of what he has planned is going to work because I have a pair of sex god superheroes waiting out in the carpark, listening in on this conversation, no doubt already making plans to get me out of here.

But because I don’t know for sure what those plans are, I stay quiet. I keep my mouth shut and instead gloat on the inside knowing at some stage, I’m going to bring him and his entire family down.

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