Chapter 14

Lauren's POV

I sat there, frozen, my eyes wide as I stared at the man standing above me. Ethan — my husband, the man I had built my life around — looked down at me with an emptiness I couldn’t comprehend. No remorse. No guilt. Nothing but coldness in his gaze, like I was nothing more than an inconvenience in his way.

I wanted to believe anger could make people do things they didn’t mean. After all, when I slapped him earlier, it wasn’t something I had planned. It came from a place of rage and betrayal, and almost immediately, regret filled me. My heart had dropped, and I’d wanted to apologize.

But him… There was nothing. Not even the smallest flicker of realization that he had crossed a line. His chest heaved slightly from the force he’d used, but his expression remained hard, uncaring.

Then I heard the soft creak of the kitchen door opening and quick footsteps approaching behind me. Before I could turn fully, I saw Rosa rush over. Her eyes w