Back to being his hidden lover? The one he kept in the shadows? Never again.
He continued, attempting to reason with me. "Kimberly, you have to understand. Someone from my family is expected to marry someone of equal status and background."
"The Warren family and my family have been close for years, and Mary Warren now runs one of their subsidiaries. Marrying her is the best arrangement for me."
I glared at him, my heart racing. "And what about me? What am I to you?"
He chuckled, his voice dripping with condescension. "Kimberly, I’ve made myself clear. As a Literature teacher, is this really beyond your level of understanding?"
"Forget your family background. Let’s talk about you. You’re just a small-time teacher who doesn’t grasp the rules of the business world. How could you ever stand by my side?"
His absurd words ignited a fresh wave of anger, and I slapped him again. Caught off guard, he shoved me against the car.
"Are you crazy?"
I seized his wrist and bit down hard, the taste of blood flooding my mouth as I refused to let go. He didn’t stop me. Finally, I released him, breathing heavily.
"Dave, you’re cruel. You were the one who said you loved my simplicity and innocence. Now you’re claiming my mind isn’t deep enough for us to walk together. You just say whatever suits you, don’t you?"
He fell silent, sliding back into the driver’s seat. I was too drained to argue further, so I allowed him to drive.
Half an hour later, the car came to a stop outside my apartment. Before I could open the door, Dave handed me two invitations.
"Which do you think looks better—hot-stamped or solid color?"
His words felt like daggers, slicing through my heart repeatedly until I could barely breathe. I snatched the invitations from his hand and hurled them in his face. The hard cardboard grazed his cheek, leaving a faint red mark.
A heavy pressure settled in my chest, like a weight crushing me, forcing the blood in my heart to pulse painfully through my body. Without a word, I turned and walked upstairs, not looking back. Dave always knew how to hurt me. I never imagined that the person who loved me the most would be the one to wound me the deepest.
The next day, Mary appeared at school, radiant and captivating, just as I had imagined from her enchanting voice.
“Leave here. Leave Dave,” she declared, her intentions unmistakable from the very first word.
“Do you love him?” I challenged.