“Why are you so quiet?” He snapped suddenly, the charm vanishing. “Are you still sulking about last night? God, you’re too emotional. It’s the hormones. Be grateful I’m providing for you. Do you know how much that car insurance costs?”

That was the moment. It wasn’t a loud explosion; it was a quiet click, like a lock sliding into place. The love I had held for him, the excuses I had made for his temper, his vanity, his control—it all calcified into something hard and cold.