I Crawled Through Hell. Turned To Be My Don Husband’s Loyalty Test Chapter 05
He reached out, his hand moving toward my left arm to drag me toward the car—
That moment, a wave of nausea washed over me.
I jerked back so fast he stumbled.
“Don’t,” I said, the word vibrating with a power I hadn’t felt in years. “Don’t you ever fucking touch me again.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened. “Walk home yourself, Linnea. The rain might cool that madness.”
He turned toward the car—a limited-edition beast of chrome and carbon fiber. Only twelve existed in the world. He wasn’t hiding it anymore.
Maybe he thought a “vulture” like me wouldn’t recognize the price tag. Or maybe he just didn’t care if I knew.
As the window began to slide up, I grabbed the edge.
My fingers, raw and stained, left a smudge on the pristine glass.
“One minute,” I rasped. “Let me talk to Luca. Just one minute, Dominic. Please.”
Dominic didn’t move.
“Please. Just a few words. I’ll pay the bill tomorrow and then I’m gone.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened. “One minute. Then get out of my sight.”
He tossed an umbrella at my feet like he was throwing a bone to a stray.
“Don’t let him get wet. He’s been through enough today because of you.”
I didn’t pick up the umbrella. I let the rain soak me as I crouched down to Luca’s level.
My son. The boy I’d carried in my body, the boy I’d hauled a thousand corpses to keep alive.
He looked at me through the glass, his face a mask of tiny, sharp cruelties.
I couldn’t help but wonder—if he had known this would be our last meeting, would he still have been the same?
“Luca,” I said, my voice steady even as my chest felt like it was being hollowed out with a rusted knife.
“Listen to your father. Always. And no matter how angry you get… never throw sharp things at people again. “
“It doesn’t make you strong. It just makes you a coward.”
His eyes dropped to my bloody hands. His mouth opened, then snapped shut.
Out of habit, I reached to touch his head. Then I remembered.
Disgusting. Dirty. Corpse-vulture.
Bitterness welled up in my chest. I pulled my hand back. Smiled at him.
“From this moment on, Luca… you don’t have to worry about me ever coming back.”
“Just go on. Get home, Luca.”
Go on. Be the prince you were born to be. I’m done being your shield.
No more disgusting mommy. You’d be happy about that, right?
Without a goodbye, the car roared to life and pulled away.
A wave of dirty street water surged up, drenching my legs, my chest, my face.
I looked at the retreating taillights.
Memories of the past flashed before my eyes like a fleeting parade.
We used to count bus stops, getting off three miles early just to save a few cents for Luca’s milk.
Dominic would lift me onto his back.
“Almost there, sweetheart,” he’d whisper. “Let’s go home.”
I needed to go home now. My real one.
I yanked the SIM card out and tossed it into the trash.
I wasn’t coming back.
No looking back. Not once.