Inside a sleek black Mercedes, tension simmered like a boiling pot on the verge of spilling over. The couple sitting inside had long since abandoned any pretense of civility.
“Stephanie,” Dennis barked, his voice sharp and raw, “are you going to tell me or not? Who the hell was that man back there? Are you keeping a lover behind my back?” His face was flushed, veins bulging along his temple as he glared at her.
Stephanie leaned back against the seat, her expression calm but weary. “I’ve told you already, Dennis. That was my nephew-Ambrose’s son.”
Dennis scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Nephew? Really? And you were hugging him like that? Don’t insult my intelligence. That didn’t look like any aunt-nephew relationship I’ve ever seen.”
“I can’t hug my nephew?” Stephanie shot back, her voice rising slightly. “I haven’t seen him in over ten years. What’s so wrong with that?”
Dennis let out a bitter, mocking laugh. “A hug? You call that a hug? Your body was practically glued to his! I even saw his hand-” he paused for effect, his tone dripping with venom, “-almost on your ass.”
Stephanie’s eyes flashed with anger. Once, this man had been her rock, her safe haven. Now, he was the very source of her misery.
“I struck a nerve, didn’t I?” Dennis sneered, leaning closer. “Huh? Now you’re upset? Trying to play the innocent wife again? Let me tell you something, Stephanie-I’m not stupid. I’ve known something was off for a while now, and you expect me to believe that was your nephew? Do you think I’m some kind of idiot?”
Stephanie’s hands trembled, but she kept her voice steady, her tone icy. “Believe what you want, Dennis. I don’t care anymore.”
Her indifference only stoked the fire of his rage. He jabbed a finger at her, his movements erratic, his entire body trembling. “Oh, you don’t care? You don’t care? You’re unbelievable, Stephanie. You screw up, and now you’ve got the audacity to act like this?”
He clutched his stomach, still sore from the earlier argument that had turned physical. His fury boiled over as he shouted, “You think I can’t do anything about this?!”
Stephanie didn’t flinch. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her gaze fixed on the road ahead, her expression unreadable.
“Tell me who he is!” Dennis roared again, his voice cracking under the weight of his frustration. He grabbed her arm roughly, yanking her toward him.
That was the final straw. Stephanie wrenched her arm free, her patience shattered. She turned to him, her voice sharp and cutting. “Fine. You want to know? He’s exactly who you think he is. My lover. Are you happy now?”
Dennis froze, her words hitting him like a punch to the gut. For a moment, he stared at her, stunned. He had expected denials, excuses, anything but this.
Stephanie’s chest heaved as she caught her breath, her anger finally spilling over. She didn’t care anymore. Years of accusations, paranoia, and distrust had worn her down to nothing.
Dennis’s shock quickly gave way to fury. “You’ve really done it this time, Stephanie,” he hissed, his voice trembling. “I work my ass off to give you everything, and this is how you repay me? I knew it. I knew something was wrong with you, and now you’ve finally admitted it!”
She didn’t respond. Her tears fell silently as she turned her face away from him.
“Stephanie!” Dennis shouted, his voice hoarse. “Look at me!”
But she refused.
Dennis grabbed her again, forcing her to face him. His face twisted with rage as he spat, “You whore! How many times have you slept with him? If I hadn’t shown up earlier, were you planning to screw him in your father’s estate?”
“You’re disgusting,” Stephanie hissed, her voice trembling with fury. She raised her hand to slap him, but Dennis caught her wrist mid-air.
“Bitch!” he snarled, and with a swift, brutal motion, he slapped her hard across the face.
The slap rang out like a gunshot in the confined space of the car. Stephanie’s head snapped to the side, her hair falling loose around her face. She didn’t cry. She didn’t cower. Slowly, she turned back to face him, her eyes blazing with hatred.
Dennis smirked, unrepentant. “What are you looking at, huh? You slut. I’ll not only hit you-I’ll find that bastard and kill him. Tonight, he dies in Vernon!”
Stephanie’s voice, low and steady, cut through his rant like a razor. “Do you know something, Dennis? Even my father never laid a hand on me. But you? This is the second time you’ve hit me.”
Dennis snorted, unfazed. “And so what if I hit you? A woman like you deserves it. Not only will I hit you, but I’ll kill that bastard right in front of you.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Stephanie growled, her voice dripping with venom.
Dennis’s smirk widened. “Oh, you’ll see. You’ll see just how far I’m willing to go.”
Stephanie’s voice broke into a shout. “If you touch him, I’ll divorce you! And I’ll make sure the whole world knows about your little problem!”
The mention of his impotence landed like a blow. For a moment, Dennis’s expression flickered with something dark and dangerous. But then he laughed-a cold, hollow sound that sent shivers down her spine.
“Stop the car!” Stephanie suddenly screamed, her voice trembling with both rage and fear.
Startled, the driver slammed on the brakes, and the car screeched to a halt. Both passengers were thrown forward by the sudden stop.
Dennis winced, clutching his forehead where it had hit the seat. “What the hell are you doing, you idiot? Trying to kill me? Who do you work for-me or her?”
The driver turned, his face pale. “Boss, someone’s blocking the road.”
Dennis blinked, his anger momentarily giving way to confusion. He leaned forward, peering through the windshield.
There, standing in the middle of the road, was a figure illuminated by the car’s headlights.
Dennis’s blood ran cold, his fists clenching instinctively.
It was him.