My face is all the answer he needs.
“As I thought.”
He turns to walk away, and I know I should let him, but I don’t. I am absolutely livid with him, for his attitude towards me now, but for all he ever did that wronged me.
“And I assume your wife knows none of it, least of all the fact that you got me pregnant.”
He spins back and with his face the image of fury, he is striding towards me looking murderous.
“You little bitch!” he hisses as he reaches me. “According to you it was mine, but who knows with a whore like you.”
The bastard! How dare he suggest it could have been anyone else’s. I am not a whore and would never have gone near him had I known he was married. I was lonely and sad, and he showed me attention and affection. Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to fall for it. With my anger matching his, before I know what I am doing, my hand is raised and landing across his arrogant, smug face.
The slap echoes around us and in the blink of an eye, Christian’s hand is on my face, tightly gripping my chin and jaw.
“If you even hint at your bastard child being mine, I won’t hesitate in telling the whole family that I knew you, that a married associate of mine was the one fucking you and when he abandoned you, pregnant with goodness knows whose baby, I very kindly gave you some money to help you out and as you don’t have a child, I can only assume you used it for an abortion.”
Tears sting my eyes as his grip tightens, but it’s his words that sting.
“And trust me, I will be convincing.”
“Dec will believe me.” I truly believe that.
Christian laughs. “Maybe, but do you really think with his past that a woman who screws a married man, gets pregnant and then aborts the baby will last long?”
The first of my tears escapes my eyes and rolls down my cheek. He is right, we both know it.
“Thought so.”
“What the fuck?”
We both turn to find Liv standing in the doorway, staring at the scene of me and Christian before us not knowing how long she has been there or just how much she has heard.
“Just what we’re missing, the other sister.”
“Take your hands off her,” Liv demands, ignoring Christian’s reference to her.
“With pleasure.” He releases me and rubs his hands down his jeans, looking as though he is wiping something truly unpleasant from his skin.
Liv moves closer while Christian steps away, making for the door but does shout over his shoulder.
“Remember what I said.”
Liv stares at me, reaching forward to stroke the sore skin that has previously been squeezed by the man who despises us both.
“What the fuck? Are you okay? Obviously not,” she answers for herself. “I’ll fetch Dec, or Mase…maybe Jimmy would be better because Mase is desperate for an excuse to punch Christian and I think Dec will beat him to it if he knows he had his hands on you—”
I cut her off. “No, none of them, please.”
“Anita,” she begins in her best pleading voice.
“No,” I insist.
“Okay.” She’s not happy.
I move, preparing to take some cake through to everyone but Liv is not done yet.
“What did he mean about a woman who screws a married man, gets pregnant and aborts the baby?”
