Forsaking All Others Read online

  “I have no intention of repairing our marriage. There is no marriage to repair. We are divorced. Just move on.”

  He took a menacing step forward and maintained his voice to barely above a whisper as he glared down at her. “Oh, I see. Well, that was news to me. I’ll have you remember that we said forever in our vows. Forsaking all others…until death do us part. Have you forgotten that bit of information?”

  Julianna shook her head and started for the door. As she passed by him to get to the exit behind him, Devon grabbed her arm, holding fast. She jerked it free, her eyes blazing with rage. Those days were over.

  She was no longer his rag doll.

  “If you think for one second you will not regret this, then you are sadly mistaken. This will be painful for you, and I am not only talking about what you caused when you left.”

  Julianna cut her eyes at him, dodging his attempt to reach for her again. How she had remained married to this man for as long as she had was beyond her.

  “You can run to Evan for help all you want, but that won’t change anything. You married me. You don’t get to just walk away that easy.”

  Julianna walked calmly out of the coffee shop, opting for silence at his last comment. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest, threatening to beat out of her chest, but she maintained her calm demeanor. She’d be damned if she kept allowing him to realize that he scared her. He preyed on that fact, and she refused to give him the satisfaction. She turned to look back before getting into her car. Devon was still standing where she had left him, glaring at her through the window of the coffee shop. She no longer knew who that man was, but she was certain he wasn’t finished with her yet.

  Part III

  “In every human Breast, God has implanted a Principle, which we call Love of Freedom; it is impatient of Oppression, and pants for Deliverance.”

  Phyllis Wheatley

  29

  Anger tensed every muscle in Evan’s body as he listened to Julianna on the phone. So, it was sooner rather than later that the piece of shit had decided to do something. What really made him bristle was that Devon was still so persistent.

  What is that man trying to prove?

  A deep sense of dread coursed through his body. He continued to listen to Julianna, but his mind drifted.

  This will continue to escalate.

  The hairs on his arms rose at that realization, and he voiced as much to Julianna. She, however, didn’t agree.

  “I don’t trust him, but he’s too taken with his status to really do something. He doesn’t want that kind of thing over his head.”

  “This won’t stop, Julianna. He’ll keep pushing his limits.”

  He didn’t say more and allowed for his words to sink in. He hoped that she was right, but then again, there was his gut telling him that something was awry. The sensation was sickening.

  “Are you sure he doesn’t know where you live?”

  “I’m not sure—”

  “—think, baby. Does anyone else besides your sister know where you live?”

  “Well, I never told him, and I’ve been careful. That’s one of my biggest fears, and so I’ve been cautious about him finding out where I live.”

  Julianna’s statement eased only a fraction of the tension and worry that was building up within him. He rolled his neck with a sigh before he responded.

  “Good. Keep it that way.”

  “Evan-”

  “I’m going to stay with you for a little to make sure you’re safe.”

  Julianna was silent for a few seconds before she gasped. It was a harsh sound that resonated loudly through the speaker of the phone.

  “He really can hurt me, can’t he?”

  “Yes.”

  She blew out a sigh. “What scares me the most is how worried you are. You never worry. I was concerned but didn’t think too much of it because of how much he values his social status.”

  He massaged his neck, doing his best to ease the tension that had formed in the muscles there.

  “I don’t want to lie to you. Men like him, men who try to hide who they truly are, are the worst type of human. Usually, it gets harder and harder to hide their true person.”

  Julianna didn’t answer, but he knew she was still listening, doing her best to grasp what he had just told her.

  “Let me get a few things and then I will come and get you. Stay where you are.”

  “How did you know I wasn’t at home?”

  Evan was already throwing a few items into his bag. There were a lot of things she didn’t know about him. One day, he hoped to tell her.

  “I know. See you soon.”

  He ended the call and packed his bag with renewed energy, welcoming the familiar pulse of adrenaline through his veins. He would have loved to say he was overreacting, but deep down, he knew things would worsen.

  That, he was sure of.

  Devon was seething as he stared at Michelle through the screen door of his home. Not only had she showed up unannounced, but she had also done so with a loud entrance. He tore the door open as she stood next to her car in the middle of her driveway, reaching through her window to blare her horn as she waited for him to come outside. Tonight was supposed to be a good night. He had just finished up at Adela’s house; first, they’d had dinner and then a private meeting after which, he was still on a high. He had gone home, his plans for advancement in his career moving well. He had even taken the next day off to relax and catch up on rest. Keeping an eye on Julianna was a full-time job on top of everything he had going on with his own career. Now, this shit.

  Devon forced himself to maintain a neutral expression as he approached Michelle, her face was soaked with tears as she stood there in a hoodie and a pair of shorts. She had put little thought into her attire as his body registered the nip of cold air that carried on the end of the harsh breeze that blew. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood there, refusing to be the first one to speak. She needed to explain herself.

  And it had better be good.

  She finally took a few steps forward and wiped her eyes.

  “Devon, why would you do this?”

  He remained silent, but cocked his head to the side, curious. She gestured between them.

