I stood there, the metallic taste of blood still on my tongue, the red mark burning into my cheek. I waited for Brandon to look at me. I waited for him to see the cut on my lip, to see that Paula was the one who had hit me.
But he didn't.
Brandon wrapped his arms tightly around Paula, kissing the top of her head. Then, he looked at me. His eyes were completely devoid of the possessive fire from this morning. There was only cold, hard disgust.
“Are you out of your mind, Victoria?” he spat, his voice laced with venom. “I brought you back here to keep you out of trouble, not to terrorize the woman I actually love.”
My chest tightened. Even though my heart was already dead, his words still managed to twist the knife.
“She hit me, Brandon,” I said quietly, pointing to my bleeding lip.
He didn't even blink. “Don't play the victim. You provoked her. Let me make this perfectly clear to you so you stop living in a fantasy: I only delayed the proposal because the PR optics of a sudden divorce look bad for the company right now. I need you to play the good wife for the shareholders for a few more months.”
He sneered, his grip tightening protectively around Paula.