Chapter 16

• Leila
• I pushed at him, my arms trembling, but no strength came. My body felt foreign, weak in a way it hadn't been before, not even in the worst days of our marriage. He saw it, my helplessness, and his lips twisted into a cold smirk. He tore the dress apart, the fabric ripping like flesh, and discarded me on the ground like a shattered thing. I curled into myself, hands shaking as I covered my body.
• He stood, straightening his suit, his eyes raking over me. "There's a party tomorrow night," he said, his voice flat. "I need you to attend with me." He turned to leave.