After My Husband Let His Childhood Friend Shave My Head, I Married the Man Who Waited Eight Years

When a stylist at a Las Vegas salon said my hair looked healthier than Celia Norwood's, my husband's childhood friend grabbed the clippers and shaved my head. Instead of apologizing, Celia posted the video online with the caption: "Leander's got my back. If I'm pissed off, I can shave his wife's head." Leander even chimed in under the post. "As long as you're happy, go for it. Shave her head, shave her eyebrows too—I don't care." My hair was insured for thirty million dollars, and to them, it was just another punch line. I wasn't about to let that slide. I grabbed a pair of clippers and went straight to Celia. Leander rushed over, pulled her into his arms, and snapped, "Celia was already miserable because everyone kept saying your hair was better than hers. So what if she shaved your head to blow off some steam?" "Apologize to Celia right now, or we're getting divorced!" That was the hundred-and-first time Leander had chosen Celia over me—and used divorce to keep me in line. My phone lit up with an iMessage from Gideon Westcott, my childhood friend. "Annelise, I've waited eight years. Please divorce him and marry me." For the first time, the idea of choosing someone else didn't sound so bad. This time, I gave Leander a different answer. "Fine. Let's get divorced." ... Leander hadn't expected me to say yes. His eyes widened. "Don't be dramatic. I might actually hold you to that." "It's hair, Annelise. You're really blowing up our marriage over that?" "Celia only did it because she feels close enough to you to joke around. Otherwise, why would she pick you?" I laughed. Something small? My hair was insured for thirty million dollars. "Then I'm close enough to return the favor." I stepped toward Celia with the clippers raised. Her face went white, and she pressed closer against Leander. He snatched the clippers out of my hand. "Enough. Go home and cool off. If you scare Celia again, you'll answer to me." Celia edged out from behind him, pale but determined to look brave. "Annelise, I took the joke too far. If shaving my head will make you feel better, then I'll let you do it." Leander's face tightened with concern, and he wrapped his arms around her like I was the threat. Then he looked at me. The concern vanished, replaced by open irritation. "She apologized. What more do you want?" "Do you need her dead before you're satisfied?" Before he could react, I grabbed the clippers back and aimed them at Celia's hair. So much for being willing. Celia screamed the second the clippers came near her. "Leander, help me!" Without thinking, Leander shoved me away. He shoved too hard. The clippers hit the top of my foot and gouged away a chunk of skin. Blood pooled fast on the floor. Leander froze, guilt flashing across his face as he fumbled for what to do. I clamped a hand over the wound. I wanted to cry, but nothing came. Celia paled in alarm. "Annelise is bleeding a lot. She needs to get to the ER." That snapped Leander out of his daze. He scooped me up and headed for the nearest ER. Then Celia stumbled and fell. "My ankle! It hurts so bad!" Leander set me down without hesitation and scooped her up instead. "Celia's always had a low pain tolerance. I'll take her to the ER first, then come back for you." He didn't even wait for my answer before hurrying away with her in his arms. Over his shoulder, Celia shot me a smug, triumphant look. As Leander hurried past with Celia in his arms, his shoulder knocked me off balance. The back of my head slammed against the edge of a step. Pain burst through my skull. I reached behind my head and pulled my hand back slick with blood. For the first time, I was scared. I reached toward Leander's retreating back on instinct. "Leander... help me..." But all his attention was on Celia. He never looked back. Bitterness rose in my throat as I watched him disappear. Pain came in waves. My vision blurred. Then everything went dark.

