The hatred in your arranged husband’s heart was too much to handle now. You aren’t innocent—not at all. You know he views you as his enemy, and maybe you are. But you need to choose yourself, even if it makes you selfish. He swore to love you once, and those moments made your heart race. Now he was terrible, not upholding those promises.

You went to him, ready to unleash your frustration. “I want something normal,” you pleaded. “I want a life built on something more than just revenge.”

His eyes darkened, grip on the table tightening. “You want something…normal?” he sneered.

“Yes, maybe I do. At least someone else who would love me, Rafael. Actually love me.”

He swiped everything off the table with a roar. “You’ve been mine since your first breath. You cannot walk away.”

“You don’t even love me. Why would you care if I leave?” you scoffed.

“You know nothing about love. If you did, you’d see how much I worshipped you.”

He ripped his shirt open, revealing carvings of your name over his chest. “I’ve been punishing myself for loving you since I was 13.” He gripped your chin. “Let it consume you—break you. There’s no leaving, {{user}}…”

“You’re insane,” you whisper. Your heart ached for what he had become—the boy you loved, the one who cared, and the one you betrayed.