Free Web NovelChapter 28: Chapter 28
Riley’s POV
The door slams open so hard it rattles the walls and the sound snaps through me.
Ethan stands there, filling the doorway, his chest rising fast, his eyes burning as they take everything in. Me on the table, my dress torn, my hair a mess, the brothers standing too close, too sure of themselves.
For one stupid second, my heart jumps because I think maybe he’ll rush them, maybe he’ll yell, maybe he’ll finally act like a husband who cares.
But he doesn’t move.
He just stares.
His jaw tightens, his fists clench at his sides, knuckles turning white, and I can see the anger vibrating through him, but it isn’t aimed where it should be. He knows better than to lunge at them. He knows better than to fight them. He knows exactly what would happen if he tried.
The brothers straighten slowly, intentionally, like predators who’ve been waiting for the door to open.
Gunnar is the first to step back from me, his mouth curling into a cruel smirk. Caden follows, adjusting his shirt like nothing important just happened. Cane tilts his head slightly, eyes sharp, amused, like he’s enjoying every second of this.
"That was fast, Ethan," Gunnar says, his voice cold and mocking. "Didn’t even knock."
Caden chuckles under his breath. "Guess curiosity really does kill the cat."
Cane’s smile is the worst of all. Calm. Controlled. Dangerous. "You look surprised," he says lightly. "You shouldn’t be."
Ethan doesn’t respond to them. Not a word. His eyes flick to me instead, and whatever is in them makes my stomach drop hard. There’s no concern there. No confusion. No hurt.
Only fury.
And blame.
He steps forward, walking right past the brothers, and before I can even slide off the table properly, his hand wraps around my arm.
"Ethan, stop," I say, trying to pull back, my voice shaking despite myself. "Let go of me."
He doesn’t.
His grip tightens painfully, fingers digging into my skin, and when I resist, when I plant my feet and try to wrench myself free, his face twists and he hits me. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
The slap comes out of nowhere.
It’s loud and outright heavy.
The force sends me crashing to the floor, my body hitting hard, pain exploding through my side and my head snapping sideways. For a moment, everything goes fuzzy, like the world tilts off balance, and all I can hear is ringing.
I stare up at him from the floor, my cheek burning, my heart pounding so hard it feels like it might tear out of my chest.
"You hit me?" I whisper, disbelief choking the words.
He doesn’t hesitate.
"Yes, Riley," he snaps. "How dare you seduce my best friends, you whore."
The word lands harder than the slap. It sucks the air out of my lungs, freezes my blood, and for a second I just stare at him, my mouth open, my brain refusing to catch up with what he just said.
Seduce... who?
My eyes flick to the brothers automatically, and they’re watching closely now, their expressions dark, their earlier amusement gone. None of them interrupt. None of them stop this.
Ethan keeps going.
"You think I didn’t see what you were doing?" he says, pointing at me like I’m something dirty on the floor. "Standing there, acting innocent, spreading yourself for them the second my back is turned. Tell me, did you seduce them from the company knowing their horniness for women?"
Okay this is it, I’ve heard enough..Something inside me cracks.
No. Not cracks. Snaps.
I push myself up despite the pain, my hands shaking as I get to my knees, then my feet. My face is hot, my vision blurring, but I don’t look away from him.
"Seduce who?" I say, my voice rising, raw and sharp. "Ethan, are you actually hearing yourself right now?"
He scoffs. "Don’t play dumb."
I laugh then, a broken, bitter sound that doesn’t feel like it belongs to me. "You think I’m a whore?" I say, my voice trembling but loud. "You think I’m the cheating bastard here? Then what are you?"
His eyes flash. "I am a man. Men cheat."
The words hit me like another slap.
"Yes, I cheat," he continues, like he’s explaining something simple, something obvious. "And that’s normal. Men are polygamous. Women aren’t. A wife is not allowed to cheat on her husband. You don’t get that privilege."
I stare at him, my whole body shaking now, rage and pain crashing together so violently I can barely breathe.
"You’re not allowed to cheat or fuck my best friends, Riley," he says, his voice hard, final. "Do you understand me?"
The room goes silent. Even the brothers stop moving.
I step closer to him slowly, every step heavy, my chest aching so badly it feels like it might collapse inward. My hands curl into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palms, grounding me.
I look him straight in the eyes.
"No," I say quietly. "I don’t understand."
His brows draw together. "What?"
"I don’t understand how you can stand there," I say, my voice growing stronger with every word, "and say those things to me without choking on them. I don’t understand how you can cheat on me, lie to me, humiliate me, and still think you have the right to tell me what to do with my own my body."
He scoffs again, but I don’t stop.
"You’ve been betraying me for how long, Ethan?" I continue, my words spilling out now, sharp and burning. "Every time I try to forgive you, you give me a reason not to, every time I cried and stayed, every time I convinced myself it was my fault, you were out there doing whatever you wanted, and now you want to stand there and call me a whore?"
His jaw tightens. "You’re my wife."
"And that makes me what?" I shoot back. "Something you get to use and control while you do whatever the hell you want?"
He opens his mouth, but I don’t let him speak.
"You didn’t walk in here and see me cheating," I say, my voice breaking despite my effort to stay strong. "You walked in here and saw me finally being wanted. And instead of asking why, instead of asking what you did to push me here, you chose to hit me."
My hand lifts instinctively to my burning cheek.
"You didn’t even hesitate," I whisper. "That tells me everything I need to know."
For the first time, something flickers across his face. Not guilt. Not regret.
Fear.
The brothers shift behind him, their presence suddenly heavy, their attention sharp.
Ethan straightens, trying to regain control. "You think this will end well for you?" he sneers. "You think they’ll keep you? They’re just playing with you Riley"
I laugh again, louder this time, even though tears are burning my eyes.
"You know what’s funny?" I say. "For once, I don’t care if that’s true. Because it can’t be worse than being married to a man who thinks hurting me is his right."
His eyes narrow. "Watch your mouth."
"No," I snap, stepping closer until we’re almost face to face. "I’ve watched my mouth for years. I’ve swallowed every insult, every betrayal, every excuse you ever gave me. I’m done."
He stares at me like he doesn’t recognize me anymore.
"Consider this official," I say, my voice steady now, calm in a way that surprises even me. "I’m divorcing you. Immediately."
The word hangs in the air like a challenge.
The brothers go completely still.
Ethan’s face drains of color. "You wouldn’t dare."
"I would," I say without hesitation. "And I will."
I turn slightly, glancing back at the brothers, then look at Ethan again, meeting his eyes head-on.
"And when I do," I continue, my voice low and deliberate, "I won’t be alone."
His breath hitches. "What are you saying?"
"I’m saying," I reply, every word sinking deep, "that I’d rather marry the men you’re terrified of than spend another second married to you."
