Chapter 8
Chapter 8: The Falling Titan
The transformation of Richard Carter was terrifying to behold.
The heavy leather briefcase slipped from his numb fingers. It hit the polished hardwood floor with a deafening CRACK, the sound snapping the frozen tension in the room.
"Sir, I didn't mean to—" Daniel started to say, scrambling to his feet, holding his hands out in a pathetic gesture of peace.
"Shut your mouth before I kill you right where you stand," Richard growled, his voice vibrating with a lethal, barely contained violence.
Daniel instantly clamped his mouth shut, pressing himself as far into the corner as the room would allow.
Every muscle in Richard’s body coiled tight. The stoic, controlled businessman evaporated, replaced by a man drowning in an ocean of raw, uncontainable rage. The betrayal was absolute; it invaded his home, his marriage, and his sanctuary.
He stepped into the room. His steps were slow, deliberate, and heavy with impending doom.
Victoria instinctively scrambled backward on her knees, raising her hands in a futile gesture of surrender.
"Richard... I'm so sorry... I was foolish..." she wept.
There was no explanation. There were no words left that could bridge the chasm that had just ripped open beneath their feet.
Richard reached her. The years of devotion, of providing, of loving this woman twisted instantly into violent fury. He looked at the red mark on his daughter's face, realizing Victoria had struck their child to protect her lover.
May you like
He raised his hand, and with a roar of pure anguish, he struck her.
The slap echoed even louder than Victoria's had. The force of the impact sent Victoria stumbling backward until the back of her knees hit the mattress, collapsing her onto the ruined bed.