  “We had a good thing going, but then you stop contacting me, stopped answering my calls. Without an explanation. Why?”

  Devon groaned. “What do you mean, why? It was sex. I got tired of it. Plain and simple.”

  Fresh tears rolled down Michelle’s cheeks at his blunt admission. She shook her head.

  “So, this new girl, she has your interest now? You parade her in front of me like I never mattered? Didn’t you realize or care it would hurt me?”

  Devon sighed heavily, his patience wearing thin. It was this kind of behavior that had caused him to lose interest in her in the first place.

  “Michelle, go home. We had…what we had, and it’s now over. Please, just stop this.”

  “I cared about you!”

  “Please! You were a woman who knowingly slept with a married man. Now, show yourself respect for once and go home.”

  “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare try to bring morals into this. You also stepped out on your wife, Devon. Don’t you forget that. I was just fool enough to fall for you!”

  At that, Devon laughed. Hard.

  Who does this woman think she is?

  “And what did you expect from me? Love?” He spat the word as he advanced on her. “You’re right. You were a fool to allow something as straightforward as sex to cause you to catch feelings. You’re pathetic.”

  Michelle stepped back, her face contorting in pain and then rage. She quickly regained herself as she strode forward and slapped him hard across the face.

  Devon immediately went cold. He watched in disbelief as her hand withdrew, his body no longer registering the sting of pain that the action drew. She stood there, a triumphant grin on her face as she leaned forward once again, her hand poised to strike.

&nb
sp; Bitch.

  His response was immediate and swift. Anger swelled within him as he brought his hand across her face. Hard. A small smile crossed his face as she staggered backward, her hand reaching up to clutch her cheek.

  Who the fuck does she think she is putting her hands on me?

  Devon waited for her to compose herself after the quick shriek of pain that escaped her lips. She stared up at him, wide-eyed in disbelief.

  “You hit me?”

  The hurt and pain that resonated from her voice was lost on Devon as he shrugged his shoulders. He refused to say more and continued to stand there with his arms folded across his chest. He smirked as she briefly removed her hand from her cheek, which was now swelling.

  That’ll teach her.

  She turned and ran to her car, jerking the door open as she got in. Believing it to be over, he turned and walked back inside, grateful for the expanse of land that his house was situated on. He didn’t think the neighbors could have heard or seen much. Still, he needed to be more careful...and she was leaving now. He was halfway up his porch steps as he heard her voice once again.

  “You’re going to regret this, Devon.”

  He turned. Amusement burst from his lips. “You? Threatening me?”

  “I won’t stay quiet about this. Perhaps Adela would like to know about the monster you are.”

  Her defiant expression was immediately replaced by fear. Devon advanced on her and grabbed her arm. She screamed out as he gave a quick jerk of her arm. There was a snap.

  “Shut up.” Adrenaline was coursing through his veins as he watched her face contort in pain. Amused, he continued to hold fast to her arm. “What did you call me?”

  Barely a squeak escaped Michelle’s mouth.

  “I asked you a fucking question, Michelle. What. Did. You. Call. Me?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

  She repeated it over and over again as she squirmed against his tight grasp. She glanced nervously back toward her car.

  “What are you doing? Who did you call?”

  His voice was steadily rising as his eyes narrowed into slits, his rage causing beads of sweat to form on his brow despite the chilly night.

  “No one—”

  “You’re going to have to try harder than that to convince me, Michelle.”

  His voice was now calm as his eyes bored into hers. Her eyes were round, wild, filled with fear.

  She should fear me.

  “Please!”

  Her voice was a hoarse whisper as she stared up at him, her eyes pleading.

  “I just want to go home. Please.”

  She was wailing now. He barked at her to shut her mouth. Surely someone would hear them with the way she was carrying on. When that didn’t work, he took his free hand and closed it around her throat. A deep shiver ran through him at the soft sound that escaped her throat before she clawed at him with her uninjured hand. Then, she kicked frantically, catching him in the shins. He threw her to the ground. She coughed, gasping for air, her breaths coarse and deep as she tried to crawl away in the grass.

  “Devon, please. Don’t do this. I won’t say anything. Just let me go. Please!”

  Her words fell on deaf ears as he advanced on her once again.

  His rage couldn’t be calmed. He was past remorse. His body only knew how to react. “Do you think anyone would miss a whore like you?”

  He kicked her, hard, in her side. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out as the wind was knocked out of her.

  “Leave. Now. Don’t you ever come back here.” He leaned in, his lips mere inches from her ear. “And if you tell anyone, I will kill you.”

  He stood back as he watched her scramble to her feet, bleeding and bruised.

  She limped away as quickly as she could but stopped once again before she got into her car.

  “God bless you, Julianna. I don’t know how you endured this.” She spoke to no one in particular as she shook her head, but it was loud enough for him to hear.

  He was again in front of her in a few strides as his hand closed around her neck once again. Now, she’d gone too far. She didn’t even have time to react as he dragged her away from her car and pushed her to the ground. He kicked her repeatedly, his rage causing more sweat to break out on his brow.

  “Keep. Her. Name. Out. Of. Your. Mouth.”

