Her scalp burned as he yanked even harder. Charlotte dropped the pair of pants she'd been holding and reached back, trying desperately to pry his fingers loose.
“Caleb, stop. Please. You're hurting me.”
“Oh, you haven't seen hurt yet, you stupid bitch. You think you can make a fool out of me and nothing's going to happen to you? Do you?”
He jerked her head back.
“No.” Charlotte shook her head as best she could. Tears fell down her cheeks as she tried reasoning with the unreasonable. “Caleb, I swear to you. Nothing happened. It was just coffee.”
“Don't fucking lie to me!”
Spittle hit her face as he yelled. Caleb then spun her around and grabbed her shoulders tightly. One of the sleeves on her blouse ripped at the seam as she struggled to get free from his grasp.
“I'm not lying,” she cried. “I promise. We just talked. That was all.”
Charlotte flew backward as he pushed her down. She cried out as her tailbone, back, and head slammed against the floor.
Caleb kicked the toe of his expensive dress shoe hard against her thigh. “I have proof.”
Pain shot up her leg as she sobbed, begging her husband to believe her. “I don't know what you think you saw, but there’s nothing going on between me and Derek.”
“This.” He used her hair to yank her head back up again. Holding his phone in front of her face, he said, “Thisis what I saw, you fucking whore.”
Through her tears, Charlotte looked at the picture of her and Derek. They were standing next to her cab and her hand was on his face as she told him goodbye.
Oh, God.She wanted to throw up. Horrified, she looked back at Caleb. “You had me followed?”
“Of course, I had you followed. You think I'm going to let someone like West put his hands on my wife and get away with it?”
“He didn't—”
“Shut up!”
He reared his hand back, slamming the phone against her temple. Stars flickered before her eyes as warm blood dripped from a gash at the edge of her brow.
Please, God. Make it stop.
Her prayers were answered with the very next blow.
Later—she wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed—Charlotte came to with a groan. A familiar pounding thundered through her head, and her entire body ached. She was still struggling to open her eyes when she heard a knock on the door.
“Charlie?”
Though the voice coming from the other side of the door was muffled, she recognized it instantly.
Derek's here.
Charlotte tried to call out for him, but the only thing she managed to do was moan.
He pounded on the door again. “Charlie, talk to me. I saw Caleb leaving. Are you okay?”
Caleb left?Relief blanketed her as she peeled her eyes open. She was attempting to push herself up when Derek’s blurred figure rushed into the room.
“Ah, Christ.”
He ran toward her, dropping to his knees by her side and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. His touch was so light, as if he were afraid to touch her.
“That motherfuckinsonofabitch.”
