Chapters (38)
- one
- two
- three
- four
- five
- six
- seven
- eight
- nine
- ten
- eleven
- twelve
- thirteen
- fourteen
- fifteen
- sixteen
- seventeen
- eighteen
- nineteen
- twenty
- twenty-one
- twenty-two
- twenty-three
- twenty-four
- twenty-five
- twenty-six
- twenty-seven
- twenty-eight
- twenty-nine
- thirty
- thirty-one
- thirty-two
- thirty-three
- thirty-four
- thirty-five
- thirty-six
- thirty-seven
- epilogue
He gave her an incredulous look. “I don’t know what you think you saw, Violet, but there is no woman and no affair, and there is no way in hell I’m leaving my own home.”
“You were kissing her. I saw you with my own two eyes.” He made no response, just studied her face impassively. “What’s her name, Tolly? How long have you been with her?”
Tolly continued to stare. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Violet. You’re acting crazier than usual, and that’s saying a lot.”
She watched his jaw clench, saw the vein throbbing in his neck. Still, she pressed on. “Get out, Tolly. You can’t expect me to ignore another woman.”
“There is no other woman.” He started toward the liquor cabinet and Violet felt fear crawling up her back for the first time. If he was going to drink, she’d have to get upstairs, lock the door, and leave this until he sobered up tomorrow. She was relieved when he seemed to reconsider and walk back to her.
Violet extended her palm to his chest. “I don’t want you near me.” It took all her focus to keep her voice steady.
Tolly came closer and closer until his face was inches from hers. He shook his head and backed away. She allowed herself to close her eyes and exhale slowly. She didn’t even feel the pain in her cheek when his fist landed, not for several seconds. By then he had hit her stomach twice.
Violet did not open her eyes again.
The next morning there was no remorse, no begging for forgiveness, just Tolly’s undivided medical attention. He checked her vital signs and satisfied himself he’d caused no significant internal damage. He loomed over Violet’s face and said, “I fired Beatrice this morning. You neither need nor deserve help with this house.”
She watched him gather his things and close the bedroom draperies. “Get some sleep, Violet. I injected you with some medication to help. I’ll be home early.”
She lay in their bed for four days, heavily medicated and rising only to accept soup and water from Tolly or make her way to the bathroom. On the fifth day she woke to find him seated at her vanity, watching.
“You should have a clearer head now. I backed off the morphine.”
She nodded.