“You think I would say it if I didn’t mean it? When I have, I said anything I didn’t mean?” Julie followed him into their bedroom before he said this to her. “Often, actually. You contradict your words with your actions. I can’t keep things straight with you sometimes and I am the one left thinking it’s a problem with me.” Julie’s patience with Michael was wearing thin. He made her promise not to leave and then he at once goes back to his highhanded ways. She questioned whether anything kept her here besides self-doubt and fear of solitude. “Well, it is. But the problem isn’t from a lack of effort on your part. That’s one of the things that helped me change my mind. As I went down that rabbit hole, as we’re describing my research. I saw what you did to express yourself. You know I hate anyone who takes advantage of someone who’s not able to defend themselves. When I made you sign that contract, I thought you were trying to take advantage of the situation, so I
Julie stepped into the bathroom and slammed the door in Michael’s face. She couldn’t believe she did that, but she couldn’t listen to him anymore. She didn't do it to him because it would make him furious. The dread built as the seconds ticked by. However, he refrained from yelling or knocking on the door. He simply said, "Your clothes are on the door, Julie." You have ninety minutes to get ready. You don’t need to worry about makeup.” Then he was gone. He’d sounded disappointed or sad. She wasn’t sure which. He said he loved her. Really? How could he live with her for three years without truly knowing her, only to suddenly declare his love for her? When he said that, he looked surprised at himself. As if he’d said something he’d not expected to. If he loved her, then she’d achieved more than she’d ever dreamed of. Julie pondered whether she could still love him despite everything that happened. Could she trust him not to change his
“I discovered a popular new restaurant that everyone is talking about. They make special claims about the dining experience there. If I tell you about their claims, then I’ll give away the surprise. It's reservation only. I secured this booking quickly through arduous work.” Julie had never seen Michael like this. Michael avoided situations involving her and refused to try new things together. He deliberately went out of his way for others to notice him and allow others to recognize him. "If this place is popular. Why the casual dress code and no makeup?" You won’t want anyone to see you with me.” “I'm indifferent to our location and my appearance. Our interaction will focus on each other. Not the world at large.” Julie yearned to express herself, but it made her speechless. She wasn’t sure whether she could trust him. It felt as if someone waved a red flag frantically to get her attention. Eventually, she forced words to pass her lip
Michael helped Julie into their car as Edward held the door for him. He felt oddly eager over this dinner, which wasn’t like him under normal circumstances. He dismissed the feeling of anxiety and its potential impact on their plans. He wasn’t sure when he started thinking of it as their future rather than his. But he’d noticed it as they spoke before Julie got ready for this outing. As she climbed into the car, he got an excellent view of the black denim hugging her figure and now remembered why he’d refused to allow her to leave the condo wearing them in his presence. The woman's jeans highlighted her attractive hips, catching every man's eye. By the time she’d settled in her seat, and he sat beside her, all Michael wanted to do was sit her in his lap and have her grind on him until he came in his pants like a horny teenager. They didn't have time for car sex before reaching the restaurant. That’s when he subtly looked at Julie phys
Julie didn’t know what she expected from Michael. After his fixation on her taking her medication and she’d not missed him calling Stephen or speaking with Beck when she wasn’t supposed to be there. He’d been trying to convince Stephen to let him have a copy of her contract. She could see where this was heading. He was trying to break his prenuptial contract to get some of her money. Of course, it did not satisfy him with all his wealth. He needed to pad it more with her hard-earned money. Michael couldn’t give her any of his money, but he could take hers from her. If she gave him permission to talk to her psychiatrist, he could use what he learns to claim she couldn’t manage her own finances. He’d have control of her money and she’d see none of it and be working to pay for his fees to administer her money. Immediately, Julie felt guilty about only thinking this. The car stopped in front of an imposing brick building with low-key sign
Julie knew she shouldn’t have followed Michael in. The excuse she told herself was, she could always leave. When she entered the Quiet Corner, Julie found it was exactly that. The space wasn’t overly warm or overly lit. The music wasn’t blaring, and the décor wasn’t over the top. They didn’t squeeze a ton of people into a tiny space and expect them to deal with the loud conversations and excessive food smells. Julie felt like she could suddenly breathe. Nobody approached them aggressively. Instead, the Matre’d stood back and waited for them to approach him. “Hello, reservation for Barron.” Michael strolled up to the man. He informed them of their reservation, while Julie hung back a little, not wanting to be pompous or demanding. “Yes sir. If you will follow me. The table is ready. If you have questions, please ask. When you are ready to order, we’ve printed the information on how to send your order on the menus. To call for help or ask questions,
Julie finally stood in the bathroom. She just needed a break from Michael. Confused by a situation with two potential explanations, she struggled to think clearly, knowing only one could be correct. Why did this have to happen now? She had deadlines to make. Mike, her editor, needed the manuscript she was still working on. Michael’s constant presence at home made it challenging to focus on work. Sure, he worked from home once in a blue moon before this. Now he was always at home. He wanted to date. Even get to know her. Why did she not see this coming? How did it come into being? Then his admission that he loved her. Nothing fit his character. His latest confession was he’d been treating his personal life with the same philosophy that he managed his business life and that he’d been wrong to do this. When had he admitted he did anything wrong? The man could deny anything and everything. Michael could justify why he committed murder and make a jury believe it wa
Michael couldn’t believe she’d asked that question. Julie didn’t turn things back onto him. She didn’t give as good as she got. No, he saw Julie as a doormat for him and his asshole attitude toward women. A bloody doormat for his muddy feet. A perfect doormat, clean of everything, but the sins he reaped on her. He couldn’t admit this to anyone, let alone Julie. He wanted her to stay. Admitting to this would have her leaving as soon as she could. “Michael, I know your true identity, and this isn’t it. You’re the pot who calls the silver tea kettle black. Instead of addressing your pain, you lash out, and you go to great lengths to achieve success, just to receive a small amount of praise and recognition. But you don’t look for personal connection or search for love. You don’t let anyone care and if they do, you beat them down. The Michael I know doesn’t let love enter the conversation because he’s afraid there won’t be any for him. That’s the Michael I know.”