Page 12 of New Growth
“I said no.” My voice sharpened.
That’s when he grabbed my arms—tight.
“Ellie,” he said lowly, “you know how I feel about you not listening.”
My blood ran cold, and my stomach twisted. I’ve never felt as scared as I did now with my fiancé standing over me, using his size and strength to pin me down. His face was so close, I could feel his warm breath on my neck. His hand moved to the small of my back, rubbing the way he always used to.
But this time, it triggered something inside me.
“Just relax,” he whispered, hand creeping down my skirt.
“I said, stop.” I pushed and bucked against him. His grip tightened, almost bruising me. “You’re hurting me, let me go.”
“Keep still!” He commanded before he grabbed my hips and thrusted me into the door, the handle digging into my lower back. I winced in pain then shoved him, and when he didn’t move, I kneed him. Hard.
“Don’t youevergrab me like that again.”
He staggered back, clutching himself. “Ellie—”
“No!” I snapped, chest heaving.
I turned toward the door, hand already on the handle. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you better get your shit together before tonight!”
And then I stormed out.
?
I used to think I could handle anything. And I mean anything.
For as long as I could remember, I’d been the reliable one—the fixer, the continuous presence in a family of chaos—the peacemaker. If someone needed advice, they called me. If someone made a mess, I cleaned it up.
I was the eldest daughter, after all. I was the stable one.
My eight-year relationship with Johnathan only reinforced that image. Together, we were the golden couple. The high school sweethearts everyone revered, and I was gratified by that.
After that terrible meeting with the lawyer earlier and the whole bathroom incident, I was excited to shift my focus to something else. Still, the reality was slowly seeping into my bones.
Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars?
Since when did Daddy have all that money? And why did he never tell me?
I thought we shared everything.
Shaking off the lingering threads of doubt, I focused on the setting at hand. If Daddy kept this money a secret, it was probably for the best. Especially after the way they acted today.
But still.
Focus, Elliot. You’re at a party.
Right. Game face.
Our engagement party was as picture-perfect as I had planned. The chandeliers above the grand hall cast a warm glow over the white-draped tables adorned with blush roses and gold accents. Guestssipped champagne and laughed as soft jazz played in the background. It was the kind of night I’d dreamed of as a little girl, right down to the fitted lace dress I’d been starving myself for weeks to wear.
Everyone kept telling me how beautiful I looked, how radiant, how lucky Johnathan and I were to have found each other. I smiled through it all, basking in the praise before finally feeling the strain of the evening. My cheeks ached from smiling, my feet throbbed in my heels, and I hadn’t seen Johnathan in over an hour, not that I was actively looking.
I told myself he was probably making the rounds and thanking guests as I was. He was good at that—charming people, saying the right things. He had a way of making everyone feel seen, which was one of the reasons I fell in love with him. But after today’s antics, unease began to creep in. I questioned if he was still the man I fell in love with.
A conversation was needed.
