“Everything’s legal, Nina.”
Her breath caught.
“You’ve been under psychiatric care for twenty years.”
He smiled—but there was no warmth in it.
“So tell me… who do you think they’ll believe? You or me?”
Outrage crashed over her. It was worse than she’d imagined.
“Why?” she whispered, staring at the man who was still, technically, her husband.“I thought…” Her voice faltered, everything inside her tearing apart.“I thought you loved me.”
Frank looked at her, then smirked and shook his head.
“Since today’s a day for honesty, Nina, I guess it’s time I admitted it.”
He straightened, stepped back as if giving her space, but his words cut sharper than any blade.
“I only ever used you.”
Her world burned. Collapsed. Disappeared. But he wasn’t done yet. He finished her off with calm satisfaction, as if he were relieved he no longer had to pretend.
“I noticed you freshman year of college.”
He stared into her eyes without blinking.
“The daughter of a wealthy family. A good girl. The perfect wife for a man with ambition. But you were too careful, too smart, too guarded. You kept everyone at a distance. And then—like a gift from heaven—that rape happened. You were so broken, Nina. All I had to do was be patient and play the role of the lovesick idiot. I was really good at that, wasn’t I? But I got sick of it. Years of humiliating myself in front of your precious family, playing the devoted husband so your father wouldn’t suspect a thing. I had to do everything to keep his only little daughter happy.”
She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t believe what she was hearing. But he kept going.
“Do you know how disgusting it was for me to marry you after him? And that child growing inside you? But I decided I’d use you to improve my life, Nina. And here I am.”
He spread his arms toward the office, the walls, everything that now belonged to him.
“At the top.”
“You…” Her voice broke.
He smirked.
“In that sense, I’m even grateful to you.”
“You…” It still didn’t feel real.
“That’s why I’m leaving you this house.”
He nodded toward the window, to the landscaped garden beyond.
“I’ll transfer you money every month.”
He said it like he was doing her a favor. Like she should thank him for his generosity.
“That’s the end of it, Nina.”
He turned away and walked back to his desk as if the conversation were over. As if she’d already lost. As if she no longer existed.
She looked at him and let out a sharp laugh.
