Back To 1981, No More Wife, No More Mother Chapter 04

Back To 1981, No More Wife, No More Mother Chapter 04

“I want a divorce.” I finally said the words.

James raised his hand and landed a brutal slap straight across my cheek.

I stumbled and fell to the ground. Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth, leaving a bitter, metallic taste.

“Look, she’s playing the victim again,” Daniel cheered from the sidelines. He picked up a rock and hurled it at me.

The sharp stone hit my forehead. Pain shot through me, and warm blood blurred my vision.

“Daniel! What are you doing?” A neighbor who’d had enough shouted at him.

“She bullied Nicole. She deserves it!” Daniel shot back without missing a beat.

A flicker of remorse flashed across James’s face, and he started toward me — until Nicole let out a faint whimper and collapsed into his arms.

“Nicole, are you okay?”

He lifted her in his arms, then shoved me into the garage and locked the door.

“Sit in there and think long and hard about your actions.”

“You’re not coming out until Nicole forgives you.”

Two days later, the party went off without a hitch.

Balloons hung in the yard and the living room. Nearly everyone in town came.

James wore a new button-down shirt and jacket. Nicole wore her new jeans. They leaned on each other like a newlywed couple.

“My, James, what a fancy party you’ve put together!”

“Nicole, don’t forget to visit us once you’re in the city. We’ll miss you.”

Basking in everyone’s praise, Nicole grinned triumphantly James beamed as if he were the one going off to college.

The party was at its peak. Everyone raised their glasses in a toast.

Then a terrified shout rang out.

“Fire! The garage is on fire!”

Everyone turned. Thick smoke poured from the garage, and flames had already reached the roof.

James’s face went pale. His glass slipped from his hand and shattered on the ground.

“Hurry! Put it out!” he yelled in a panic.

“James, wait!” Nicole grabbed his arm, a malicious flicker in her eyes. “I think Grace is still upset with me. She might be trying to wreck my party…”

“Dad, that woman got out a long time ago,” Daniel said, not even looking up from his pizza. “She just hates seeing you succeed. Don’t fall for it.”

James burned with instant fury. He turned and roared at the townspeople who were about to fetch water.

“Stop! Nobody put it out!”

A neighbor spoke up. “James, I think I saw Grace’s coat caught in the garage door. What if she’s still locked in there?”

Nicole’s eyes instantly welled up. She tugged at James’s sleeve.

“This doesn’t look good for you. Maybe you should save her. I don’t mind if she keeps insulting me. I’ve long grown used to her harsh words.”

“She got out on her own. She’s not in there.” James pulled Nicole close and turned a cold stare on the crowd. “She’s been attacking Nicole every chance she gets, and now she’s set the garage on fire just to destroy Nicole’s celebration.”

“I’ll take responsibility if anyone gets hurt. Anyone who tries to put out this fire is defying me directly.”

James was determined to teach me a lesson.

The fire grew bigger and bigger.

Just then, the shrill scream of police sirens came from the end of the driveway.

Two officers stepped out.

“James Whitman, Nicole Harrington. We need to ask you a few questions regarding mail theft, falsified school records and scholarship fraud.”