Mrs. Sterling, Look, He truly Dotes On Her

My husband, Liam Sterling, once held me like a fragile, precious thing.

Three years into our marriage, his touch turned to ice.

He led Chloe Miller, the interior designer he now obsessed over, into our home.

Today was her wedding day, a cruel game to force his hand.

On my knees in a rust-scented warehouse, Liam' s gentle fingers stroked my neck.

He smiled, but glacial eyes demanded Chloe' s wedding address.

I pleaded, "I don' t know where her wedding is, Liam. She' s setting me up. She' s lying."

He sneered, "Chloe was right, as usual. You' re just jealous of her."

Then he brought out my brother, Ben, bound and gagged.

Five snarling Dobermans lunged, their barks hungry.

Liam whispered, his lips brushing my cheek, "If you don' t give me the wedding location, your brother will have a little 'playdate' with the Dobermans."

His words were a cold knife, cutting deeper than any physical pain.

A dog' s claw dug into Ben' s shoulder, tearing skin, drawing blood.

His muffled cry tore through me.

I begged, "Please, let my brother go! Take it out on me instead, Liam!"

His face darkened, grip tightening on my chin.

"Tell me, where is Chloe getting married?"

He had forgotten everything we were.

The man who swore to protect me now found cruel amusement in my agony.

This wasn' t the first sign.

Subtle perfumes, a whispered name in passion, then seeing him kiss her in the rain.

He' d even told me, casually, "I' m keeping her. She entertains me. Men in our circle all do this."

I tracked down Chloe' s abusive ex, hoping to end this nightmare.

But she was smarter.

She turned it into a scheme that branded me as the villain, telling Liam I paid her ex to marry her.

And he believed her.

When his assistant burst in with Chloe' s wedding location, Liam' s rage shifted.

He ordered, "Help Mrs. Sterling back to her room."

And as they dragged me away, I heard Ben' s whimpers, saw the Dobermans tear at him.

Liam' s indifferent words echoed, "Honey, you know I can' t bear to punish you, so your brother will have to take the punishment for you."

My world went black.

Something snapped inside me.

When I awoke in the hospital, Ben was alive, but mangled.

"I can' t let you get hurt for me anymore. I have to leave him!" I cried.

Ben sighed, "The world is vast, Ava, but the Sterling family is vastest."

But I had a plan now, a secret escape clause in our marriage agreement.

In ten days, Liam Sterling and I would never see each other again.