Chapter 80
The coldness in John’s voice sent a chill down my spine as he spoke again, his tone taking on an even more sinister edge. “What do I want, Letty? You really don’t know?” He let out a low chuckle, and I could almost hear the malice in his words. “I want what’s always been mine, and you know exactly what that is. You’ve always been my most precious possession, and I’m just here to remind you of that.”
I could feel the room closing in around me, the air thick with tension. My heart pounded in my chest, and I gripped the phone tighter, my fingers going numb. I refused to let him see my fear. “You can’t have me, John,” I said, the words barely escaping my throat. “You’ve already taken enough from me. I won’t let you control me anymore.”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, as if he was savoring the silence. Finally, his voice broke through, smooth and mocking. “Ah, Letty. You’re still so naïve. You think you can escape me? You think you can run away and hide behind your little life with Ashton? I’ve got eyes everywhere, you know. You won’t be able to run for long.”
His words were like a slap to my face, a stark reminder of how deeply entrenched he was in my life. I could feel my stomach twist with anxiety, but I refused to let him see how much power he had over me. I had made it this far without his influence, and I wasn’t about to let him destroy everything now.
“Listen to me, John,” I said, my voice shaking with determination, “I don’t want anything to do with you. Stay away from me, stay away from Ashton, and stay away from my life. If you ever contact me again, I’ll take legal action. You can’t keep controlling me forever.”
Another laugh, this time louder and more dangerous. “Legal action? Oh, Letty, you really think you can threaten me? You’re just a pawn in a bigger game, and you don’t even know it. If you want to play hardball, fine, but remember who you’re up against.”
My breath hitched as I realized how much he had already planned, how much power he still had over me. The walls I had tried to build up were crumbling, piece by piece. But I couldn’t let him break me. Not now, not when I had so much to lose.
“I’m not your pawn anymore,” I said, my voice firmer than I felt. “And I’m not afraid of you.”
There was a tense silence on the other end of the line before he finally spoke again, his voice quieter but still dripping with venom. “We’ll see about that, Letty. We’ll see.”
Before I could respond, he hung up. I stood there in the silence of my room, my body trembling with the aftermath of the conversation. My mind raced, filled with a thousand thoughts, but one thing was clear—I couldn’t let John win. Not now, not ever.
I sank onto the edge of the bed, my phone still in my hand, trying to steady my breathing. As much as I wanted to scream, to break down, I knew I had to stay strong. For myself. For Ashton. For everything I had fought to build.
I didn’t know what John had planned, but I wasn’t going to let him destroy my life again. I had made it this far, and I would fight with everything I had to keep him out of my life for good.
But as the weight of the conversation settled over me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of a much darker chapter.