Chapter 120: One bad turn deserves another

Ivy’s pov

Pain.

An explosion of white-hot agony streaked behind my eyes, ricocheting through my skull.

My ears rang with a high-pitched whine that drowned out the world, and for a terrifying, disorienting moment, all I could see was a field of blinding white stars.

"...Harper."

Angel’s voice cut through the haze. I blinked rapidly, my vision slowly swimming back into focus.

My forehead throbbed, a deep, pulsing ache centered on a spot that was already growing tender and swollen. I raised a trembling hand to it, my fingers coming away sticky. I looked at them, expecting blood, but there was no blood. Still, the pain was immense.

I turned my head slowly, my neck protesting the movement, and looked at him.

My supposed husband. The man who had just slammed my head into a dashboard. Surprise waged with fear inside me. He had never... he had never put his hands on me before.

"That should teach you to never speak to me like that again," his voice didn’t even have a single hint of remorse.

He turned the key in the ignition, the engine roaring to life and pulled away from the curb, merging into traffic as if he hadn’t just committed an act of violence against his wife.

The ringing in my ears subsided, replaced by my heart beating in frantic panic.

He hit me. Angel actually hit me.

The thought replayed in my mind like a horrifying loop. I had endured his cheating. I had swallowed his belittling insults. I had lived with his emotional neglect for years, telling myself it was part of the deal, part of the sham I had to maintain. But this... oh no no, this was different.

A cold, hard fury began to bubble up from the pit of my stomach. It burned away the fear, replacing it with rage.

Why did I have to endure this? Why did I have to endure him? I had endured it all, but I would not, could not, endure him putting his hands on me.

No. This would be the last time. This would be the bloody last time.

As he accelerated, preparing to merge onto the highway, I made my decision.

"Stop the car,"

Angel just laughed dismissively. "Don’t be so dramatic, Harper. All I did was give you a little correction. It’s what you needed."

"Angel, stop the fucking car," I repeated, my voice rising.

"I’m not stopping the car," his eyes remained fixed on the road.

My eyes darted around the car, landing on the heavy, metal water bottle in the cup holder between us. Without another word, I snatched it up.

"Stop the car,"

He glanced at me, then at the bottle in my hand, and smirked. "You wouldn’t dare."

I held the bottle over his crotch, my knuckles white. "You just slammed my head into a dashboard," my voice was shaking with fury.

"You think I wouldn’t dare? You will never lay your hands on me again. Ever."

He laughed, turning his attention back to the road. "You’re all talk, Harper. You are a coward. A little coward who can’t do shit-"

He didn’t get to finish. With a guttural scream of rage, I brought the bottle down with all my might. It didn’t hit his dick, as I’d intended, but smashed hard against his thigh. There was a sickening thud, followed by a roar of pain and shock.

"Fuck! You crazy bitch!" he howled, his hands flying from the wheel to clutch his leg.

The car swerved violently. I braced myself, my heart in my throat, as he wrenched the wheel, the tires screeching in protest as he slammed on the brakes. The car came to a jarring, screeching halt on the side of the road.

Without wasting time, I threw the door open and stumbled out, my legs shaking so badly I almost collapsed.

I didn’t look back. I just ran. I ran until I was a safe distance away, then I pulled out my phone and called a cab, my breath coming in ragged, painful gasps.

Never again. He could go to his daddy’s breakfast, like the ball-less prick he was.

***

The ride to my hotel was a blur. I stumbled into my room, my head throbbing badly.

Once I locked the door, I leaned against it, sliding to the floor in a heap of trembling limbs. My morning, a blissful morning that had started so peacefully in Gideon’s arms, was ruined. Utterly and completely ruined by that bastard.

I pushed myself up and walked to the bathroom, heading straight to the mirror. A red, angry welt was already forming on my forehead.

My eyes were wide and haunted and hot, tears slid down my cheeks.

"He actually hit me," I cried in disbelief, desperately trying to swallow the sobs. He was not worth it.

He was not worth it at all. I loved my father and still wanted the company, but I couldn’t keep enduring this bullshit treatment from Angel. I was done. I would divorce him. I couldn’t take this anymore.

I needed to get out of these clothes.

I walked to the closet, pulling open the door to find something to wear. But as I reached for a dress, my eyes landed on a small, designer shopping bag I had hidden at the back.

"Shit,"

The cocaine.

The bag my father had given me was hidden inside that shopping bag. I was supposed to plant at the mansion on Monday. A fresh wave of terror washed over me, melting my anger away.

There was no way. No way in hell I could do that now. Not after this morning, after they had been so kind, so concerned, so... I couldn’t betray them like that.

I snatched the bag, my hands shaking. What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t keep it. I couldn’t plant it.

My mind raced, and without a second thought, I walked to the bathroom, emptied the contents of the small, neatly wrapped packages into the toilet, and flushed. I watched the white powder swirl and disappear, a prayer on my lips that I was doing the right thing.

I changed quickly into a dress I could find. I was going back to the penthouse. I was going to pack my things and move out for good. I grabbed a baseball bat just in case Angel didn’t drive on to meet his father and was back at home.

Thirty minutes later, when I let myself into the penthouse, the air was thick with the smell of eggs and some rose perfume.

Pamela was in my kitchen, humming to herself as she cooked, wearing one of my aprons. The bitch had made herself at home, her things already cluttering everywhere.

She froze when she saw me standing there. "Harper, You.. you’re back."