Tom couldn’t hold back any longer. With a guttural growl, he shoved Lori onto the bed.
Her triumphant laughter mixed with his heavy breathing, creating a scene so unbearable to watch it made my stomach turn.
The video ended with Tom putting on his clothes and walking out the door. Lori, however, walked up to the surveillance camera in her apartment. Smiling smugly, she whispered, “Did you see that, Charity?”
“He can’t resist me. He wants a child with me.” Her expression hardened, the mockery in her eyes cutting sharper than her words. “His feelings for you? They aren’t love. They’re gratitude. He’s thankful for what you’ve done for him in the past and that’s why he married you—not because he loves you, but because he feels obligated. Do you get it now?”
Her voice dropped an octave, dripping with condescension. “Open your eyes, Charity. You’re not worthy of a man like Tom.”
Lori straightened, adjusting the strap of her dress as she delivered the final blow. “You come from nothing. What do you have to offer besides your skill at gutting fish? How could you possibly be the partner Tom needs to stand by his side?”
Her smile returned, but it was colder now, more calculating. “If you truly love him, let him go.”
The video cut to black and for a moment, the room was silent. I stared at the frozen screen, expecting anger to well up inside me—maybe even heartbreak or humiliation. But strangely, there was nothing. No fire in my chest, no twisting in my stomach.
Just… nothing.
