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Her eyes were haunting, she trembled, still shaken in disbelief.
The court had sent her own copy of the divorce papers after it had been finalized.
If those copies weren't from the court then__
Sterling had managed to play his crooked game somehow.
They were still legally married!
She was still his wife__
The thought left her cold, the sharp stab of anger and betrayal made her eyes burn with the salty liquid.
This was too much, she should be used to his cruelty when he wanted something, but he always left her dumbstruck each time.
Faith suddenly recalled the number of times he'd referred to her as his wife, even Rex had called her that.
She had been naive to think it was merely a slip of the tongue.
She should have known that there was no mistake with Sterling.
Why was it that each time she tried to fight him, he was always a thousand steps ahead of the ways he could hurt her?
Faith suddenly thought how Sterling knew about her plan, and also the reason she had come here to his office, still he had allowed Stacy to grant her the keys to all the drawers.
There was no mistake with Sterling. He'd allowed her to see the divorce papers on purpose. Was this her punishment for trying to deceive him?
The surrounding room abruptly turned humid, Faith wanted an escape from here___
From him.
Still, she couldn't bring her legs to move, where could she go? She had no home left.
Her tear-streaked face lifted at the sound of the door opening, the figure who walked in was the devil himself!
Faith staggered to her feet, her anguished eyes meeting his blank once. The air in the room completely disappeared, or maybe it was she who forgot how to breathe.
He strolled towards her in a calm and steady manner, as though unaware of the turmoil he had created in her soul, or maybe he just didn't care.
"Bastard!"
Her fist connected to his face with all the strength she possessed, she was slightly satisfied at his grimace, but it wasn't nearly enough, she could stab his cruel heart and it wouldn't be nearly enough compensation for what he'd done.
"Why are you this cruel to me? Do you derive so much pleasure in my pain? What did I ever do to deserve you? What did I do wrong? You're an animal!" She seethed, her fist connecting with his face again.
She continued to hit him until her knuckles were red and raw, he didn't even try to stop her, patiently allowing her to tire herself out.
Her heavy sobs and breath was the only source of sound in the room.
Faith was exhausted, and it wasn't just physically, she met his dark stare with a blurry gaze.
"I can't believe that when I first met you, I thought you were my lucky star, why did it become like this? How did you become my worst nightmare? Why is it like this?!" She cried.
"I never held hope that you would change, but you still manage to appall me every single time, no matter what you do, my feelings for you won't change, I will never love you!" She spat and for the first time since he stepped inside, she noticed something flicker in his eyes.
His eyes darted briefly on the papers that were scattered throughout the floor. He didn't bear any reaction, as though he had already anticipated it.
"But you learn fast, don't you? You spoke about a happy home for our daughter, but you never intended to stay! You wanted to take her from me!"
A harsh burst of laughter escaped Faith's mouth. "Even now, you're still so self-absorbed! Everything has to be about what you want, isn't it? I still don't understand, is it that you're afraid of being alone, or maybe it's your ego? You don't love us, Sterling, because you don't destroy people you love!"
He moved in a blur, his hands grabbing her neck in a vice-like grip, unwilling to let go, not even when she wailed her protest.
"I love you! All I want is to protect you and our daughter, for us to be together forever, why am I so bad for you? Everything I do is because of you!" He clenched out, the hands on her neck tightening.
"Let go__" Faith gasped.
"Our divorce was never completed, I merely wanted to give you some space because, in the end, you're always mine! I kept the promise I made to myself, to not see you or get in contact with you until you cooled off, do you have any idea how fucking hard that was? How could you leave so easily? Do you even know how much it hurts?!"
Faith thought she would pass out of lack of air, the pressure on her neck was too painful, and her bones were practically crushing. The crazed glassy glint in his eyes made her suddenly afraid.
He looked ready to murder her, and he was__
"S_Sterling" She gasped breathlessly, he stared at her for some seconds, then loosened his grip, but it wasn't nearly enough.
"Your little plan was cute, did you actually think it would be that easy? Or perhaps you watched too many soap operas." He gave her the stupid look, while she glared at him.
"You could have just told me that you wanted my assets in your name, who knows, I might have even let you have them, but let's say you succeeded in ripping me of everything I have, what did you plan to do with it, hmm? I still have legal custody of Maya." Faith wanted so badly to wipe the smug look off his face, but her fists were already quite sore.
Legally, he was Maya's only parent. That gave him all the power over her, she would do anything to be with her daughter, and he knew it.
She met his gaze squarely. "I don't want anything anymore, tomorrow, I'll call the lawyers tomorrow to begin with the divorce procedure, I refuse to be married to you!" She spat out the words as though it was bitter.
A cold smile spread across his features as he suddenly gripped her wrist.
"I will decide what is going to happen, and this is it__"
Faith had no choice but to follow him, or be dragged like a sack of potatoes. He reached for the divorce agreement, ripping them apart.
"You're going to be an obedient little girl__
She watched him withdraw something else from the drawer and dread pooled in her stomach as she instantly recognized it.
It was their wedding ring.
" No!__" She cried when he forced her fingers apart.
"You're going to assume what you've always been. My wife!" He whispered fiercely.
"No! Don't!" The ring felt cold around her stiff finger. This was a nightmare. A terrible one.
She wanted to wake up.
"I will find a way to escape!"
"Well, you can try. At least something more impressive, I was disappointed by your feeble plan, I must say." He shrugged casually and Faith's nostrils and ears burned with flames and smoke.
He was so cruel!
"This only makes me hate you more, I won't ever love you!"
He seemed to think about it for some seconds. "I crave your love more than anything darling, but even your hate is fine, I can live with it, but can't live without you."
He was completely insane!
"You're back officially as my wife, don't we need to celebrate it?" He smirked.
"Ahhhh" Faith yelled when he held her hair tightly in a fist, even as her lips were fiercely captured by his.
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