I woke up in a Las Vegas hospital room. The moment Leander saw my eyes open, his shoulders visibly loosened. "You're finally awake. You scared the hell out of me." "The doctor said it's a mild concussion. No lasting damage." I closed my eyes without answering. Leander took the hint and shut up. His office kept calling, but he ignored every call. When it rang again, I said, "Go. I can hire a private nurse. If we're divorcing, taking care of me isn't your job anymore." His hand stilled halfway through peeling the apple. "Enough already. You can be mad, but don't drag this out forever." "You don't have family in Vegas. If you divorce me, where are you even going to go?" "You can't live without me, so stop pretending you can." He took the very past that once made him protective of me and turned it into a weapon. I gave him a bitter smile. "I don't want to fight about Celia anymore. I'm tired." Leander pinched the bridge of his nose. "How many times do I have to tell you? Nothing is going on between me and Celia. We just grew up together." "Her parents spend most of their time in Europe. Mr. Norwood asked me to look out for her while she's in Vegas. Stop imagining things." The door swung open. Celia walked in carrying a cheap, brassy-yellow wig. "Annelise, I shouldn't have shaved your head. I bought you a wig to make it up to you." She ignored my injuries and jammed it onto my head. She leaned close and whispered with a smirk, "I found you a cheap one mixed with dog fur. You look like a stray in it." A tremor ran through me. I ripped the wig off and threw it back at her. "Keep it. You can wear it yourself." Tears welled in Celia's eyes on cue. "Leander, if Annelise is still mad at me, I'll leave. I don't want to get in the way while you're taking care of her." She turned toward the door, all wounded innocence. The act worked on Leander instantly. He caught her arm, pulled her back, and shoved the wig laced with dog fur onto my head again. "Annelise, that's enough." "So there's a little dog fur in it. Celia came here to bring you a wig. You don't have to treat her like garbage." The rank animal smell hit me. My skin crawled. I ripped the wig off again. "I don't want it!" "Are you done yet?" Leander's hand came up. Smack. My head snapped to the side. For one stunned second, the room went silent. I pressed a palm to my burning cheek. The last of my restraint snapped. "Leander, I'm severely allergic to dogs!" I had a severe dog allergy. The worst reaction I'd ever had nearly killed me. I'd told Leander that more than once. He'd forgotten. Something bitter and heavy settled in my chest. Leander couldn't remember an allergy that could kill me. But he could remember that Celia always ordered her burgers without onions. I didn't need any more proof of who came first. I'd spent years telling myself they were only this close because they'd grown up together. I couldn't lie to myself anymore. Leander went quiet. Guilt flickered across his face, and when he spoke again, his voice had softened. "Celia was only joking. Don't hold it against her." "Did I hit you too hard?" He reached for my cheek. I turned away. While he stared, I pulled the blanket over my head. "Both of you, leave." "Have the divorce agreement drafted. Send it to me." His temper flared right back up. "Annelise, are you ever going to let this go?" I ignored him. He stormed out and slammed the door. Celia hurried after him. I waited until their footsteps faded before lowering the blanket. Tears had soaked my face.

The next day, I was half asleep when someone yanked me out of bed and threw me onto the floor. Pain ripped me fully awake. I opened my eyes. Leander loomed over me, rage twisting his face. Slap. His hand cracked across my face. Then his hand closed around my throat. "Why did you do it?" "Celia shaved your head and shoved a wig full of dog fur on you, so you hired a man to rape her?" "If I hadn't gotten there in time, she would've actually been assaulted." "Annelise, when did you become this vicious?" My ears rang from the slap. I shook it off and met his eyes. "If you're going to frame me, Leander, at least show me some proof." That only made him angrier. He slapped me again. "Evidence? I caught the man last night and beat him up. He told me you sent him after Celia." Behind him, Celia pulled out her phone and played a video of Leander interrogating the man. "Annelise, neither of us wanted to believe it was you, but the facts are right here. Watch it yourself." On the screen, the man spoke like there wasn't a doubt in his mind. "Annelise Corbett hired me. She wanted me to assault Ms. Norwood and promised me seventy thousand dollars after it was done." Pain twisted through my chest. "He's lying. I've never even met him." I looked at Leander, and something in me went cold. "Is that really the kind of person you think I am? You'd rather believe a stranger than your own wife?" Leander shook his head. "That's why I believe him. He doesn't even know you. If you didn't do it, why would a total stranger frame you?" He clapped his hands. The man from the video stepped into the room. Leander's gaze turned glacial. "You'd better tell the truth. Otherwise, I'll let him do to you exactly what you ordered him to do to Celia." I stared at him, unable to believe what I'd heard. "You're insane. I'm your wife. You can't do this to me." He gave me a cold smile. "Then tell the truth." "I didn't do anything. What truth do you want me to tell?" That wasn't the answer Leander wanted. He looked at the man, who was already rubbing his hands together. "Use whatever it takes to make her confess. Do that, and I'll let what you tried to do to Celia slide." The man's grin turned filthy. "Don't worry. I'll make her give you whatever answer you want." Leander took Celia's hand and walked out, leaving me alone with him. "Leander! I regret ever loving you!" Leander stopped. Hope flared for one stupid second. Then he walked away without looking back. The man unbuckled his belt and licked his lips. "Damn. You're beautiful. Can't believe I got this lucky." He pulled off his pants and forced himself on top of me. Panic slammed into me. "Get off me! Don't touch me—Leander, help me... please... help me!" I kept waiting for Leander to burst back through that door and stop it. He didn't. No matter how hard I screamed, he never came back. Something inside me went completely still. I shut my eyes in despair. The man raped me. He laughed while I cried. Tears ran down my cheeks and over my lips, bitter and hot. His movements were brutal. Pain tore through me. At the worst of it, my mind betrayed me with a memory of my first time with Leander. He had been careful then, almost reverent as he kissed me. "You're mine. Only mine." The man who once swore I was his had handed me to someone else himself. Whatever love I had left died. Hatred took its place. I didn't know how long it lasted before the man finally got up, still looking satisfied. "Damn, that was good. Maybe I'll come back for more." He smacked his lips and walked away. Every inch of me hurt as I reached for my phone and called Gideon. "Gideon, I'll marry you." "Draft the divorce papers now. Prepare a claim for damages too." "I don't just want a divorce anymore. I want every one of them to pay for what they did."