Ticket for Cheating novel Chapter 21

Chapter 3

“Vanessa! Stop! Put the knife down!”

Dominic’s buddies burst into the room and ripped the blade from her hand.

The biggest one backhanded me across the face.

“Poison bitch! Can’t get knocked up yourself so you gotta kill someone else’s baby!”

“Boys, time to teach her a lesson. We owe Marcus that much!”

“Make her slap herself! Don’t stop till she bleeds!”

My ears rang from the hit. I caught Dominic’s eyes-saw him waver for half a second.

Then his face went cold again.

“Sophia. Take your punishment. Vanessa’s a war hero’s family. You crossed the line.”

“Get her the brass knuckles. Let’s wake her up.”

Dominic grabbed my hand roughly and forced the too-small knuckles onto my fingers.

I clutched at his pant leg, voice shaking.

“I swear-it wasn’t me! please believe me!”

“Still lying?!”

He kicked my hand away.

Two guys grabbed my arms and slammed me against the wall.

One grabbed my hair, forced my hand up, and made me slap myself.

Vanessa snuggled into Dominic’s side, shrieking.

“Harder! Don’t stop till you hit a thousand!”

My face swelled and split open. Blood mixed with tears.

I hit my tongue just to stay awake.

The pain on my face was nothing compared to my heart.

After the thousandth slap, they kicked me into the corner like trash.

My body went cold. Half my soul already felt gone.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the villa.

Dominic sat by the bed, gently cleaning the cut on my forehead.

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He set the cotton swab down, voice flat.

“Vanessa’s baby is fine. She’s calmed down.”

“Once the kid’s born, I won’t need to be with her anymore. I’ll come home on time.”

My heart dropped like a stone.

I pushed his hand away weakly. Smiled-bitter, broken:

“Five years, Dominic. Five fucking whole years.”

“One call from her and you’d drop everything. Always said it was because Marcus took a bullet for you.”

“But does that debt really cost your entire life? Even giving her your baby?”

His eyes flickered. Looked away.

He put the medicine down, calm but final.

“Sophie, I know you’re hurt.”

“But when Marcus was dying, he grabbed my hand and said ‘Take care of my family and my sister.’ He’s gone. Someone has to carry on the Sterling line.”

“Starting tomorrow, stay home and rest. I already quit your job for you. Vanessa will take over.”

Fighting back the burning in my eyes, I finally asked the question that had haunted me for years.

“Dominic. These past five years.”

“Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday-you never actually had work, did you?”

“You just didn’t want to come home. You never loved me at all. Right?”

Dominic went quiet.

The silence stretched.

Then I heard the word I expected-the one that still shattered me anyway.

“Right.”

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11:18

Ticket for Cheating: Keep Shaking That Car, Asshole-My Bodycam Was Rolling!

38.7%