Three Years Paralyzed, Watching Him Love Her

Chapter 8

"Be good, okay?"

The moment those words left his lips, a chill ran through me, sharp and unsettling.

Without thinking, I bit down on his arm, the taste of pure anger and defiance flooding my senses.

He winced, but before I could even try to break free, his grip tightened again, fast, almost like he was anticipating my every move.

I glared up at him, eyes as cold as stone.

"Go back with you? I'd rather die," I snapped.

The words hit like a slap, and I saw it in his eyes, his breath caught in his throat.

"You, "

He was about to speak, but the sound of footsteps cut him off.

My colleagues, the ones who'd been at the party with me, had returned.

Seeing what was going down, they shouted in unison, "Who the hell are you? Let her go! Or we'll call the cops!"

But Ruslan didn't budge, his grip still tight around me.

Then one of my colleagues stepped forward, pulling out a gun.

They were foreigners, and it was legal for them to carry.

The sight of it made Ruslan hesitate, his jaw tightening with frustration.

But even then, he didn't release me.

Without missing a beat, one of my colleagues raised the gun and fired a shot.

The loud crack of the bullet split the air, and a nearby trash can flew across the pavement, spilling its contents everywhere.

"If you don't let go, this bullet's going straight through you next," my colleague warned, his voice cold and steady.

A small, satisfied smirk tugged at my lips.

"Ruslan, let's see if you're brave enough to stare death in the face."

I could see the flicker of pain in his eyes, the weight of my words hitting him.

But eventually, his grip loosened, and he slowly let me go.

The moment I was free, my colleagues instinctively circled around me, forming a wall between me and him.

"Get lost, or you'll regret it!" one of them growled.

Ruslan raised his hands in surrender, but his eyes never left me, silently pleading.

I locked eyes with him, barely moving my lips as I mouthed the word, "Coward."

The impact of my words seemed to crush him. After a long, tense moment, he finally turned and walked away, defeated.

Once he was gone, my colleagues surrounded me, their concern obvious in their voices.

"Are you okay?" one of them asked.

I quickly nodded, reassuring them I was fine, though it felt like my heart was still pounding in my chest.

It had been so long since anyone cared this much.

Years ago, I'd been drawn to Ruslan because we were both orphans, abandoned by our families at such a young age.

But after tonight, I knew I was done with him.

Relief washed over me, and I threw myself back into my work, using it as a distraction from everything.

But even with the chaos behind me, the thought of the divorce still lingered in the back of my mind.

I had a mutual friend send him a message, and soon enough, Thea showed up at my door.

The sight of her immediately set my teeth on edge. She was the other woman, the one I never asked for, but she seemed determined to keep coming after me.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice sharp as I leaned casually against the doorframe.

At the sound of my voice, Thea's composure shattered.

"You wretched woman! Why are you stealing Ruslan from me? Because of you, he's abandoned me and our child!"

Her words were venom, bitter and harsh.

"You're a homewrecker! You deserve to rot!" she spat.

I glanced down at her swollen belly.

At least six months pregnant. Suddenly, everything clicked.

"I don't even want Ruslan anymore," I said flatly, my voice cold as ice. "And I'm not fighting you for him. If you want him, take him."

Though my words were clear, Thea didn't back down.

She glanced around frantically before charging at me, her nails aiming straight for my face.

Before I could even react, Ruslan appeared out of nowhere.

With a swift motion, he slapped Thea hard across the face, sending her crashing to the ground.

Her face flushed bright red as she stumbled, disoriented.

The entire scene unfolded so fast, I barely had time to process it.

And just as quickly, Ruslan was cursing at her, his voice a thunderous roar.

"You think you can just attack her like that? Get the hell out of here!" he yelled, his anger rattling the air.