Died For Their Vows, Back For My Revenge Chapter 02
He asked so many questions. So many whys.
Not one of them was about how I was doing.
Three broken bones. Five major contusions. And that’s not even counting the bruises that covered my entire body.
From start to finish, Nolan Barrett cared about exactly one person. Himself.
Maybe this marriage was a mistake from the very beginning.
The second Nolan and I walked into Murphy’s Bar, Tessa’s face dropped.
“You said my sister would come alone,” she said, her voice wobbling. “Why didn’t you keep your word?”
Tears welled up in her eyes, like she’d just been gutted.
I answered before anyone else could. “When did I ever agree to that?”
“Lydia.”
Nolan cut me off. He turned to Tessa, his tone gentle. “Tessa. Stop this. Let’s go home.”
Tessa dropped her gaze. Something dark slithered behind her eyes for just a second.
Then she lifted a glass from the table. “I lost a drinking game just now. Can you drink this for me, Lydia? I’ll leave right after, I promise.”
Her friends piled on immediately.
“It’s just one drink. You’re her big sister. Just take it.”
“We always heard you two were so close. Surely you wouldn’t embarrass her over a single drink.”
When I still didn’t move, they let out dry laughs. “What, you think you’re too good to drink with us?”
Tessa looked at me, sad and soft. “Is that true, Lydia?”
She wore the exact same innocent, pitiful mask last time. My heart softened back then. I drank for her.
And what happened?
She watched those men destroy me. She laughed so hard her whole body shook. “What’s wrong with you guys? You skip dinner or something? Put some muscle into it. How else are you gonna take care of this slut?”
I grabbed the glass. My arm cocked back, ready to throw it right in Tessa’s face.
Nolan slammed his hand down on my wrist. “It’s one drink. Don’t be such a sore loser.”
The others around us sucked in sharp breaths and exchanged looks. “Unbelievable. Tessa didn’t do a goddamn thing to her, and she’s about to throw a drink in her face. Imagine what she does behind closed doors.”
I didn’t waste a single word on their nonsense.
I turned to Nolan. A slow smile spread across my face. I leaned in close and whispered something right against his ear.
His pupils blew wide. He stared at me for a long few seconds.
Then he took the glass from my hand and drained it in one go.
“Nolan!”
Tessa shot to her feet. Color drained from her face, then flooded back in blotchy red.
Nolan didn’t even acknowledge it. He grabbed her arm and steered her toward the door. “There. Happy? Enough drama. We’re going home.”
Tessa’s teeth ground together so hard I could almost hear it. When we got to the car, she looked up at me.
And suddenly spoke. “Lydia, I left my bag inside. Can you go back and grab it for me?”
“No.”
My refusal came fast and clean.
Tessa stared at me, her eyes going cold and mean. Then she covered her face and started sobbing.
I knew exactly what was waiting inside. Four men.
She wasn’t going to stop until she got what she wanted.
“Lydia.”
Sure enough, Nolan’s voice came out sharp.
“It’s just a bag. You’re being…”
His vision swam. His body went slack all at once, like someone cut his strings. He couldn’t even make a sound.
The drug had kicked in. Nolan slumped over, out cold.
I laid him down in the backseat without a word and slid behind the wheel.
Tessa grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked. Her eyes blazed with venom. “You bitch. You knew, didn’t you?”
I didn’t answer. I twisted around and drove my fist straight into her face.
Tessa screamed. She scrambled backward, hands clamped over her bleeding nose. “Lydia, what the fuck is wrong with you!”
“I’m not done with you.”
She ripped the keys from the ignition. Behind her, a group of men stepped out of the shadows.
Tessa had always wanted me destroyed. Always.
She arched an eyebrow. Pure malice glittered in her eyes. She stepped toward me.
And that’s when I smiled.
