Ruby Red 3 - A Romance for All Time (Complete)

Chapter 37

Ali couldn't speak for a moment. She wanted Jack to be contrite, realize the errors of his ways. But she'd discovered enough in therapy to know you can't control how other people feel, you can only manage your own reactions. Still, she never expected Jack to put the blame on her.

"I... let you?"

"Yes." His tone matter of fact, as if they were discussing a spreadsheet. "You stopped fighting me."

"It was a marriage, not a boxing match!"

"You're being dramatic again."

The last residues of her planned patience vanished, and the burn at the base of her neck flared. "I am not being dramatic." She kept her words low and slow to make Jack understand this was serious. "I want you to tell me why you married me and then treated me like I was worthless."

Cold blue eyes widened. "Worthless?" The word barely a whisper as he stepped towards her. "No."

The mocking pain in his voice turned her anger on high. "C'mon Jack. It's only you and me here. No need to put on a show." Ali swung her hand around the empty room as she moved out of his orbit. "Be honest for once in your life."

"I'm... It's not... Do you really think that?"

"I don't think. I know. You proved it over and over."

"How? How did I," he tapped his chest with fervour, "make you feel worthless?"

"Would you like an itemized list or will the highlights be enough?"

Jack crossed his arms and cocked his head. "I bought you everything you ever wanted. The latest fashions, enough diamonds to fund a start-up and that monstrosity of a house."

"My jail cell, you mean."

Eyes narrowed to almost slits, and he took a step back. "You begged me for that place," he hissed. "And then you obsessed about every detail down to the colour of the lampshades until I couldn't stand listening to it anymore. I had to stay at the club to get away from you."

"Me? Obsessed? You demanded perfection. I feared your wrath if it wasn't to your standards, your shouts and rants."

"Seriously? You mean our little tiffs?" Ali opened her mouth to protest, but Jack kept going. "You made me push you... to punch through your ice-cold crust, get the blood pumping. It was the only way I could get you to express any emotion, any indication there was still a heart beating somewhere in there."

This took her breath away. How dare he call her cold and unfeeling. He made her that way. The walls she built around herself, to protect herself were because of him.

Jack spun around and walked away. "Where did it all go wrong? When my uncle pointed you out at your parent's country club, you had this aura about you, all eyes in the room were on you, either in envy or lust. I had to have you, be the one who owned that light. Later, when it was time to properly meet you in college, you shone like a diamond. You were exciting in those days." Across the gap between them, he dared her, "You know it was electric."

It hurt, yet she had to admit he was right. In the early days of their relationship, they did spark off each other. He'd tease and push her buttons and she'd push back, stoking a passion in him that excited her. They were like two guitarists duelling for dominance. The pattern made for great make-up sex, but she didn't realize it was a core part of their relationship.

"Then... I don't know... something changed. After I proposed, you... you didn't play the game anymore, started giving in to everything I asked for. By then it was too late to back out. The world had seen us together, and we had made arrangements, deals had to be honoured. So, I married you." He pursed his lips. "I hoped you'd find your fight again." He looked almost sad. "But you never did."

Waves of shock rolled over Ali. Hearing him compare their relationship to a game that he'd married her because of obligations, not love, bit at her. She'd always suspected, deep down in a place she didn't want to look at, that he hadn't wanted to marry her. Standing together at the alter he'd had trouble keeping still, rushing through his vows like they were a task. She lied to herself, blaming the behaviour on nerves. The question that had been on her mind for years slipped out. "Did you ever love me?"

He paused. No quick retort or mocking gesture. "I don't know." It was the most honest thing Jack had ever said to her. "I think... I think I wanted to."

"I loved you."

"I know."

Ali could feel that fight rising in her now. "You used my love for you against me."

Jack's expression wavered for a moment, a flicker of something other than his usual cockiness flashed across his face. She might have missed it had she not been glaring at him. "You know what you did to me, right? You know it's abuse."

"Now, let's not be ridiculous." The cool façade slipped back into place.

Is this where she learned her own coping mechanism? Had he been her tutor? Had she ever known the real Jack?

"No. You have to stop being ridiculous. What you did may not have resulted in physical scars, but it's just as evil. Your mental abuse hurt me. It still hurts me." Tears of frustration welled behind her eyes. She bit down on her lip. She would not cry in front of Jack. Not now. Not ever again.

"You make it out to be worse than it was. Don't play that game. You're better than this."

Balling her fists, she considered punching him. It would feel so good. But she forced herself to relax. A moment of pleasure wasn't worth a lifetime of regret. "It's not a game. And you know it. Otherwise, you wouldn't have agreed to our bargain last year."

He refused to meet her eyes. "That? Your claims would have upset my plans."

"More spin. Admit it, Jack. Admit what you did to me."

The moment of honesty vanished as her ex-husband's shoulders squared and his jaw hardened in an all too familiar stance. "I don't know what you want from me."

"I want you to own up to your mistakes. And I want you to give me my company back."

"Never."

"I will get Stinson Studio's back under my family's control. I will be the next CEO. You're not going to win this one."

"Time to stop this folly Alexandria. You don't have the experience; you have no idea how to run a company. All you've ever managed is a few parties. Stinson Studios is in serious trouble and needs a strong leader to bring it out of this crisis."

"It's true I may not have experience like you. Still, I have one thing your black heart doesn't Jack."

"Please, enlighten me."

"Passion."

Hi all, D. L. Croisette here. Well, finally Ali got to tell off Jack.  

Are you surprised by his response? Is it possible he didn't know what he was doing to Ali in their marriage?

I can't believe the Ruby Red trilogy is nearing its conclusion.  Do you think Ali will win over the shareholders and get her family's company back?