After I Left, His Empire Collapsed Chapter 14

After I Left, His Empire Collapsed Chapter 14

I looked at his desperate grip. Then at his face.

I shook him off.

“Mr. Croft. You’re a married man. Sadie’s husband.”

“We’re not close like that anymore. Don’t give your wife the wrong idea.”

I hit the word wife hard. Let it land.

Julian’s expression darkened.

“You really are jealous. This is some game. Hard to get.”

“How many times do I have to say it? It’s a process. It ends. I divorce her. Then I marry you.”

“Is this really worth blowing everything up?”

I almost laughed.

My own fiancé got stolen. And I wasn’t allowed to leave? I was supposed to stay and be the punchline? Let everyone point and laugh?

Julian, who claimed to love me, had never once considered how any of this felt for me.

I shook my head.

“We have nothing left to talk about.”

I turned. Julian moved to follow.

Behind him, a wail.

Sadie. On the ground. Clutching her chest. Gasping.

“Julian. My asthma. I can’t breathe. Please. Take me to the hospital.”

Her cheeks were flushed pink. Healthy. The performance was obvious.

It was her signature move. Pick a fight. Play victim. She’d done it a dozen times. After every date with Julian, she’d find me the next day. Say something designed to cut. The second I reacted, she’d slap herself. Fall to the ground. Let Julian find her like that. Let him believe I’d attacked her.

He always believed her. Punished me. Comforted her. His disgust with me grew each time.

I expected the usual. Julian scooping her up. Rushing to the ER.

He didn’t move.

“Sadie. I’m busy. Call an Uber.”

She froze on the ground. The shock was real. Julian, who’d always jumped at her every whim, had said no.