Page 206 of Don't Leave Me

“I will,” Emily responded and there was a pause, then the door shut and I could hear Emily’s footsteps walking steadily but hurriedly.

There was a muffled noise and then Emily spoke again. “I’m out. Call him now,” she said, then hung up.

Michael turned to me, the phone still in his hand, eyeing me warily.

“I’ll block my number. What are you going to say to him?” he questioned, finding Jack’s number on his phone.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly, my heart still racing.

Michael eyed me again before he hit dial. “Don’t tell him where we are,” he furrowed his brows, as if the obvious didn’t occur to me.

“I won’t,” I promised, taking the phone and hitting dial.

* * *

I felt like I was going to chew my lip off as I waited for Jack to answer. I really did have no idea what I would say to him and didn’t even have a chance to think of anything before he answered.

“Hana?” he said into the phone, his voice urgent.

My heart dropped. It took a moment for me to respond. “Yes, it’s me,” I said feebly.

“Where are you sweetheart? What’s going on?” His tone was less harsh than I had expected. “I’ve been worried sick,” he went on.

I turned to look at Michael. Jack was playing the worried, unknowing husband. Was he going to act like he didn’t hold me captive for the last six weeks?

“I…Ihadto leave, Jack,” I stammered out, confused, wondering why he wasn’t berating me.

There was a pause. “Why?” he asked, sounding heartbroken.

“You know why,” I said between my teeth, angry that he was still making me feel so guilty. “Youterrorizedme for six weeks, threatening to kill everyone I loved if I didn’t do what you said.” I felt hot tears streaming down my face.

I could hear Jack scoff. “Have you gone mad, Hana? Is that what you’re telling people? Is this another one of your made up excuses to justify your swift departure?” he asked, almost playfully.

I widened my eyes at Michael – I couldn’t understand what was going on. Did he think he was being recorded, trying to play dumb? Was he really going to turn this around and make it seem likeIwas the crazy one? Michael watched me carefully, seeming in disbelief as well.

I was more angry than heartbroken now. “What are you doing? What kind of act are you putting on?”

“I’m not putting on any act, Hana. I just want to know where my wife has gone. Are you with Michael?” he interrogated.

“You don’t need to know where I’m at or who I’m with,” I spit out, my bravery coming out of nowhere. “You don’t own me anymore.”

Jack was playful again. “But you’re my wife, sweetheart. Don’t I deserve to know these things?” He was all over the place, playing a really confusing game that I was not a part of.

“I want a divorce! You forced me to marry you. You forced me to be with you. I didn’t get a say in any of this!” I cried out, frustrated.

Jack let out a laugh. “God, Hana…you really have gone mad, haven’t you? Look, I understand your mood swings, I understand your need to fuck around when you’re this way. I’ll let you get it out of your system, but I know soon enough, you’ll come running back. As you always do,” he scolded me.

He really was putting on a show. Did he know Michael was listening? Was Adam listening as well? Did they believe him?

I stood up now, angry energy surging through me. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I mean, I’m grateful that you have your hypomania sometimes. It’s what led you back to me six weeks ago. Did you tell Michael why you left? Did you tell him that you were bored of him, that he was just a stuffy, normal, monotonous snooze of a man?” Jack was having fun now. “Did you tell him of all the ways we fucked? How you got wet by just the thought of me fucking you? How we were so rough, so wild -”

“Stop it, Jack,” I spit out again. “I told him everything you did to me. How you drugged me and took me to the loft, how you had me tied up and hung that gun of yours over my head, threatening to kill him if I didn’t do exactly as you said,” I explained angrily. “How you hit me when I gave ‘bad performances’ or tied me up and fucked me, despite my cries!” My face was hot and my palms were sweaty.

Jack sighed. “I never did anything you didn’t ask me to, sweetheart. I know you like it rough, and I so very happily complied,” he defended. “Don’t go on making up lies about me. You don’t want to send me to prison based off your dishonesty, do you?”

I couldn’t believe how easily Jack was making me seem crazy. I had no idea where to go from there.

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