Chapter 3
Shortly after seven the following evening, Seth made an unprecedented early return home. He strode quickly toward the staircase, but a glimpse of movement in his peripheral vision made him pause. Turning his head, he found Layla sitting quietly on the sofa.
Beside her stood a packed suitcase.
Seth walked slowly toward her, his eyes narrowing at the luggage. "What exactly is this supposed to mean?"
He removed his suit jacket, tossing it carelessly onto the sofa before loosening his tie and sitting directly across from her.
Layla's face was drawn and pale as she slowly raised her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes were eerily empty of emotion. "Seth, I don't love you anymore."
The words struck him unexpectedly, causing a strange tightening sensation in his chest, like a rope constricting his heart, squeezing until he could barely breathe.
His expression, however, remained controlled. "Is this some kind of manipulation tactic?"
Seth had been at Jennifer's North Shore Heights residence until his secretary had called that afternoon, informing him about last night's incident. He'd immediately headed home after hearing the news.
Layla's face remained impassive, not a single emotion crossing her features. "Think whatever you want. I won't bother explaining. You've always believed I loved you like a simp, who'd never leave, no matter how badly you treated me. That was true once. It isn't anymore. Seth, I don't love you anymore."
Hearing her words, Seth stared at her with a deadened gaze, cold fury building inside him.
"Layla, I don't want to hear that joke a second time. Is this about last night? Is that why you're throwing a tantrum?" He spoke dismissively, without a trace of genuine concern.
Layla had gotten used to his attitude. Seth didn't love her, so naturally, he wouldn't care if she'd been hurt. If anything, he'd probably consider it a favor from God if she were gone, clearing the path for him to be with his beloved Jennifer.
"It's already evening today, which means about fifteen hours have passed since last night," Layla stated calmly, though her eyes betrayed profound sadness. "If I hadn't fought Brian off, I'd have either been raped or drowned myself in the bay by now. You'd be looking at my corpse instead of having this conversation."
Seth grew increasingly irritated, viewing her words as melodramatic manipulation. He yanked his tie off completely.
"Layla, you're clearly fine. There are security guards at the entrance, and you're smart enough to handle yourself. You called me just to play damsel in distress and force me to come home, which worked—you got my secretary to relay your message, and here I am."
His words cut through Layla like a thousand knives.
In his eyes, even her instinctive call for help during a genuine threat was just another calculated move.
What kind of woman did he think she was?
Seth's executive assistant, Ryan Gray delivered a bank card with a $200,000 limit to Layla on the tenth of every month for her expenses. That afternoon, Layla had mentioned the previous night's incident to Ryan, hoping he would tell Seth, and perhaps he would show some concern or even confront Brian.
But Ryan had called back later to confirm he'd told Seth, and Layla learned that even after hearing about the attack, Seth had continued spending the day with Jennifer.
That knowledge had finally killed whatever remained of her heart.
Layla's lips curved into a bitter smile. "Well, now I understand your perception of me. So why keep torturing each other, Seth? Let's get divorced. You can marry Jennifer and live happily ever after."
Seth's eyes narrowed dangerously, a glacial chill spreading across his features. He crossed his long legs and draped his arms across the back of the sofa.
"Layla, you know I hate these games, especially from you. How many women would kill to be Mrs. Stanton? You schemed your way into that position, and now you suddenly want out? Do you honestly think I'd believe that?"
Layla maintained her composure, though her heart felt crushed beneath the weight of emotion.
"I've already had a lawyer draft divorce papers. I only want this house and one car. Give me whatever money you think is fair. I don't want anything else." She reached into the coffee table drawer and placed a document in front of him.
Seth barely glanced at it before tearing it to pieces and tossing the ball of paper into the trash can with perfect aim.
Layla didn't react. "I have digital copies. I can print as many as needed."
In one swift motion, Seth stood and grabbed Layla by her hair, forcing her body beneath his. She cried out in pain, feeling as if her scalp would be ripped away.
In their three years of marriage, Seth had never gone beyond cold emotional abuse. Was he now escalating to physical violence?
As this thought crossed her mind, he pulled her hair tighter, contorting her features into a grimace of pain.
"It hurts... Seth... let me go..."
Seth was furious. From the moment Layla had said she didn't love him anymore, rage had been building inside him. Now he couldn't contain it; he wanted to hurt her.
"Is this how your so-called brother treated you yesterday? Didn't you claim you fought him off successfully? Why can't you do that now? Or are you deliberately trying to get me to sleep with you?"
These words made Layla stop struggling completely. Despite the searing pain in her scalp, she made no sound. Her eyes reddened, filled with a desperate, almost manic despair. Her heart was utterly shattered.
Seeing her silence, Seth continued his verbal assault. "What's wrong? Did I guess correctly? Or perhaps you're hiding something; did something actually happen between you and Brian last night?"
For a moment, Layla's expression went completely blank with shock. She had known Seth disliked and even despised her, but she never imagined he would say something so cruel.
Seth then pulled out his phone from his pocket, opened the camera app, and positioned it on the adjacent sofa to capture both of them in frame.
Layla's shoulders tensed. "What... what are you doing?"
Seth straddled her, restraining her hands with one of his while using his other hand to unbuckle his belt. Then he grabbed the hem of her dress and started pulling it upward. Realizing his intentions, Layla was horrified. She struggled desperately, begging, "Seth, no... no! No!"