Chapter 4 The Act Finally Cracks

Emily's period had ended just a few days earlier, so pregnancy was impossible. That left only one explanation—those two had literally made her sick to the stomach. The fact that she hadn't thrown up in front of them after watching the lovey-dovey display that they put up in her presence was already more courtesy than they deserved. The nausea finally passed after a few minutes of retching. After a busy day at work, she arrived home at 9:00 pm. Exhausted, she turned the knob and pushed the door open. She had barely closed the door behind her when someone grabbed her by the waist. A familiar scent washed over her. As soon as she realized what was happening, she struggled fiercely. "Let go of me!" Gabriel ignored Emily's protests, scooping her up and throwing her onto the couch with brutal force. Emily's head spun from the impact. Before she could even try to get up, Gabriel was already on top of her. He was never gentle in bed, especially when he was in a foul mood. His movements turned downright barbaric. After a long and exhausting day, Emily's body ached all over, and she was in no mood to humor him. "Gabriel, let me go! I don't want to do this!" None of the lights in the living room was on. By the faint glow filtering through the window, Emily could make out a pair of eyes burning with raw intensity. They looked like those of a predator, waiting to tear her apart and swallow her up. "You don't want to?" His arms pinned her firmly against the couch, leaving her no room to escape. "And what right do you have to say those words to me?" Terrified by his loss of control, Emily said in a trembling voice, "If you're in the mood, go find Amelia! Why do you always have to take it out on me?" "Amelia's weak. She can't handle this." Gabriel ripped open her clothes and sank his teeth into her skin. "Besides, who could possibly compare to you when it comes to pleasing a man in bed?" Emily felt the sharp sting of his teeth, and tears silently streamed down her cheeks. "Am I really that cheap to you, Gabriel?" The moment she finished speaking, he gripped her chin forcefully. "Don't ask such foolish questions. You should be grateful this body still holds some appeal for me. Otherwise, the sight of you would disgust me. When the last of her clothing was ripped away, cold air washed over her, making Emily shiver uncontrollably. Just as he was about to take her, she suddenly raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. "I said, don't touch me!" A desperate, choked cry echoed through the living room, followed by the sharp sound of the slap. Gabriel's face was turned slightly to the side from the impact as the taste of blood spread in his mouth. For a moment, silence pressed in, heavy and suffocating. Emily's chest heaved as she stared at him, her eyes red-rimmed. She knew exactly what would follow that slap. Whether it meant divorce or being taken right here until she passed out, she wouldn't regret it. It was better to have that than to be treated as an object for his urges. She wanted to live with dignity, like a human being. But instead of flying into a rage as Emily had expected, Gabriel remained eerily calm. "Hah! So the act finally cracks. Weren't you always so good at pleasing me before?" "What's the point in pleasing you?" Emily retorted, her voice hardening with defiance. "Gabriel, don't you think this is pointless? Instead of torturing each other like this, just divorce me. Consider it as us letting each other go." "Let you go?" Gabriel wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice laced with a hatred Emily couldn't comprehend. "Dream on. Even if you die, you can only die by my side." A heated kiss came crashing down on her lips once more. This time, he didn't give her a chance to slap him again. All of Emily's curses eventually dissolved into sobs and pleas. … When Emily opened her eyes again, it was already noon the next day. Her phone buzzed insistently on the nightstand. Still bleary-eyed, Emily answered the call. Mallory's urgent voice came through the receiver. "Mills, there's a staff meeting this afternoon. Even the hospital director is here already. Where are you?"