Chapter 5: The Wife He Thought Was Powerless
The next morning, every major news outlet had the same story.
*BILLIONAIRE ADRIAN CROSS UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER CHARITY GALA INCIDENT*
The headline appeared everywhere.
But the part that surprised people most wasn’t the financial investigation.
It was the video.
Someone had recorded the moment Adrian slapped me.
Within hours, millions of people had seen it.
The world watched him lose control.
The world watched me stand there.
And the world watched my brothers walk toward him.
I sat in my childhood home, staring at the television screen.
My mother sat beside me.
She had barely spoken since I arrived.
Not because she was angry.
Because she was heartbroken.
“I should have known,” she whispered.
I looked at her.
“Mom.””
“I raised you to be strong.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“And somehow I missed that you were carrying all of this alone.””
I reached for her hand.
“You didn’t miss it.””
She looked at me.
“I hid it.””
And that was the truth.
I had spent years protecting Adrian’s reputation.
Covering his mistakes.
Making excuses.
Pretending everything was fine.
Because admitting the truth meant admitting I had chosen the wrong person.
And that was a painful thing to accept.
Julian entered the room holding his laptop.
“Good news.””
I looked up.
“Since when is anything involving Adrian good news?””
He smiled slightly.
“The investigation moved faster than expected.””
Marcus followed him inside.
“The financial evidence is stronger than we anticipated.””
Caleb remained near the doorway.
Still angry.
Still protective.
But calmer now.
“What about the company?”” I asked.
Julian sat down.
“Several board members are already distancing themselves.””
I nodded slowly.
Of course they were.
They always did.
“Will he go to prison?””
Marcus didn’t answer immediately.
That told me enough.
“It depends on the investigation.””
I looked down.
Part of me wanted justice.
Another part of me felt exhausted.
Because this wasn’t just about money.
It was about eight years of my life.
Eight years believing I wasn’t enough.
Eight years wondering what I did wrong.
Eight years trying to earn love from someone who only knew how to take.
My phone suddenly rang.
I looked at the screen.
Adrian.
Everyone became silent.
“You don’t have to answer,” Caleb said.
I stared at the name.
A part of me wanted to ignore him.
But another part wanted to hear what he had to say.
Not because I wanted him back.
Because I wanted to know if he was capable of admitting what he did.
I answered.
“Hello.””
For several seconds, there was only silence.
Then Adrian spoke.
His voice sounded different.
Smaller.
“I need to see you.””
“No.””
A pause.
“Please.””
I almost didn’t recognize that word coming from him.
Adrian Cross did not beg.
He demanded.
He ordered.
He expected.
“I have nothing to say to you.””
“You do.””
His voice became desperate.
“You know I never meant for things to go this far.””
I closed my eyes.
There it was.
The excuse.
Not I hurt you.
Not I betrayed you.
Not I was wrong.
Only:
I never meant for this to happen.
“You hit me.””
Silence.
“You cheated on me.””
Silence.
“You stole from people who trusted you.””
Silence.
“And now you want me to make you feel better.””
His breathing changed.
“You’re my wife.””
The words made me laugh softly.
“My wife?””
“Yes.””
“You remembered that tonight?””
Another silence.
Then his voice hardened.
“You’re enjoying this.””
There it was.
The real Adrian.
The moment things didn’t go his way, the victim disappeared.
The monster returned.
“No,” I said.
“I’m surviving it.””
I ended the call.
For the first time in years, I blocked his number.
And somehow, that small action felt more powerful than anything else.
May you like
Because it wasn’t about revenge.
It was about choosing myself.
