Redemption by Faint Light
Chapter One
I didn’t find out Mark was a freaking time
traveler until ten years after we got hitched
and popped out a kid.
Every “chance” meeting? All his set–ups.
Even marrying me was just to keep me from
messing with the “chosen one,” the female
lead in his stupid book.
Apparently, in the original story, I was the evil,
meddling witch trying to keep the perfect
couple apart.
At our kid, Leo’s, first birthday party, the
precious damsel, Brittany, accidentally spills
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wine all over him and lets out this dramatic
shriek.
Mark, Mr. Hero, comes barreling over and
shoves me out of the way, yelling, “What did
you do to her?”
I was floored.
That was the first time I’d ever seen him look
at me with that kind of rage.
It was Leo’s first birthday bash.
“Sarah, here’s to you, and hoping Leo grows
up happy and healthy,” Brittany said,
knocking back her wine in one gulp.
Her face was flushed, all pale skin and pink
lips.
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Her hair was all loose waves, falling over her
shoulders.
She looked like a hot mess, all delicate and
troubled.
Just like everyone always said, a real angel.
She grabbed another glass and downed that
one too.
Her eyes looked wistful, maybe a little bitter.
I sighed and reached for the glass.
“Hey, take it easy, Brittany. You’re gonna hurt
yourself,” I warned.
She tried to dodge me, already a little tipsy.
Г
Her white dress swayed as she wobbled, looking totally lost.
I managed to snag the glass, waiting for a waiter to grab it.
Then she just… lunged, knocking her hand
against the rim of the glass.
Wine splashed everywhere.
Right in Leo’s face. It ran down into his eyes
and all over his neck.
He started bawling like someone was
murdering him.
My instinct kicked in, and I shoved Brittany
out of the way to grab Leo.
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She let out a scream, like it was the end of
the world.
Mark, who’d been laughing it up on the other
side of the room, came charging over.
His face was dark as hell as he pushed me
away, shielding Brittany behind him. “What
did you do to her?” he snarled.
He was strong. I stumbled, my foot catching
on some broken glass.
As I went down, I held onto Leo tight, my right
hand landing on the floor… right in a pile of
shards.
I just stared at his enraged face, completely
stunned.
I’d never seen that side of him before.
“Wah!”
Leo’s crying snapped me back to reality.
Mark was still checking Brittany for injuries,
all concerned.
Brittany’s eyes were red–rimmed, and she
kept biting her lip, not saying a word.
Just tugging on Mark’s sleeve like a damsel in
distress.
I didn’t have time to deal with them. I
scrambled up, ignoring the pain, and started
wiping Leo’s face with my handkerchief.
Mark dragged Brittany over to me, frowning
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“Stop playing the victim with the kid. You’re
just jealous. Apologize to Brittany, now.”
I was pale and speechless, staring at the
floor.
My right hand was throbbing.
Mark bent down, pressing down on my wound
with one hand, and yanking my hair with the
other, forcing me to look up.
“Are you deaf? Say you’re sorry.”
The pain, both physical and emotional, was
suffocating me.
I choked back tears, barely able to speak.
“I… I was just worried about Leo. The wine
got in his eyes,” I finally managed to say.
He scoffed. “Leo’s got bad luck, having you
as a mom. You’re so jealous you’re blaming
the kid.”
My nose burned. I swallowed the lump in my
throat, my voice shaky with disappointment.
“I’m your wife. You’re really going to humiliate
me like this in front of everyone?”
“Have you even asked about Leo, from the
second this happened?”
Mark hesitated.
Then, the cold, hard words hit me like a
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“You messed up. You need to apologize.”
I held Leo tight, practically forced to
apologize.
My nails were digging into my palms, drawing
blood, but I barely noticed.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you,
Brittany.”
Mark looked satisfied when he heard those
words, and let go of my arm, looking at
Brittany with tenderness.
“It’s okay, I’ll protect you.”
“I’ll drive you home, okay? It’s hard to find a
cab here.”
༡〉
someone grabbed my wrist.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I looked up into Mark’s dark eyes, trying to keep my anger in check. “Home. What else
would I do? Watch my husband take another
woman home?”
His grip tightened instead of loosening.
“Sarah, have some manners,” he snapped.
He twisted my arm, practically dragging me
over to Brittany.
I looked down, feeling his silent disapproval.
With a knowing, bitter laugh, I said, “Brittany,
I’m going to take Leo home now.”
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The last thing I saw was Mark gently tucking
a strand of hair behind Brittany’s ear, smiling
like she was the only person in the room.
