Hannah turned and walked away, her head spinning with anger. Her temples throbbed, and her heart pounded in her chest.


    Lionel sat at the table, his eyes closed. He took a deep breath, then shot up from his chair and went after her.


    "I''ll drive you to work."


    "I don''t need you to!"


    She yanked her arm away from him and strode toward the door.


    But Lionel wasn''t giving up. He caught up to her again, his grip firm on her arm as he pulled her toward his car.


    "I''m not going to see her. I''m taking you to work, then I''m going to my office. I''ll pick you up this afternoon-"


    Crack.


    Before he could finish, Hannah''s hand flew across his face. She put all of her morning''s frustration and humiliation into the blow.


    The force of the p sent a stinging pain through her palm, her hand trembling from the impact. Her eyes, burning with unshed tears and rage, were fixed on him, but she said nothing.


    Lionel''s head snapped to the side, a red handprint already forming on his cheek. His face darkened, his expression turning thunderous, but there was no anger in


    his eyes.


    "Feel better?" he asked with a humorless smirk, turning his other cheek toward her. "If that wasn''t enough, you can have this one, too. Hit me until you''re not angry anymore."


    Hannah stared at him, a strange urge tough bubbling up inside her. She had no idea why he was acting like this. She was giving him what he wanted, letting him be with Sandra. Why was he still tormenting her?


    She took a deep breath and nodded.


    "Fine. If this is how you want to y it, don''t me me. I gave you a choice."


    She turned, opened the passenger door, and got in, buckling her seatbelt without a word, her gaze fixed straight ahead.


    Lionel''s hand hesitated on the driver''s side door, a sense of unease creeping over him.


    After the call ended, Cora stared at Sandra. She had put the call on speaker on her end as well,


    pretending to be whispering from a corner to deceive Lionel. She never imagined he would be having breakfast with Hannah.


    How could this be? After a fight like that, how could they be sitting together so calmly? Hannah was pathetic, spineless.


    Cora took a deep breath, her brow furrowed as she looked at Sandra, whose face was a mask of fury.


    "I... I had no idea Hannah was so maniptive," Cora stammered.


    had known, I never would have bet


    called him today. I swear content >


    Sandra pursed her lips, saying nothing. The room fell into a dead silence.


    Only after Cora swore up and down


    that


    would never let Lionel know


    it was all part of a n did Sandra S expression soften slightly


    About half an hourter, there was a knock on the door. Cora rushed to open it.


    Her eyes were met with a dazzling bouquet of red roses.


    For a second, she was so excited she almost called out to Sandra, but then she saw the person holding them, and she froze.