Chapter 6 - Walking Away
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Graham Rourke finally dropped his newspaper in the sitting room, his face red with shock. "Now wait just a minute—"
"No, Graham, you wait!" I barked, flipping to the final page. "Here are the unpaid vendor invoices for our wedding. The florist, the catering company, the lighting crew—none of them have been paid. You paid the deposits with borrowed money, expecting me to clear the balance once our joint account was created!"
Caleb took a threatening step toward me. "You're making my family look like common criminals!"
"No, Caleb," I said, meeting his furious gaze without flinching. "I'm making you look visible. You lied about your job. You lied about your assets. You lied about everything."
"Put the folder away!" Caleb demanded, his voice dropping an octave into a dark, commanding register.
"No."
"I said put it away, Marina!"
There it was. The mask had completely slipped. This was the raw, controlling man hidden behind the charming smile and gentle promises.
Dorothea pointed an angry finger toward the kitchen. "You will go back into that kitchen, wash those dishes, and apologize for this slander!"
I slowly closed the blue folder and tucked it under my arm.
"No," I said. "I am leaving."
Caleb blinked, utterly stunned. "What?"
"I am leaving this house. I am calling my lawyer. And I am filing to annul this marriage before your family steals another dime from me."
Before anyone could move, I grabbed my suitcase handle and turned toward the front door. Caleb lunged forward, grabbing my wrist in a tight grip.
"Don't you dare embarrass me!" he hissed through clenched teeth.
May you like
I looked down at his hand bruising my skin, then up at his desperate, angry eyes. "Let go of me, Caleb."
He released me, stepping back as I opened the front door into the crisp morning air. I walked down the porch steps, carrying my luggage, my folder, and my wedding gown, leaving the Rourke empire behind in ruins.
