The Stand In Wife's Revenge novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33

She was gone but the door remained open. I leaned against the

cabinet and let out a sharp breath as fatigue sank into my bones. Now

I felt as though the rooms silence was oppressive and pressing down

on me like an intolerable weight. I closed my eyes and curled my fingers around the necklaces delicate chain feeling the cool metal

bite into my palm.

Oh fuck.

I should not have screamed at her. I was consumed by the anger

before I could control it because it had come so abruptly and with

such violence. However I felt nothing but regret now that she was

gone and my own voice was the only thing left resonating in my ears. I forced myself to breathe steadily and slowly while dragging a hand

down my face. However the words I had hurled at her like daggers

could not be undone by breathing.

She loved that piece of jewelry the most. She didnt remove it at all..

Ava flinched at what I said and I could see the raw vulnerable look

darkening in her eyes. Still I had persisted. I had allowed my rage to

take over and make nasty accusations as a result. But it wasnt just

rage was it? No. Under the rage and the piercing pain of betrayal

there had been more. ache.

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Chapter 33

Tonight–tonight–it had ripped free after I had locked it away for so

long acting as though it didnt exist. I opened my eyes and looked

down at the necklace I was holding. The chandeliers gentle glow

reflected off the tiny elaborate pendant.

It had the same delicate frail appearance as the woman who wore it.

Fiona. The thought of her name made my chest constrict. For years

this necklace had leaned against her skin. An extension of her and a

reminder of our shared love it had belonged to her in a way that no

other item could. It now rested like a relic from a previous existence

in my palm.

The life that was gone. With a sigh of exhaustion I turned toward the

bed and lowered myself onto the edge after taking a deep breath.

Something much more powerful than fatigue made my limbs feel

heavy and my body felt heavier than it should have.

I gazed at the ajar door at the spot where Ava had been standing only

a few minutes earlier. She appeared bewildered. Her expression had

been hurt. That expression on her face had been brought on by me.

The recollection of it made my chest ache with guilt. She hadnt

meant any harm despite her hesitation and hesitant tone of voice

when she attempted to clarify. She might have even been looking for

1. me.

had only treated her cruelly. I relaxed my hold on the necklace and

it to fall onto my bare palm. Guilt and an unidentified ache

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Chapter 33

were all that remained after the rage that had burned so intensely

had subsided. Fiona wasnt Ava.

She wasnt attempting to take her place. What wasnt hers she wasnt attempting to take. And yet for a single horrible instant I had allowed

myself to think she was. I let out a slow breath and pressed my thumb

against the pendant as though that would be enough to wake me up.

What on earth is wrong with me? Ava hadnt meant any harm I knew

that.

She hadnt entered this room to steal or demolish as far as I knew. I

felt like I was being invaded though when I saw her standing there

with something that was Fionas. She entered a section of my life that

wasnt intended for her. But wasnt that unfair? She did not know. She

couldnt recall. And I had slapped her with that.

My chest grew irritated as I ran a hand through my hair clutching the

strands. I told her that she wasnt welcome here. As a harsh reminder

of my own shortcomings the words kept repeating in my head. You

have no right here. This life is not yours…. God. What had I done?

Ava had lost a lot already. Struggling to put the pieces of a past that

was still just out of her grasp she was trying.

And I had pushed her away rather than offering her assistance or

showing her patience. Answers were what she had sought in this

room. And I had rejected her wholeheartedly. Now what was she

thinking? Was she hurt or angry?

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Chapter 33

Would tonight change the way she even looked at me? Would she still

think of me as the man who had taken her in and provided for her

when she had no one else to turn to? Or would she see only the rage?

Would my outburst be the only thing she remembered?

My stomach twisted at the idea. Id been mean. She was harmed by

1. me. Whats the worst? I didnt know how to fix it. I exhaled deeply and

slowly while looking at the open door in blankness. In my annoyance

I wanted to confront her apologize and retract the remarks I had

made. However I stayed put. Would I even say anything? That I wasnt

serious? Its a lie.

Because I had meant it in that moment. Each scathing piercing word

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