  His rage was insurmountable. Julianna still hadn’t returned home. No matter what he did, she still hadn’t budged. Hadn’t contacted him. And now this whore had the nerve to bring her name up.

  Still not satisfied, he jerked her up from the ground and closed his hand around her throat, her eyes once again pleading. His gaze centered on her face; her eyes were swollen, and she was bleeding heavily from wounds on her face. She grasped weakly at his hand. One final exhale escaped her lips. Her body went limp and her eyes stared blankly up at Devon.

  Good riddance.

  Devon tossed her to the ground gave her body a final kick as he straightened and dusted himself off. He waited for a few seconds for his breathing to return to normal as he wiped the sweat from his brow. This wasn’t his fault. He had given her a chance to walk away—shown her mercy, and she had thrown it back in his face. He stared down at her lifeless body and scoffed.

  She won’t be doing much of anything, now.

  Realization suddenly sank in as he quickly scanned the surrounding area. So far, the night had remained quiet, and there didn’t seem to be anyone around. Satisfied, he dragged her body into the trunk of her car and got into the front seat.

  I can’t leave her here.

  He furrowed his brow, deep in thought, before he started the car. There was a lake a ways away that no one really knew about. No one would find her there. He did his best not to draw attention to himself as he eased the car down the driveway and onto the road. His expression was grim as he maneuvered along the winding roads and finally onto the gravel path leading up to the lake, in the center of a wooded area. It was quiet, serene. The moon cast an eerie glow on the water, and it was quiet as he pulled the car up to the shore’s edge.

  He ignored the sound of the gravel hitting the metal underside of the car as he exited, pulling a lighter from his pocket. He started it, watching the small flame grow, as he cast one last glance at Michelle’s mutilated face. She had brought this on herself. Had she left him alone, she would have lived to see another day. He shrugged with a sigh as he opened the trunk and yanked pieces of clothing from Michelle’s body, the material bloody. He took exaggerated time lighting each piece, throwing them into the front and back seat of the car. He stood back as he watched the flame grow into an inferno, engulfing the inside the car. He walked back and sat against a tree as he watched the fire, a deep layer of smoke forming over the car. He could recall how long he sat there, watching the flames destroy the car, but he eventually got up and made his way away from the lake, careful not to leave too much of a trail. He made his way onto the main road, liberated. Invincible. He was a man who knew what had to be done and did it. He just would not tolerate that level of disrespect from anyone. Unfortunately for her, her actions had cost Michelle her life.

  Goodbye, Michelle.

  Devon continued to walk along the road at a leisurely pace until he made his way home. He stepped into the shower, welcoming the feel of the warm water on his tired muscles. When he was done, he ordered dinner, unfazed by the events of the night.

  I guess I have to thank her. She made me remember the kind of man I am. A go-getter. A man who gets results. Fixes problems.

  He nodded as he stared blankly at the TV in front of him as he ate his dinner on the living room couch. That was his biggest error with Julianna. He hadn’t done enough. Hadn’t exerted his authority with her. That was why she felt as if she could just continue her foolish ways. Now, he saw that he had to take charge. He had to make her see he was a man who demanded respect and would receive it at all costs. He would no longer tolerate her blatant disrespect, especially whe
n it came to her parading around with that man.

  Julianna will see the error of her ways. I’ll make her see.

  Julianna snuggled up into Evan’s side; he instinctively pulled her closer in his sleep. True to his word, he had stayed at her side for the past week, and she had to admit that she was having a hard time remembering what it was like living alone. She liked having him around and was already dreading when he would return to his own home. He definitely made her feel safe. Protected. She had been on edge ever since their conversation the other night. She wasn’t going to lie and say she wasn’t afraid of Devon. She most definitely was. However, most of her fear had been assuaged because she had believed Devon too concerned with his social status to actually do anything serious. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

  She rolled over in the bed, praying for sleep. Stressing out about the situation wasn’t going to help at this point. What she needed was a good night’s rest.

  She closed her eyes, welcoming the still sound of the night. Her body relaxed when Evan’s strong arm tightened around her torso, and she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. He was a huge portion of why she felt as if she could make sense of it all. With his support, and also Danicah’s support of their relationship, she knew she would endure anything Devon threw at them. Whether he already knew, he also had her love. The realization had hit her like a brick one night as she lay awake in the darkness, staring at his sleeping form. She was no longer falling for him—no; she had to stop with that lie. It was already too late for her. She was already in love.

  She awoke with a gasp as she felt something warm against her lips. She opened her mouth to scream but was quickly silenced by a voice.

  “Shhh. Someone’s here.”

  Evan.

  Her eyes adjusted in the night to find him crouching in front of her, one finger placed against her lips. His deep blue eyes were illuminated by the moonlight streaking through the window. He stayed still. His head turned in response to something, a sound that her ears had yet to register. She waited in the silence with bated breath, doing her best to listen for what his ears had been picking up on. Finally, she heard it—a very soft creak of the floorboards. He nodded his head slowly as he made eye contact with her, slowly rising from his crouched position. As he did so, he leaned over and whispered in her ear: