A Wedding Night Gone Terribly Wrong novel Chapter 90

It felt as if the sky had crashed down on him.

Quentin grew frantic. "Winifred, let me hold her. Just come home with me, and I swear I'll explain everything."

He knew his behavior tonight had crossed a line. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff with one foot dangling in the air, seconds away from plummeting.

The terror made him desperate. He hadn't even let Shelly ride back with him; he had completely abandoned his usual routines to wait here in the cold, solely to intercept Winifred and the kids. He just needed to coax her.

He had neglected her for too long, and she was overflowing with resentment. If he just offered her a little bit of tenderness, she would be satisfied and go back to being obedient, right?

But Winifred offered him no warmth. Instead, her voice was absolute zero.

"Quentin, the last time I suggested we separate our lives, you refused to let it happen. This time, I'm moving out first. Then, I will have my lawyers contact you to divide the clinic's equity between me and Celeste. Tonight was the final line. We are completely done."

"Winifred!" Quentin looked at her with agonizing sorrow.

He reached out, trying to wrap his arm around her shoulder and pull her into an embrace. He hadn't held her yet. He knew she was desperate for someone to hold her. She had endured so much trauma; her heart was overflowing with pain.

He knew she needed a man's shoulder to lean on. She was a fragile woman who lost everything at twenty-one, gave birth at twenty-two, and carried the crushing weight of the world on her own. It was too hard. His embrace might be delayed, but to Winifred, it was the only love she had ever known. She had to be craving it.

The very next second.

"Get away from her!"

Seth wedged his small body between them, pushing Quentin back. Standing on his tiptoes, he hammered his little fists against Quentin's thigh.

"You jerk!"

"Traitor!"

"I won't let you bully my mom!"

Seth yelled with every punch.

Quentin closed his eyes in defeat. This kid was as sharp as an adult; trying to use force would only make things worse. He reluctantly lowered his hands.

The taxi sped off, carrying Winifred away. The love of his life vanished into the night, slipping completely out of his sight and into a world he couldn't control.

But he wasn't panicking anymore.

Winifred was dragging two toddlers with her. She was weighed down by responsibilities; she wouldn't get far. He was her only safety net, her only true refuge.

She had no job and no income. Holden and Iris had already made sure she had no future in this city. Paying hundreds of dollars a day for a hotel room and feeding four mouths would drain her completely.

In less than two weeks, the crushing reality of poverty would make her miss the comfortable, easy life she had with him. Once she tasted enough of the real world's bitterness, she would come crawling back with her kids.

Back to his home.

And when she did, she would have learned her lesson. She would be more obedient, completely devoted, and fully dependent on him.

His ultimate prize would always, eventually, belong right there with him.