My Husband Wants An Open Marriage (Julie and Ryan)

CHAPTER 024: A Baby Elephant Takes Its First Steps

"What?" he says.

I repeat, "Did you tell her to throw me off Brooklyn Bridge?"

He looks at me like I'm speaking in tongues, his mouth opening and closing, grasping for words. "Julie, I...

I'd never do that. What are you even talking about? Your mother said you attacked her."

My jaw drops. "Attacked her?"

"Wasn't that what happened?"

"She tried to throw me off the bridge, Ryan! What language have I been speaking?"

His face falters. He steps forward, trying to reach for my hand. "Julie, I'm sorry... I didn't know-'

I yank my hand back. "Sorry? You don't get to be sorry, Ryan. Sorry implies you care. And if you did, you wouldn't have sent that witch to me in the first place. You know how much I despise it when you do that. Yet you do it every time to piss me off. Is this one of your kinks? You somehow get off on pissing me off?"

"Please, Julie," he murmurs. "I know how much you're hurting right now. I know how scared you must have been on that bridge, fighting for your life. But please, let's talk about it. Think of the press-if you press charges, it's going to be all over the news, and it won't help anything. We'll all just look bad, and then we'll have to do damage control for the company

My blood freezes. "The company? That's what you're worried about?"

Emily comes out of the house right then, her gaze shifting between me and Ryan. "What's going on?"

I and Ryan both speak at the same time.

"This is between Ryan and me. Go back inside-"

"Julie's suing her mother-"

I look at Ryan. My whole body feels like it's one wrong breath away from exploding. "What the hell?"

"Julie," he whispers, stepping forward. "Come on... you know she wouldn't have gone through with the threat. You've said it yourself several times that your mother is a bully. That's all she is. Nothing more."

A wounded laugh escapes my lips. I have to close my eyes for a second, count to five, because if I don't, I might start screaming. And the crazy part? I'd probably never stop. But his voice grates at me like sandpaper. She wouldn't have gone through with the threat? Is he serious? "Oh, I know she would, Ryan. ! was there. I was the one gripping the cold metal of the bridge, praying I wouldn't feel her hands shoving me off. I was the one who almost got a mouthful of icy river water."

"I'll talk to her," he says, like those words are supposed to make it all vanish. He steps even closer, reaching out again. "I swear, I'll fix it. Set her straight."

I step back. "Fix it? There's no 'fixing' this, Ryan. And don't insult me by pretending that you'll try. We both know what you'll do. You'll excuse her behavior, sweep it under the rug, and hope I forget. Well, surprise- I'm not forgetting. Not this time." "Julie. You're letting your emotions cloud-"

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CHAPTER 024: A Baby Elephant Takes Its First Steps

"Oh, I'm emotional, am I?" My voice rises. "Good. I'm glad. Because I am emotional about this. And you... you should be too. That's what normal people do, Ryan. They care when their wife almost dies."

"I do care, Julie. I'm just trying to look at this reasonably. Because what's pressing charges going to do? You know the media-if this gets out, it'll be everywhere. They'll twist it until we're painted as lunatics."

"So, you'd rather protect her than defend me? And don't you dare say it's for my sake or that you're doing this to save me from public scrutiny. I don't care what anyone else thinks, Ryan. I know what happened. I know who she is."

He lets out a breath, runs a hand over his face. "Fine. You want me to hate her? To burn bridges with your mother? Is that what you want, Julie?"

I hold his gaze for a while. And then I turn on my heel, storming past him into the house.

Behind me, I can hear Ryan following.

"Julie, wait." His voice has lost that arrogant edge; it's softer, almost pleading, but it only fuels my anger further. I don't turn back, don't give him the satisfaction of a glance, nothing. I just keep walking straight to my bedroom, and on reaching there, I bolt the door behind me.

grab an overnight bag from the closet, my movements sharp and swift.

Ryan's footsteps stop outside the door, and then I hear the tentative knock. "Jules...darling. Talk to me. Come on, please."

I ignore him, yanking open drawers and tossing clothes into the bag. Every fiber of me aches to scream at him, to let him feel every ounce of the betrayal, the pain, the pure exhaustion he's forced me to carry. But I'm done talking. I don't want words; I don't want apologies; I want space, miles of it, oceans between us.

"Julie," he says again. "Just... come out, okay? Let's figure this out. I didn't mean what I said out there. You know I'd do anything for you, please..."

Still no response. I zip up the bag, and then I take a breath, bracing myself as I walk toward the door. I grip the handle and twist it open, and there he is, standing just outside, his eyes wide with desperation.

I don't stop. I brush past him, my focus fixed on the front door at the end of the hallway. His hand reaches out, catching my arm gently, but I pull free.

"Where are you going?" he asks, reaching for my suitcase.

I shove him back with a strength I didn't know I had. "To my boyfriend's," I say.

He recoils, his face darkening, as though I've slapped him. "I beg your pardon?"

I continue talking, driving the nail deeper. "I'm going have sex with him all night, Ryan. In every room. Then

I'm going to call in sick for days and let him make me forget every single miserable moment I spent in this godforsaken house."

His eyes widen in horror, but I continue anyway.

"We're going to start off in the kitchen, fucking on the counter while we cook breakfast. Then we'll move to the living room, have another round on the couch. After that, we'll head to the bedroom and make use of every single piece of furniture. The bed, the dresser, the desk... hell, I might even take him in the shower just for kicks."

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CHAPTER 024. A Baby Elephant Takes Its First Steps

"Stop it!" His voice is hoarse, his face crumpling as he steps back. "Just stop talking, please. I know you're angry. I know you're trying to hurt me-

I laugh, a hollow, brutal sound. "Hurt you? That's rich. Do you even know how much I hate you right now?"

"Come on..." He steps forward, close enough that I feel his breath, close enough that for a split second I think he might try to kiss me. He reaches for me, his hands resting on my shoulders, his forehead brushing mine. "What do you want me to do? Leave your mother in jail? If that's what it takes, I'll do it. Just.... Stop breaking my heart."

I feel myself waver, just for a second, my eyes meeting his. The word 'alright' is already on the tip of my tongue-but then I remember that he was ready to let her go, ready to cover it up, worried about the press, worried about the company.

"I'm going to count to ten," I say. "If your hands are still on me when I get to ten, I'm going to set this house on fire."

He just stares at me.

"One..." I count. "Two... Three... Four..."

His breathing is getting sharp, jagged. "Julie, stop-"

"Five... Six... Seven..."

Panic flashes across his face.

"Eight... Nine..."

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