Chapter 7 You're Disgusting

"For everyone's sake?" Jeremy tightened his grip on her hands, his eyes narrowing into a glare. After a moment, he scoffed, "How can you say that? I told you to stay put and wait for me for two years, but you just left. Couldn't handle being alone, could you? Came back home so hurriedly to snag a wealthy man?"

"Yes, I've always wanted more from life," Heather shot back, her neck stiffening as she longed for him to release her.

"Has Cedric ever fucked you?" Jeremy's voice was harsh, his grip unyielding as he pushed her legs apart with his knee, intruding into her space.

"Cedric and I were together for two years. We're both adults. What do you think?" Heather's voice trembled with anger, her eyes welling with tears. She was stunned by his audacity. She had never heard such a directive about waiting for him-he was rewriting their history.

With a cruel smirk, Jeremy's actions grew more aggressive, threatening further violation. "Did you two often do it? Is he okay with your past? Remember how often it was with us? Does he compare?"

Heather's distress intensified, feeling trapped and demeaned by his relentless invasion of her personal and emotional boundaries. Feeling the disturbingly familiar touch of Jeremy's hands on her body, her whole frame shivered involuntarily. Fury surged within her. "Jeremy, you're trying to sleep with your nephew's girlfriend. You're disgusting!"

"Do you really think Cedric would marry you?" Jeremy sneered, continuing his unwelcome advances. He thrusted his finger into her, and he arrogantly reveled in her physical reaction, confident in his familiarity with her. "This family needs a woman who can contribute. What do you bring?" he taunted, his actions slow and deliberate.

Heather gasped, tears brimming in her eyes. Her voice trembled with disgust and anger. "I have had nothing to do with you for two years. We ended things. Do I have to prove my worth to you? You can't do this to me!"

"When did I ever say we were breaking up? You were the one who left," Jeremy retorted, his voice filled with indignation. He suddenly added another finger, and Heather's unpracticed physical response revealed the truth-she had been with no one else in the past two years.

Jeremy seemed somewhat placated by Heather's distress. He withdrew his hand and, with a misguided tenderness that contrasted starkly with his previous actions, touched her face gently. "I left money for you with the landlady and wrote you a letter. But you took the money, canceled your phone, dropped out of school, and vanished for two years. Who was really at fault?"

He looked into her tear-filled eyes, his voice low and rough with emotion. "I'm not here to blame you for the past. I've missed you these two years. Let's not be at odds anymore. Now that I'm back, you should end things with Cedric. I know you don't truly care for him."

Jeremy had always insisted on dictating the terms of her life, wielding control as if she existed only within his world. Why had she so often complied?

Facing him, she finally asserted herself. "I never got any letter or money from you."

She recalled the painful memory of his last birthday-she had spent a week's salary on ingredients, prepared a lavish meal, and carefully chosen a gift, all waiting in their rented apartment. But Jeremy had vanished. He didn't return that night, and his phone remained off for days. Even his acquaintances from the underground boxing ring said he had quit, and nobody knew where he was.

She had feared the worst, suspecting his shady dealings had caught up to him, perhaps even leading to a violent reprisal. Terrified for his safety, she had contacted the police.

The landlady, showing a touch of sympathy, eventually told her she had seen Jeremy leaving in a car with a young woman. The description of the expensive car lingered in her mind, echoed by the landlady's wistful gaze.