Chapter 3 - The UltimatumUpstairs in the nursery, I stripped Lily out of her freezing clothes, wrapped her in thick fleece blankets, and sat rocking her by the fireplace until her breathing slowed and she drifted into an exhausted sleep.
When I walked back down to the main floor, Victoria was waiting in the hallway outside the living room, holding a glass of wine with an agitated, defensive posture.
"You overreacted, Daniel," Victoria hissed, swirling the red liquid in her glass. "Every stepmother faces adjustment periods. If you choose her over me every time she throws a tantrum, this marriage is pointless."
I stopped a few feet away from her, my jaw locked.
"A tantrum?" I repeated quietly. "She was sitting in a wheelchair, unable to defend herself, and you dumped freezing ice water over her head because she wouldn't call you mom."
"I am your wife!" she shot back, her voice rising in sharp hysteria. "I expect obedience in this house!"
"You're done," I said flatly.
Victoria blinked, a cold smirk touching her lips. "Excuse me?"
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"Pack your bags tonight," I commanded, my tone absolute and unyielding. "My lawyer will have the divorce papers and restraining orders ready by sunrise. If you aren't gone before I wake up, I'll have the sheriff's department physically remove you from these premises."
She stared at me, realizing for the first time that my patience had reached its absolute end.
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