Page 20 of Guarding Her Heart
The day passes in a haze of tension and unease. I try to focus on my students, to immerse myself in the joyful chaos of the classroom, but my mind keeps drifting back to the conversation with Ethan last night. Vincent Torres—a name that now feels like a shadow hanging over everything. A name I don’t know and I can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is about to happen.
By the time the final bell rings, I’m exhausted, both mentally and physically. I gather my things, trying to push aside the worry that’s been gnawing at me all day. But as I step out into the warm afternoon air, a shiver runs down my spine as I realize my car is the only one left in the parking lot. I can’t help but glance over my shoulder, half-expecting to see someone lurking in the shadows. Ethan followed me to work this morning and told me to text him when I was leaving so that he could follow me home. I sent the text over an hour ago, but he’s not here yet.
“Get a grip, Jenny,” I mutter to myself, shaking off the paranoia. But it’s easier said than done.
I head to my car, parked in its usual spot at the edge of the school lot thinking I can just wait for him in my car since the principal has locked up the school by now, but the uneasy feeling only grows stronger. I fumble with my key fob, my hands trembling as I unlock the door. Just as I’m about to climb in, a voice stops me cold.
“Going somewhere?”
I whip around, my heart leaping into my throat. My finger is still on the key fob, and I try to hit the panic alarm button, but it won’t go off. Richard is standing there, leaning casually against the fence next to my car, his expression smug and arrogant, but he looks disheveled and exhausted. The sight of him sends a wave of fear crashing over me, but I force myself to stand tall, refusing to let him see how scared I am.
“What do you want, Richard?” I ask, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me.
He pushes off the wall, slowly closing the distance between us. “I’ve been thinking, Jenny,” he says, his tone deceptively calm. “Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. We should talk. Talk about us.”
“There’s nothing to talk about and there is no ‘us’,” I reply, taking a step back trying to remember all my self-defense training. Rule number one; try to put some distance between you and the threat. “You need to leave.” Rule number two: tell the attacker to go away.
His eyes narrow, and the veneer of civility slips away, replaced by something darker. “I’m not going anywhere, Jenny. You’re mine. You always have been since the day you married me.”
“No,” I say firmly, shaking my head. “I’m not yours, Richard, not since the day Idivorcedyou.”
His jaw tightens, and I can see the anger bubbling just beneath the surface. “Don’t lie to me,” he snaps, his voice rising. “You think you can just walk away from me? From everything we had? You think you can replace me with that fucker, West?”
Rule number three: One foot behind you for balance… you’re going to need it.
My blood runs cold at the mention of Ethan, but I refuse to let Richard see how much his words affect me. “This isn’t about Ethan,” I say, my voice as steady as I can manage. “This is about you not being able to accept that it’s over. It’s been over. I moved on. You need to do the same thing.”
Richard’s eyes darken, and for a moment, I see a flicker of something dangerous—something that makes my stomach churn with dread. He steps closer, his presence overwhelming, and I instinctively want to take another step back, but there’s nowhere to go. I’m trapped between him and my car, and the realization sends a jolt of panic through me, but I’m ready.
“You think you can just walk away from me?” he growls, his voice low and menacing. “After everything I’ve done for you? You’re nothing without me, Jenny.”
“Get away from me, Richard,” I say, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to stay calm and in control.
But he doesn’t move. Instead, he reaches out, grabbing my arm with a grip that’s too tight, too painful, too familiar. I try to pull away, but he holds on, his fingers digging into my skin bruising me.
“You’re coming with me,” he says, his tone cold and unyielding. “We’re going to talk, whether you like it or not.”
“Let go of me!” I shout, trying to wrench my arm free, but his grip only tightens.
“Stop fighting me,” he snaps, his eyes flashing with anger. “You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”
“Richard, please,” I plead, my voice breaking as he’s dragging me away from the safety of my car. “Just let me go.”
But he’s not listening. He’s too far gone, too consumed by his own twisted sense of entitlement. And in that moment, I realize just how dangerous he really is. He’s not going to let me go—not until he gets what he wants.
My instincts kick in and I throw a punch at Richard’s jaw at the same time, I knee him in his groin making contact. Richard groans as he turns toward me. “You fucking bitch.” He raises his hand in the air to hit me and just as the panic threatens to overwhelm me, we both hear the sound of a truck engine roaring toward us.
My heart leaps with hope as I see Ethan’s large black truck speeding into the parking lot, skidding to a stop just a few feet away. The look on his face is one of pure, focused determination, and I know without a doubt that he’s here for me.
“Let her go, Richard,” Ethan’s voice cuts through the tension like a knife, cold and commanding through the opened passenger window.
Richard whips around, his grip on my arm loosening just enough for me to yank free. I stumble back, my heart pounding, as Ethan jumps out of the truck, his eyes locked on Richard.
“This doesn’t concern you, West. Just walk away.” Richard snarls, his face contorting with rage. “This is between me and my wife.”
“It does concern me,” Ethan says, his voice deadly calm as he moves closer, his muscles tensed and ready to strike. “Jenny’s yourex-wife and with me now, and you’re going to leave her alone. If you don’t, you’ll have to deal with me.”
For a moment, Richard hesitates, his eyes flicking between Ethan and me. I can see the gears turning in his mind, weighing his options. But whatever twisted logic he’s operating under, it’s clear he’s not willing to back down.
