Page 5 of Riot

He cheated and destroyed our marriage. More than that, he destroyed everything I worked for, leaving me ambushed and weak, which I hate.

Maybe I didn’t love Gerald, but I cry for what I lost, for the love we could have had, the friendship, the companionship, the buffer, and everything it means.

I am unlovable.

I will never be enough, just like my father said.

I know the paparazzi will be waiting for me at home, so I swallow down my pain. I bury it so deep they will never find it. I clean up my face, smooth my hair back into place, and tug on my dress until I’m perfectly put together.

I appear cold and aloof, even though I’m falling apart on the inside.

I get out of the car, waving at the cameras, and head into my house.

He cheated on me? Fine.

I don’t need him. I don’t need anyone.

He’s just another person in a long list of those who let me down.

I was a fool, but I won’t be again.

I didn’t break down for the cameras, but inside my house, I did.

His clothes lie shredded around me. All the expensive suits and designer clothes I meticulously bought and viciously tore apart. The bottle of wine is half empty as I take a deep drink from the bottle.

He will be back soon, and he will find his suitcase outside, along with divorce papers. I want this over and done with quickly. He knew what he was doing, knew what would happen. He wanted out, and he got it. He will no longer have my money and house to fall back on. Gerald can face the wolves alone. He destroyed everything we had, and now I’m doing the same.

We were partners. Maybe there wasn’t love and passion like he wanted, but we always agreed on being a united front. Not anymore.

I don’t even give him the benefit of a conversation because he doesn’t deserve it. Nothing he could say can change what he did, and I can never forgive him for sullying our marriage and the trust he won from me when no one else ever could.

I look at the TV, seeing the name they are calling me after my stony exit from the interview.

Ice queen.

I like it.

Cold and impenetrable.

No one will ever hurt me again if I am ice.

I give them nothing—not a post or an interview. My husband gets what he came into this marriage with and nothing else. The cars, the houses, and the money are all mine, and he can’t have them. He won’t take them from me, and I made sure of that with a prenup.

Without me, he’s nothing, and he knows it.

I ignore my phone and the doorbell—the staff was instructed not to answer. The locks have already been changed. He worked quickly, but I was quicker. I swept every inch of him from my life as swiftly as he entered it. I don’t need a reminder of another person who hurt me, and when I stand and head downstairs, I instruct the staff to clean up the remains of his clothes.

It’s done. It’s over.

I wander the house aimlessly, needing to keep moving until I see the flower lying on the kitchen counter. For some reason, I’m drawn to it, picking up the blue and pink dahlia before opening the black card alongside it.

For every time we have met, I will send you one as a reminder that I am not going anywhere. I told you he didn’t deserve you. Give them nothing, baby. I’ll be waiting for you.

Your Kage

There’s a number under that. I scoff, crumpling the card even as I pick up the flower once more.

I can’t bring myself to throw it out for some reason.

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