The Trophy Wife

TEN: Revenge

I'm in the middle of writing chapter 16 and I've been struggling with it for weekssss 😭

"I didn't ask for pancakes, Ariel. I asked for eggs. Where are my– Evelyn!" Enzo exclaimed as I walked into the dining room. He motioned for me to take the seat across from him so did. "Would you like anything to eat, darling?"

"No, thank you. I'm not very hungry." I responded, suspicious.

"Ariel, make Mrs. Granucci a fruit salad. And I'm still waiting on my eggs. Do I need to spell it out for you? E-g-g-s. Eggs!" Ariel, the maid, ran back into the kitchen, and Enzo, like a child, pushed the plate of fluffy pancakes across the table with a scowl on his face.

"Did you sleep well? I apologize for not coming to bed sooner but this deal is taking up much more of my time than I anticipated."

"I did sleep well. That blow to the head put me out like a light." I smiled.

"You're incredible." Enzo laughed, clearly furious, but too stubborn to let it show. "But as long as we are on this topic, I thought I should let you know that you are no longer allowed out of the house without supervision. That includes Anthony's hotel on Thursdays."

"Yes, daddy."

"Don't think calling me that is going to get you out of this, Evelyn. I am not that easily manipulated. I do give into you often because you know what they say, 'happy wife, happy life.' But you pushed your luck. You crossed a line and those actions won't go unpunished. Of course, I can't deal with you in the same way that I deal with the others but–"

"But what? Get to the point, will you? I may not be allowed out of the house but I don't intend to sit here and stare at your smug face all day long."

Again, he laughed. "I'm smug? Take a look in the mirror, my love. You may not want to admit it, but all of my wonderful qualities have really rubbed off on you."

"Wonderful?"

"Wonderful, yes. All of the qualities that got me to the position that I am in."

"The Santoro's murdering your father is what got you to where you are, darling."

"Low blow." Enzo winced. "Perhaps that is what made me eligible but my–"

"Your calloused soul, sociopathic outlook on life?" I offered.

"Keep that up and I might lose my temper. Your left cheek looks so pale compared to the right..." He thought aloud, his eyes focused on the hideous purple mark on my face.

"Anyway, as I was saying, my strength and determination, my ability to look past relationships and see people for who they really are is why I, why we've survived for this long. I do what I do because I have no choice, Evelyn. You will not make me question my ways. You can either understand and accept it, or live in denial and anger. It's your choice."

Ariel walked in then, placing a bowl of fruit in front of me and a plate which seemed to be filled with a dozen scrambled eggs in front of Enzo.

"I would like to eat my breakfast in peace, so to wrap up this conversation, I'm giving you a week. In one week I want the name of the man who you had an affair with on my desk." He must have seen the look of dread that took over my face because he smiled and said, "You don't have to do it if you don't want to. You can keep it a secret, but remember this, the longer I wait, the angrier I get. And Evelyn," Enzo continued, picking up his fork. "I always get what I want."

He wanted revenge.

He wouldn't kill me, that would cross a line– the fine line that separated him from the insane.