The cruelty of his logic hit her in waves. He was not just lying; he was actively trying to make her doubt her own mind.
"That is not my signature," Olivia stated firmly.
"It looks like yours," James countered.
"Because someone tried to make it look like mine," Olivia said.
The words landed between them, stripping away the last illusion of their marriage.
When minimizing failed, irritation took over. James crossed his arms, his posture turning rigid. "You are acting like I stole from you."
"Didn't you?"
James reacted as though she had slapped him. "You have no idea how much pressure I have been under," hesnapped, turning the argument right back onto her. "You only see your bakery, your feelings, your needs. I have carried the serious parts of this life for years."
The condescension laid his perspective bare. He never saw her as an equal partner. He saw her as someone to manage.
"Where did the money go, James?"
"It went to investments. Business obligations. Debts," he listed off vaguely. "It was a temporary movement of funds. The money would have been returned."
Olivia heard every excuse and realized none of them explained the forgery.
"Does Amanda know?"
The question escaped before she could stop it.
James went rigid. His eyes darkened. "Amanda has nothing to do with this."
His reaction told her enough.
"Then why does her name keep appearing around every lie?" Olivia asked, the tears finally burning her eyes.
"Do not drag Amanda into our marriage," James warned, his voice turning harsh. "You are being irrational."
"You brought her into it," Olivia fired back.
"You need to stop this right now," James ordered.
Olivia looked at the man standing across from her and finally saw the pattern with crystal clarity. The late nights. The locked drawers. The vague answers. The way he kept her away from their accounts. The way he always claimed she was overreacting. The way he made her apologize for asking questions. The way he treated her genuine concern as weakness, calling her insecure the second she noticed something he wanted to hide.
He had been teaching her not to trust herself.
That realization hurt just as much as the stolen money.
James read the shift in her expression and changed tactics again. He softened his posture, letting out a defeated sigh. "Liv, I love you. We can fix this. You just need to calm down and not make a decision while you are emotional."
He reached for her arm.
She flinched, stepping away from his touch.
The distance registered on his face. He dropped his hand, his jaw tightening. "Do not be dramatic about this. We are married. Married people handle things together. You can't just run away every time something gets hard."
Olivia looked down at the forged signature in her hands. He was demanding marital loyalty after destroying the very foundation of it.
"I need to leave," Olivia said.
"You are not leaving," James stated. It was not a physical threat, but a controlling, entitled command. He spoke as if he genuinely believed he held the right to dictate her next move.
