“Oh you freaking liar-” I didn’t even get to finish my sentence before Isaac slapped me.
“You would think spending all that time in prison would teach you, but I can see that you’re just as evil as you’ve always been. I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
Tears stung my eyes, but the last thing I wanted was to give them the satisfaction of watching me cry.
“What happened to my daughter’s things?” I asked.
“We threw them out. It’s not like they were needed anymore.”
Something inside me snapped. “I was gone for 8 months! You gave her my life. You took everything from me and gave it to her.”
His face hardened. “You brought this on yourself. Stop trying to blame others for your sins. You better clean this up, or I swear, Cassandra, you won’t like what I’ll do to you.”
When he was done raining insults at me, he and Julian helped Naomi out of the room, carrying her like a fragile little princess.
My heart ached, but my resolve was sharper than ever.
This time, I would not beg for love. I would not beg to be believed.
I swore that I would find evidence of their crimes and expose it for the world to see. I would not let them win this time.
That night, in the silence of a guest room reeking of dust, I pulled out the only lifeline I had left. My phone. My hands shook as I dialed the number I’d memorized long ago but sworn never to use.
The line clicked. A familiar voice answered.
“… Cassie?”
Tears stung my eyes, but I stayed calm.
“Anthony… I need you,” I whispered.
“Oh my God, Cassie. I saw you on the news. Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine, I just… I made a mistake. I should’ve never chosen Anthony. You told me you would wait for me no matter how long it took. I’m ready now.”
There was a pause. “Are you sure, Cassie? I’m not playing games.
“I’m done begging them to believe me. I'm going to leave Isaac and I want to be with you. But first— I’m going to make them pay for everything they did to me and my child. This time, I won’t let them win.”
The next day, Isaac called me to his room and informed me that I was to attend an event with him.
“I don’t want to go,” I said.
Isaac didn’t even look up from the mirror where he was adjusting his tie. “You will. It’s the company’s anniversary, and people already think you’re unstable. Don’t make it worse.”
Unstable. That was his new name for me.