who he is, and I hope I haven’t been scammed into marrying a man who doesn’t exist. Though a part of me should’ve seen this coming, considering how pushy he’s been. I’m so stupid for falling for his manipulative ways.
“What’s wrong, darling?” he asks as he yanks my weekend bag from the back seat. Not waiting for my response, because it’s not as if he cares anyway, he gets out of the car. I grab my purse, then follow him to the front door. I need to figure out how to bring up the receipt I found for the private investigator and list my grievances, but it won’t be easy. The last time I complained, he listened, but then nothing changed.
Once we’re inside the house and the door closes behind me, my emotions nearly boil over.
“How could you move the date of the wedding without consulting me first?” I finally blurt out. “That completely blindsided me tonight. It was disrespectful for me to have to find out from a stranger instead of my fiancé.”
Robert sits on the couch and slips off his shoes. “For weeks, I’ve asked you about it, and you’ve been indecisive. I understand you’ve been under a lot of pressure, which I assume is because you work with a criminal, so I’ll give you some slack. I can’t imagine how stressful that is for you, not knowing if it’s safe or if you’re being robbed blind. But I digress. Instead of adding more to your plate, I made the decision for us, something I’ll be doing a lot of when we’re married.”
My mouth falls open at his pitiful attempt to throw jabs at me, but he doesn’t seem to notice or care. I refuse to entertain him or argue about any of this because there are much bigger issues at hand. I’m well aware that Robert will continue to throw this in my face until I bend to his will, but quitting the garage isn’t up for negotiation, and I’ve made that crystal clear.
“I didn’t want the happiest day of your entire life—our wedding—to cause any anguish, Gemma. I thought if I moved the date and took care of the major things, you wouldn’t have to worry about it. And you said it yourself, you’ll be ready, so I took care of your dress and veil as well. Everything’s in place. Winnie’s paid and so is the venue. Invitations are going out soon.”
“My wedding dress?” My blood is pumping so hard, I think I can hear my heartbeat echoing in my head. I’m tempted to pinch myself to make sure I’m not living in some weird nightmare because this can’t be real. He’s officially crossed the line and is delusional if he thinks I’m going along with this.
I want to slap the smug look off his face. Robert tilts his head and smiles, but it’s not kind or inviting. Instead, it’s menacing, and his eyes are cold. It’s like the curtain has been pulled back, and the man behind it all is evil.
“Of course, Gemma. I’m sure you haven’t planned anything with Everleigh and Katie like you said.”
“Well, not yet but—”
“I knew you hadn’t, so I did it for you. I’m sure they’re both too busy trying to support themselves since they don’t have men to provide for them. So, I felt this was a better alternative, considering your mother is no longer here, and you have no one else of importance in your life.” He stares at me, and I feel as if I’m suffocating. Mentioning my mother is just so goddamn cruel. I’ve voiced my dread of not having her with me on such a monumental day. Bastard.
“It wasn’t your decision to make,” I seethe.
“Well, I figured it was best for you. I even found a tailor to adjust my mother’s wedding dress to fit you based on some clothes you left here. Only the absolute best for my bride!” he proudly boasts.
My expression doesn’t change, which causes his helpful husband persona to quickly fade.
“You can thank me now,” he snaps.
I finally catch my breath from the whiplash he’s just given me. “You want me to thank you for what you’ve done? Have you lost your mind?” I walk toward my bag, and Robert rushes to stand. He stalks toward me with annoyance on his face. Wrapping his fingers around my wrist, he jerks me toward the couch and forces me to sit. I can’t believe I agreed to marry such a controlling, manipulative man.