Dave stepped closer, his presence overpowering. "Repeat it."
"What?"
"Repeat it. Say you wished I were someone else, one more time."
Samantha tilted her head slightly. He can't be serious. Did he really think she was scared of him? The only person she feared was his father.
"Good choice!"
"I can repeat it. I just don't get why you're pissed. I didn't cheat on you." She folded her arms, puzzled. "This—this here is a marriage of convenience. I don't like you, and you definitely don't like me. So, yes, I wanted some freedom to choose some things in my life before I got tied down to the man I was forced to marry. And I still ended up losing my virginity to the same man--"
"Think twice, Samantha." His voice was lower now, dangerous. "Think twice before you say anything else."
Samantha met his glare, unwavering. "You're right," she said. "I actually do hate you."
Dave's mouth opened slightly in shock at the abrupt shift. "I-"
She climbed onto the bed, standing tall, looking down at him. "I hate that smug smile on your face. It's infuriating."
His expression softened. "You don't hate me."
"But I do. I hate you so much, it makes my stomach turn!" She laced each word with bitterness.
Dave swallowed hard, looking almost... hurt. His voice was quieter now. "You're carrying my child, and you hate me? How does that work?"
Samantha's body stiffened. "You did this to me." She pointed at her stomach. "You did this!"
Dave exhaled sharply, frustration flashing across his face. "I used a condom every time. It must have been faulty. And I thought you would be on birth control. I didn't even know you were a virgin!" He ran a hand through his hair. "You acted as if you knew exactly what you were doing!"
"I knew what I was doing!" Samantha cried, exasperated. "Of course, I did! I thought I was losing my virginity to someone other than the man I was forced to marry!"
She threw her hands up in frustration and plopped down on the bed, her body trembling with emotion. Her eyes stung, her thoughts racing in a chaotic mess.
Dave sighed, then crouched down in front of her. "Are you okay?" His voice had lost its edge.
Samantha lifted her head, a single tear slipping down her face. "You don't want to marry me, and I don't want to marry you. We were both forced into this."
"Speak for yourself."
She scoffed. "Stop asking me if I'm okay. Stop acting as if you care. I don't need you to pretend."
"Okay," he said simply. He was exhausted from arguing. He reached out, placing a hand on her forehead. "You're running a fever. This is my fault. I didn't mean to-"
She slapped his hand away. The weight of everything settled onto her shoulders, and suddenly, it all made sense. Her mind pieced it together, but the realization only made her stomach sink deeper.
She let out a humorless laugh, staring at him with something close to hate. "You win. I lose. Is that what you want to hear?"
"No." He shook his head. "I want you to listen. Let me explain."
Sam blinked, her lips trembling. "What is there to explain? I was part of your twisted game, and you won. I don't understand what's left to say." Her voice broke, barely above a whisper. "You played with my feelings... but that doesn't even matter now."
Her gaze turned cold. "When are you going to start?"
Dave frowned. "Start what?"
"Destroying my family?" Samantha asked, her voice empty.
His face twisted in shock. "Destroy you? Why would I do that?" His voice softened. "Sam, I didn't force you to marry me."
"No, you didn't." Sam agreed. "But, now I want a divorce!"
"What?" He stared at her as if she had lost her mind and took a step closer. She immediately took a step back.
"Are you that scared of me? I am not going to hurt you!"
"I don't care about your intentions! I don't ever want to see you again. I hate you with every fiber of my being!" Sam spat, her voice shaking with fury.
She jumped out of bed, backing away toward the door. Dave followed her, slow and deliberate.
"Hey, watch your back. Don't bump into that!"
"Stop telling me what to do!" she snapped.
He shrugged. "Fine. Continue running away. I want to see where you think you can go."
"Don't come any closer!" Sam warned, her voice rising.
"And why should I listen to that?" His tone was almost amused. "You are my wife, after all."
The words sent a chill down her spine. She took another step back, then suddenly, her foot hit something hard.
She turned too late, realizing she had tripped over a suitcase. A gasp tore from her lips as she lost her balance, bracing for the cold, hard floor—
But it never came.
Strong arms wrapped around her just in time, steadying her before she could hit the ground. She knew, somehow, that he would catch her.
Her breath hitched as she opened her eyes, finding herself staring into the bluest eyes she had ever seen.
Dave's grip on her tightened slightly. "Do you truly want a divorce?"
"Yes," she said firmly, forcing herself to ignore the way her pulse raced. "And I am not having this baby. Tomorrow, I will go to the hospital and make an appointment. I'm getting an abortion."
His entire body stiffened. "Wha- what?"
"Don't worry," she added, her voice cold, "I won't try to tie you down with a kid you never planned for."
She pushed herself out of his arms, stumbling slightly as she put distance between them. Dave stood frozen, his eyes locked on her in disbelief.
Dave still stood there, staring at her in disbelief. "An abortion?" he finally said the word as if it were the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.
"Yes. I am having an abortion," Sam repeated, her voice unwavering.
For a moment, he said nothing. His jaw clenched, and his hands curled into fists at his sides. The air between them was thick, heavy with the weight of everything unspoken.
Then, just as she expected, an explosion. Yelling, arguing, anything, he exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair.
His next words came slowly, dangerously. "So that's it? You'd rather erase everything we had in Vegas than deal with reality?"
Sam straightened her spine. "I'd rather not bring a child into a life like this. And honestly, I don't see why you care."
Dave took a step toward her, his expression unreadable. "You think I don't care?" His laugh was bitter, almost mocking. Then his voice dropped, quiet but edged with something dark. "You really think I never considered this?"
She lifted her chin defiantly. "I don't care what you say, Dave. And I don't care what you think of me either." She took a deep breath. "But I do have a proposal."
That caught his attention. His brows furrowed. "A proposal?"
"Yes." She crossed her arms. "Let's sit down and talk about it properly."
After a pause, she added, "Like responsible adults."
He didn't react to her sarcasm.
[|]
Dave said nothing more after that. The silence lingered like a storm waiting to break.
Later, when they sat across from each other at the long dining table, the tension was still thick between them. The space between them felt like a battlefield.
Dave leaned back in his chair, watching her intently. Sam kept her gaze on her hands, but she could feel his eyes burning into her.
"You said you had a proposal," he said at last, his voice low and measured. "I'm listening. Explain everything, especially the abortion part."
Sam took a steady breath.