SWNOVELS Chapter 113
Chapter 113
*Corinna
I sat across the table from the man I had convinced myself that I was in love with. I had taken on all his sweet words and allowed
myself to be fooled by his persona and charisma.
That was what made them dangerous. Narcissists were the silent killers of society. They knew how to manipulate the mind in
order to get their desired result. They were cunning, charismatic, and understood others’ weaknesses to a tee.
He knew I had been starved of love as a child. To my parents, I was merely a product for them-a trophy. They never loved me. At
least not in the way that I wanted them to. Their love was the kind that had to be earned; it was never freely given. They often
made me feel like I was only worth loving if I was 100% perfect.
As a child, such things could destroy you and that was exactly what it did to me. I had allowed Ashton to treat me the exact same
way my parents did. To him, I was merely the trophy wife that he wanted in order to further his political career. He never loved
me, at least not in the way that I wanted him to.
Ashton’s blue eyes peered into mine. I could see the disdain and hurt in his eyes. I knew he wasn’t hurt because he was losing
me and our marriage was coming to a timely end. He was far more upset at the fact that his entire political campaign had been
smeared.
He was trying to go for governor this year and to be quite honest with you he was a shoe in to win. This divorce was a big red
stain that the people of Nevada could not look past. All that he had done to me was now public and all that he had done to my
sister was there for the entire world to see on the Internet.
Did I feel bad for him? Absolutely not. He deserved everything that was coming to him. His abuse had gone on for too long and
now it was time for him to pay reparations.
“Are we ready to begin?” said my lawyer from beside me.
I nodded
my
head, my eyes never leaving my soon-to-be ex-husband’s face. Ashton’s face remained stoic.
“As discussed, Corinna will not be forced to share her inheritance with Mr. Steyn. She will also not have to pay any kind of
alimony to him but she will retain her last name.”
As my lawyer read off everything I watched the way the rage in his eyes slowly began to build. He was not happy because he
was walking away broke. He had tried to mooch me for all my worth but I was not going to allow him to take a single dime, he
didn’t deserve it.
“I must ask again, Mr. and Mrs. Steyn,” my lawyer looked between the two of us. “Is this divorce something that you want to go
through?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t have much of a say in this now do P
Our answers varied, of course, but that didn’t matter. This was happening whether he wanted it to or not.
“Okay, if you would please sign here Mr. Steyn.” My lawyer placed the paper in front of Ashton and handed him the pen.
Ashton’s eyes remained on me like we were in some kind of showdown
“I have done nothing but love you, Corinna.”
For months I held my tongue and I allowed this man to belittle me and play with my emotions. But as of today, I was a free
woman. After the ink was placed on that piece of paper I was free to make my own choices which also meant I was free to speak
my mind.
I was no longer his prisoner.
“You don’t love anyone aside from yourself, Ashton. So don’t try to fool me with this fake persona. I fell for your tricks once before
but not today. You have no more power over me.”
His eyebrows pulled together and suddenly that heartbroken husband was gone and in came the true and real monster that
he was.
I
“I saw your little cover shoot, pathetic. Do you think you’re going to make it? Well, think again. You are nothing but a small blip
and you will fizzle out. This little divorce will give you five seconds of fame and then you will go back to being the nobody that
everyone knew you to be.”
His words were meant to hurt that was his intention for them but they just slid off my back like water and that’s when I knew that
this was finally over.
“Sign the papers, Ashton”
I could tell that my reaction didn’t please him. He wanted me to be moved or at the very least hurt by his comments but I would
not allow him to have that power over me-not anymore.
He put the pen to paper and signed them. He then slid the document to me and I signed on the dotted line as well.
I was free.
For months it had been constant back and forth and now it was finished.
I stood from my seat and thanked my lawyer before making my way to the door. I didn’t want to nor need to say goodbye to my
ex-husband.
That felt so good to say.
Who knew that I could be so happy about a break up.
I had just made it out of the boardroom when a calloused hand grabbed my elbow and pulled me back. I didn’t need to turn to
know who it was. I had felt his heavy hand many times before. It was like a burn that had been branded onto the skin.
I ripped my hand from his hold and whirled around to slap him right across the face.
“Don’t you ever touch me again!”
We were alone in the hallway for the time being.
His face slowly came back to look at me, the rage in his eyes most prominent. His nostrils faltered and his fist balled at his side.
“You bitch.” he hissed, the words coated in a lethal kind of venom that had me wincing. “You think you’re so high and fucking
mighty. You won’t get rid of me this easily. This is not over, Corinna. You. Belong. To. Me.”
Somehow I remained poised in my stance even though I was shaking internally.
“I belong to no one but myself.” I jutted my chin up at him in defiance. “You are nothing without me, Ashton. You know this and
the world knows this. You are simply a flash in the pan and now you will fade away into nothingness. Whereas I will only go from
strength to strength. Congratulations on your new baby boy, I heard Tabith just had him a few days ago.”
I pivoted on my heel and turned away from him. I made sure to keep my head high and not lose my cool. But as soon as I got
into the elevator and turned to see him standing there with a murderous look in his eyes 1 couldn’t help but feel unsteady. As the
doors closed in on me I let go of the breath I had been unknowingly holding and doubled over to rest my hands on my knees.
That was the first time I stood up for myself against him. It was the first time I allowed myself to step into my true power.
But as 1 descended to the ground floor I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that this was truly not over like he had said. It somehow
felt like a whole new beginning of something far more chaotic and dangerous.
I needed to keep my eyes open because Ashton Steyn never went down without a fight and he never liked to play fair.
I needed to be ready, my life may just depend on it.