Page 20 of The Edge Of Us

Silence hung between us, heavy and suffocating.

Then, Natasha stepped in.

“Allen, that’s enough.” Her tone was firm, protective. She moved in front of me, shielding me from his glare. “She had a moment. That doesn’t mean you get to tear her down. You should be out there taking to the press not adding more salt to the injury!”

I looked at Natasha, my vision blurry. She was defending me, standing up for me. But there was something off in the way they were arguing, something unspoken lingering between them.

Allen’s expression shifted, something flashing across his face. Guilt? Frustration?

“You don’t understand, Natasha,” he said through clenched teeth. “This isn’t just about tonight. It’s about everything. I can’t keep doing this. So please stay out of it. This is between my wife and I!”

My stomach twisted.

Natasha exhaled sharply. “You think she doesn’t know that, Allen? You think she doesn’t feel it every damn day? She’s trying. You are a bad husband and she is my best friend so I'll always be here with her!”

“And I’m tired,” he shot back. “I’ve been tired for years. You know that! You've been here since day one,so you know what it is like to quit on someone.”

Natasha flinched, and for the first time, I saw it—saw the weight of something deeper between them.

I took a shaky breath. “Both you stop! Natasha, this is between my husband and I. I can handle him. Thank you tho. "

Silence.

She hesitated. Just for a second. But it was enough. She scoffed.

Allen ran a hand through his hair, looking away. Natasha’s lips parted, as if she wanted to say something, but she didn’t.

My heart dropped.

Something was wrong.

Something had been wrong for a long time.

And now, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to know the truth.

Chapter 14

Corine

The glare of my phone screen illuminated the dark room, casting eerie shadows on the walls as I scrolled through headline after headline. Each one was worse than the last.

CORINNE WOODS SUFFERS ANOTHER PSYCHOTIC EPISODE AT LAUNCH PARTY.

IS CORINNE WOODS FIT TO RUN A BEAUTY EMPIRE?

MODEL TURNED ENTREPRENEUR LOSING HER GRIP ON REALITY?

My chest tightened, and I felt the all-too-familiar sensation of suffocation creep up on me. I tossed the phone onto the bed, burying my face in my hands. The accusations, the whispers, the scrutiny—they were all too much. I had worked tirelessly to build a career, to prove I was more than my mental illness, and yet, here I was, reduced to nothing more than a headline meant to entertain the masses.

At least my business hadn’t suffered. My stocks hadn’t plummeted, and my loyal customers were still buying my products. And, surprisingly, Allen had managed to have some of the most damning allegations scrubbed from the internet. I should have been grateful, but the damage was already done. I could feel it—the slipping.

The psychosis had always been lurking in the background, a shadow waiting for the perfect moment to consume me. Lately, I’d been locking myself in my room when the episodes felt near, allowing them to pass before facing the world again. Allen was always absent anyway, and when he was home, his silence was unbearable.

Instead of confronting him, I poured myself into my son. Kyle was my escape. Every time I held him, I felt grounded, tethered to reality by his tiny arms wrapped around my neck.

“Mommy! Up!” Kyle squealed, tugging on my sleeve. His golden curls bounced as he attempted to climb onto the bed, his small hands gripping the sheets.

I let out a soft laugh and scooped him into my arms, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You’re getting so big,” I murmured against his soft skin.

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