No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 58

Eleanor choked up for a second, her throat tight. Ian was already undoing the buttons of his shirt, baring his torso to the dim light.

Even in the shadows, the sculpted lines of his muscles were impossible to miss—broad shoulders, a narrow waist, the kind of physique that seemed almost unreal.

A rising urge to escape bubbled up inside her. Her mind was already racing through a dozen plans for how she could get away.

But with Ian standing right by the door, any attempt to run would only end with him dragging her straight back to the bed.

Right now, all she felt toward this man was hatred—love was long gone.

"I'm not feeling well tonight. Go back to your own room," she said coldly, her voice flat.

In the half-light, Ian suddenly stepped forward. Eleanor's heart leapt; she could smell his cologne drifting closer. She shoved him hard. "Ian, get off me! Let me go!"

But her strength was no match for his. In a flash, he had her wrists pinned above her head. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she sobbed, "You bastard, get away from me… Don't touch me. Don't touch me."

She truly, deeply hated him.

Ian's breath caught. After a moment, he released her wrists, bracing himself on either side of her, his face hovering close as he stared at her.

Eleanor curled in on herself, trembling and sobbing like a frightened animal cornered by a predator.

In the darkness, the calm in Ian's eyes twisted into something stormy and unsettled—a surge of emotion he tamped down before it could break free. At last, he straightened, gathering himself like a wounded beast hiding its claws, and walked out.

A few moments later, she heard the sound of his fist slamming into the hallway wall outside her door, the noise painfully loud even through the wood.

Eleanor sat up, wiped her tears away, and gradually her expression settled into calm.

She'd dodged disaster one more time.

But she couldn't keep living like this, tense and fearful every day. She needed to get out—she needed a divorce, and soon.

***

Over the weekend, Eleanor stayed with the Goodwin family to be with her daughter. Ian was nowhere to be seen. When Gina called him that evening, he said he was out meeting with clients.

It wasn't until late Sunday night that Eleanor, watching TV with her daughter, saw Ian finally come home, suit jacket slung over his arm.

"Daddy!" Evelyn squealed, having missed him over the past two days.

Ian knelt down, ruffling her hair. "Did you miss me?"

"I did!"

"I missed you too, sweetheart," he said, kissing her on the forehead.

"Mom, Daddy's home," Evelyn called, turning to Eleanor.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify