Page 21 of Vow to Hate You

Mischief danced in her eyes as she sauntered closer. “How do you know I don’t have my own money to leave? Or maybe I still have some of yours.”

I didn’t let her get under my skin. “That might be hard, seeing as I took your other cards.”

“You did what?” she hissed, her smile turning into a scowl. “You have no right, Damian.”

“I spoke with your mother a few months ago,” I stated, making her eyes go wide. “She always liked me, and she told me she didn’t give you any money in the last five years. Which means you’ve been living off what you stole from me.”

Fury filled her eyes. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Really?” I asked. “Tell me, Talie. Have you been making your own money? What have you been doing?”

“None of your business.”

“That’s fine.” I held the credit card up. “Then I’m keeping your cards until you prove to me that the money you’ve been using is yours and not mine.”

Her jaw clenched. “What’s the difference between using this card and the money I already took from you?”

“Because the money wasn’t yours to take. I’m giving you this.” I paused, watching the anger build on her face, deciding to push her a little more. “I can’t have my wife going without, can I?”

Her eyes flicked to the card. “What’s the spending limit on it?”

“More than enough for you to shop and eat out or whatever you want to do.”

“I’m not going to spend my days shopping and planning my life around yours,” she growled. “I want to get a job.”

“Plan on paying me back?” I cocked my head to the side as I leaned against the counter. “Because if you used even half, it would take you decades.”

She rolled her eyes. “It seems like you’re doing fine without the money. You even get to dance like you always wanted.”

Anger bubbled through me as I forced myself not to react. “You have no idea what I had to do to get my club where it istoday. I had to start from fucking nothing since you left me high and dry.”

“I want to work,” she repeated stiffly.

“I’m sure you could find something respectable with the degree you have…” I trailed off, shaking my head. “Wait—you didn’t go to college like everyone thinks. What job do you think you can get that the families will approve of?”

Her eyes burned with rage. “I don’t need to ask them about my choices.”

I pushed off the counter, stopping inches from her. “Have you been gone so long you forgot how this world works?”

“I know exactly how it works,” she hissed. “Why do you think I stayed away for so long?”

“Your father, and mine, would never approve of you working somewhere that isn’t up to their standards. I don’t even think they’d let you work at all. And if I let you do it? Then that shit will fall on me.”

“Let me?” she spat out, disgust written all over her face. “That’s a vile way of thinking, Damian.”

“I didn’t say I agreed with it, did I?” I shot back. “But you know how our families are.”

She shrank back from me, her hands clenched into fists. I didn’t blame her for being angry, but she knew what she signed up for when we married. This was the life both of us were expected to live. Under a microscope, doing what our families wanted.

“I can work at your club,” she finally said. “I saw the women working there.”

I went still. “Absolutely not.”

“Why?”

“Because you already tried ruining my life five years ago.” I kept her stare. “I’m not letting you anywhere near the one place I built up for myself.”

Checking my watch, I muttered a curse before grabbing my suit jacket from the chair.

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