The Stand In Wife's Revenge novel Chapter 32

Chapter 32

With my heart hammering my ribs I turned abruptly. Alexanders dark

unreadable face stood by the open doorway. His clenched jaw

narrowed eyes and the way his hands curled into fists at his sides

were all highlighted by the golden glow from the chandelier. He was

like this for the first time.

“You didnt answer me” he said in a low menacing voice. “Whats your

purpose here?”

With my

throat dry I swallowed. “I–I just—”

The necklace on the floor caught his attention. His movements

moved too quickly. He walked across the room knelt and picked up

the dropped necklace in a matter of seconds. Holding it like a

treasure his forearm muscles flexed as his fingers curled tightly

around it. Or something that is prohibited.

“I didnt intend-” He yelled “You had no right” his voice cutting like a

whip through the atmosphere.

I recoiled. I felt regret twist inside of me. Not that I intended to pry. I

didnt intend to touch something so sacred and intimate.

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With a whisper “Im sorry. I didnt think.”

He laughed but his laughter was devoid of humor. Something cold and

bitter only. “You broke into my wifes room and went through her

belongings without thinking.. You believe that an apology will make

that go away?”

I felt a knot of guilt. “Alexander I wasnt attempting to pry into your

privacy. I simply-”

“You just what?” his piercing voice asked piercing my weak defense.

“You believed you had the freedom to go wherever you wanted to go

and to touch things that werent yours?”

Each word in Alexanders incredibly sharp voice cut through the heavy

tension between us. He had anger in his eyes but there was something

else burning beneath it that I couldnt quite identify, a deeper level.

My throat constricted as I swallowed.

With my voice hardly audible above a whisper I confessed “I didnt

think it would upset you this much.”

He clenched his jaw. He muttered “You didnt of course.. Because you

don’t think do you?” He stepped forward his volume commanding.

“You dont pause to think about what isnt yours to touch or take.”

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I shook my head feeling my heart pound. “That is unfair. I didnt take

anything. I just-” I paused trying to think of the right phrase. “I was

attempting to comprehend you.”

His chuckles were piercing and derisive. “Do you understand me?” he

asked again shaking his head. “Do you believe that searching through

Fionas belongings will make you better understand me?”

At the name I winced. Fiona. his spouse. The woman in the pictures. I

didnt understand how much I resembled the woman.

I had to steady my voice as I said “I wasnt rummaging.. I wasnt

destroying the place. I just made one touch.” I pointed to the necklace

that was in his hand. “That..”

His fingers clenched more tightly around the brittle chain as though I

had just validated his worst suspicion. “And that should improve it?”

he yelled. “That you only made one contact?” He spoke in a rough low

voice. “That necklace belonged to my wife who is the one who should

be in this house not you.”

The remarks had a profound effect. Although I had no idea who I was

prior to the accident I was certain that I didnt belong here. He gave a

harsh exhale as though he had to control himself. “She loved that

piece of jewelry the most. She didnt remove it at all.” With an

unreadable expression he looked down at it. “Shes not here to wear it

now.”

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I felt guilty like a boulder in my stomach. “I didnt know” I muttered.

“No you didnt.“He had a tight voice. “You mean you dont remember

anything?”

With a slight crack in my voice I reiterated “I wasnt trying to take

anything.”

He approached me with a slow methodical step. “So what were you

attempting to accomplish?.“His fury was erupting like a tempest and

his voice was rising.

I tried again my voice trembling “I wasnt thinking!”

“Exactly!” he said his eyes darting. “Do you know what youve done

Ava? You werent thinking.”

My breath caught when he spoke in such a fierce angry tone. This was

a side of him I had never seen before. The man who had been so

composed and patient was no longer there. He was replaced by

someone enraged whose feelings were so strong that they scorched

the atmosphere between us.

“I–I don’t even know who I am!” I said before I could stop myself. My

feelings were evaporating at the edges and my voice broke. “I dont

remember anything! I wake up in this house every day being

surrounded by people and things I dont know and Im just supposed to

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be okay with it?”

There was something flickering behind his eyes as he gazed at me. I

let out a trembling breath. “Alexander I wasnt attempting to steal.” I

paused feeling vulnerable. “I just… All I wanted was to comprehend.”

He laughed. “Do you realize that this isnt your life and that you dont

belong here?”

It hurt what he said. I felt my throat constricted. “I didnt intend to-

But you did!” he said as he stepped closer to me his presence

oppressive and smothering. “You entered here as if you were perfectly

entitled to do so. As if this were merely a mystery that you needed to

solve.”

With my heart pounding I took a step back. “I was just curious” I

muttered.

“Curious?” He chuckled once more but this time it was unfiltered and

full of an unidentified substance. “Ava curiosity doesnt give you the

right to delve into someone elses past. This space is more than just a

collection of items. Its- “He interrupted his jaw clenched. Heavy

breathing accompanied by barely controlled emotion caused his chest

to rise and fall.

His whitened knuckles tightened his hold on the necklace. The

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consequences of my error weighed heavily on me.

Softly I said “I didnt mean to hurt you.”

His face faltered for a moment a moment only. His expression briefly

flashed with something–pain? grief?-before anger engulfed it once

more. “You had no right to come here.”

This time he spoke more quietly but not any less piercingly. I held

back. “Alexander-”

“Leave.”

I stepped backwards. “Please let me-”

He yelled “Leave!” this time and his voice shook me from head to toe

as it thundered through the room. I fought the urge to cry even

though they were burning at the back of my eyes. I took a deep breath

and felt my whole body stiffen.

I felt his rage pressing down on my chest. My vision became blurry as

I turned and left the room after

giving a slow nod.

And the silence between us grew thicker with every step

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