“That’s not true. I have always loved you.” She squared back her shoulders and pressed her fists at her sides. “Do you know how demeaning it is to love someone who resents being married to you? Or how much it hurts to love someone who makes you feel unwanted and unworthy of his attention?”
“It wasn’t too long ago when you declared that you hated me.”
“I hated what you did to me.” Her chin wobbled as the tears shone in her eyes. “I hated that you had all the power and I had none. I hated that I could love you even under all the hate.”
All the power? He was defenseless when it came to Tina. “Get out.” His voice was weak and raspy.
Tina went very still. “What?”
“You heard me. Get out.” He pointed at the door. “Get out of this office. Get out of my home. Get out of my life.”
She clasped her hands together and gave him a pleading look. “Dev, I didn’t go to a divorce lawyer.”
“Move out of my house immediately and go to America.” He needed her to go across the world. He would breathe easier knowing she couldn’t invade his life again.
“But...but...” Tina looked at the door and then at him. “What about your investors?”
He gave a humorless chuckle and rubbed his hand over his face. Once he had felt guilty about lying to her. He knew she would be angry when she found out but he’d thought it was for a good cause. His crumbling marriage. “There are none.”
“What? I don’t understand. What happened?”
“There never were investors. I lied, Tina.” Dev watched the realization dawn on her. “I said that so you would stay. I had this crazy idea that if I could have you back home for a few months, you would fall back in love with me and we could start over.”
Tina closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. “Wh-why didn’t you tell me that?”
“Right, because you were so receptive to the idea. You would have run as far as you could in the other direction if you’d known what I wanted.”
“Dev, you have to believe me. I didn’t do anything behind your back. I want to—”
“I’ve heard enough.” That was the problem. He wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that he misunderstood. That Tina was innocent. And he would keep on believing as she wrung the hope out of him. This time he had to protect himself. “Get out.”
She stared at him. He felt the wild energy swirling around her. An urgency. He knew the feeling. It had happened the last time his world fell apart and there was nothing he could do to save his dreams.
“I mean it, Tina.” He watched her tremble at the menace in his voice. “If you don’t leave right now, I will carry you out myself.”
“But...” she gave another quick glance at the door. “What if I’m pregnant?”
Her words stung like the tip of a whip. His anger spiked so hot that it felt incandescent. Dev decided Tina was lucky there was a desk between them. “Don’t even joke about it.”
“I’m serious. What happens if I’m carrying your baby?”
“Life wouldn’t be so cruel.”