He wanted me to understand that he could dictate my life on a whim. He was trying to train me into submission, to break me into something compliant and small.
I drew a long, slow breath. Then I slapped every last bank card onto the coffee table.
Without a second of hesitation, I stripped off the designer coat and tossed it into the fireplace beside me.
The flames surged, casting a bright orange glow across Neil's stunned face.
I didn't look back. I walked straight into the blizzard.
The wind hit me like a wall. I pushed forward, shaking so hard my teeth rattled, arms wrapped tight around myself. Every step was a fight against the cold that clawed through my clothes and sank into my bones.
I finally found an internet café still open nearby. The owner handed me a cup of hot water, and I sat there clutching it, letting warmth seep back into my frozen fingers.
But before long, my eyelids grew impossibly heavy. I slumped over and fell asleep.
Through the haze, I felt hands on me. Groping. Tugging.
I forced my eyes open and found myself staring straight into the owner's greasy, bloated face.