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


    manipte 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 wasing 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


    Inte.


    Did I feel bad for him? Absolutely not. He deserved everything that wasing 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 mywyer 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 herst name.”


    As mywyer 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,” mywyer 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.” Mywyer ced 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 y with my emotions. But as of


    today, I was a free woman. After the ink was ced 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.


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    “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


    hisments 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 mywyer 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 p 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 sh in the pan and now you will


    fade away into nothingness. Whereas I will only go from strength to strength. Congrattions 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 y fair.


    I needed to be ready, my life may just depend on it.