But my anguish wasn’t over yet. Bobby stormed into the restaurant, his face twisted with fury. He grabbed my arm, dragging me outside.
"You ruined everything, Irish!" he yelled, his voice venomous. Without warning, he slapped me hard across the face.
I held my stinging cheek, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the hollow ache in my heart. With a bitter smile, I met his eyes. "What was I supposed to do, Bobby? Stay silent and still while watching my husband propose to another woman?"
"It was just a joke!" Bobby snapped defensively. "You didn’t see me give Grace a ring, did you? I did it to get ahead in my career! The CEO thinks Grace and I are a couple—that’s the only reason I played along!"
I let out a harsh, humorless laugh, staring at him with disgust. "And how does the CEO know about your ‘relationship’ with Grace, Bobby? He knows you’re married, doesn’t he? He knows your wife is still alive!"
Bobby’s silence was telling. He couldn’t answer. I stepped closer, locking eyes with him. "You sold my dignity, Bobby. You threw away everything we built together for your selfish ambitions."
I turned to leave, but Bobby grabbed my wrist, spinning me back around. "Irish, wait—"
#Irish's POV
"We're not done talking, Irish!" Bobby gripped my wrist tighter. The pressure hurt, but I pulled my hand free with all my strength.
"We're done, Bobby," I said coldly, staring straight into his eyes without hesitation. "You made your choice, and now I'm making mine. I won't let myself be used for your selfish ambitions any longer."
Bobby looked shocked, as if my words had slapped him across the face. But he quickly put on a pleading expression. "You're jealous, I know it," he said, trying to soften my heart. "I'll tell Grace to move out of our house immediately. Come home with me. I'm sorry for being insensitive to your feelings lately. But believe me, I love you. I don’t want anyone else but you."
I wanted to laugh at his words, but all that came out was a tired sigh. Believe him? No. I was just too exhausted to argue. That’s why I went along with his demands.
---
In the days that followed, I lived as though everything was fine. Bobby seemed relieved, convinced that I had returned to being his obedient wife. He had no idea that I was secretly packing my belongings little by little. I only took the essentials, ensuring that when I left, I wouldn’t leave much behind.