Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Cassie was beautiful.
Sophie was beautiful.
I hated the tears that came to my eyes. I could imagine on that one date with Sophie, Ive didn’t hesitate in taking her to bed. He was my husband but he didn’t want to sleep with me. Wrapping my arms around myself, I had to wonder who would. I was the wrong choice. The mistake. They wanted Cassie, not me. She’s the one who should be married. Why hadn’t they left me to die when they had the chance?
My stomach swirled with sickness. I hated this.
Stepping out of the changing rooms, I gave a twirl and waited for the nod of the head.
Ive gave a nod, and I continued to change, until we got to the evening gowns. I lost interest and didn’t even pay attention to which one he liked. Cathy took note of each one. As for me, I was merely the ugly doll. Something for him to use because Ivan had forced him. The only reason he had me with him today was because Ivan had forced it.
No one ever wanted me. I was always the burden.
And that was why it was easier to throw me away. Like trash.
Always freaking trash.
Chapter Seven
Ive
I didn’t consider myself a connoisseur of women. I had no way of knowing what they were thinking or what made them tick. Some of them I understood. Money and power spoke volumes. Others wanted stuff that made them feel special. I did know there was something wrong with my wife. I didn’t know if Sophie said something to her, or the whole shopping experience had upset her. But women loved to shop, that was a constant.
I had to keep reminding myself that my wife wasn’t like other women. She was different. From what I’d come to learn of Charlotte, she didn’t have a normal childhood.
Even last night, she didn’t know how to play fucking games. What kind of life had she lived?
I didn’t know how to deal with her, or what to do. She’d gone quiet. There was no smile on her face, and she sat next to me in the car, not even looking out the window. When we’d taken her, she’d never been this withdrawn. Had I scared her?
Sophie had pissed me off. Yes, the one date I’d taken her on had been a fucking nightmare. She had flirted the whole night, and then at the end of it, she’d begged to suck my cock, to give me a good time. I took her home, and knew she was trying to bag herself a man of power.
When it came to women, I’d liked them easy without complications. Sophie screamed all the wrong things. This was the first time I had seen her since that disastrous date. I hadn’t wanted her to go anywhere near my wife. Her catty behavior had shone through, and now my wife was miserable.
“Were there any clothes you didn’t like that I chose?” I asked.
“I don’t know what you chose.”
I frowned. “Why not?”
“I’m there to play my role, I don’t care what I wear.”
“Charlotte, what is going on?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“I cannot fix the problem if you don’t tell me. Did Cathy say something? Sophie?”
“Why? What are you going to do? Force them to their knees to apologize?”
Was that it? Had I scared her?
“I will not allow you to be treated like that.”
“And you think it’s okay to do that?”
“Yes, especially when it’s against my wife.” I was not going to argue about this.
“Even when it’s against a woman you took on a date, who clearly had a crush on you and thought there was something more going on?” Charlotte asked.
I turn my full attention to her now.
“You were cruel for no reason. Sophie was good enough to go on a date and have sex with, but not to marry?”
This made me chuckle. “Are you jealous?” I asked.
She shook her head and I’m pretty sure I spotted a tear in her eye. “It’s nothing. Can we just leave it alone?”
Any other day I’d be glad to do this, but for some stupid, fucked-up reason, I couldn’t bring myself to just leave well enough alone. Running a hand down my face, I tried to ignore the woman beside me, but I don’t know why I even cared.
“Why are you crying? That woman purposefully went out of her way to humiliate you today. You’re my wife. No one does that to me or to the Volkov Bratva.” She should be happy I hadn’t killed the bitch. No one disrespected my wife and got away with it. I was going to make sure she couldn’t get a fucking job. I’d make it my responsibility to see that she was miserable. I smiled at the very thought. I liked that idea very much.
“It’s nothing. Can’t I just cry for no reason?”