Free BETWEEN CLOUDS AND STARS: A Sexy Standalone Romance by Sharlyn G. Branson Page B

old.”
    Dear God, this man was going insane. Cecilia was a very attractive woman. She’d put on a bit of weight after having three children, but Patrick liked her that way and didn’t keep it a secret. Their marriage was something to be envious of, not ours. They had three healthy children and we couldn’t even have one.
    “Patrick and I were merely saying our goodbyes,” I countered in an attempt to defend myself. What the hell was he talking about?
    I groaned when a sharp pain penetrated my temple. “I think I need to see a doctor. I don’t feel well.”
    John stood up from the bed and walked to the door. “No doctors. I’ll bring you a painkiller. I’m sure I’ll find something in the medicine cabinet.” He turned to me, giving me a warning look. “Oh, and as for what just happened… You’re not allowed to tell anyone. Am I making myself clear?”
    I didn’t have the strength to respond. It was a shock to finally realize he didn’t give a damn about me, not even slightly. I could’ve died.
    Was John trying to get rid of me?
    “Is that clear, Estelle?” he asked, raising his voice.
    “Yes,” I replied quietly, closing my eyes.
    I hoped this was just a nightmare, but knew it was reality. God, is this what our marriage will be like? Spending every day in fear of my own husband?
    “If you learn how to be the perfect wife, the wife I want you to be, we won’t have any trouble.”
    His voice made me open my eyes again. “I’m trying, John. I really am. You know I have morning lectures in college every day. I study to pass my exams and at the same time, keep the house in perfect order, yet you’re always unsatisfied. Sometimes I wonder why you married me. But the question I ask myself more than anything is, why did you change? Before we got married, you weren’t aggressive to me.”
    His sinister laughter filled the entire room. Shaking his head, he replied, “God, Estelle, you’re so naïve. I treated you nicely so you’d marry me. Hell, you’re even dumber than I thought.” His words stabbed me in the chest. Why was he doing all this to me? I simply couldn’t understand.
    “You’re rich, John. Why didn’t you just pick a woman who you don’t think is stupid, who’d do everything better than me, and who’d satisfy you?” Why had he proposed to me? Surely he hadn’t simply done it to make his friends and coworkers jealous?
    John gripped the door so tight his knuckles whitened. “You’re just eighteen years old. With you being so young, I hoped you’d have no problem getting pregnant. But as you know full well, we can’t have kids anyway.” His voice was full of reproach.
    Okay, he was right on that point. It was my fault we couldn’t have kids. But I’d often asked myself why he always refused to get himself checked out by a doctor. I’d noticed his semen was very thin. Not that I had a proper base for comparison, given that he was the only man I’d had sex with. Still, I could see the difference in the porno films John always wanted to watch during sex.
    Was the reason…
    “Where’s your head at?” His strict voice startled me.
    In the clouds , I got the urge to say, but I knew that would just provoke him and I’d get a beating. My husband wasn’t into jokes. It’d be nice if I could soar through the clouds, but unfortunately I was on Earth, or to be more precise, in hell.
    “Do you want to divorce me and find another woman who could bear your child?” I hoped he’d say “yes.” Jesus, how I hoped.
    John walked over to me in big strides and grabbed me by the neck. But he didn’t grip me tight and didn’t cause me pain like I thought he would.
    “Never! I’ll never agree to divorce you. You need to get that through your head. I won’t let you leave me or run away. And God is my witness, if you do, I’ll find you and make you sorry you weren’t a good wife to me.”
    His terrifying eyes burned through me. “Don’t forget your wedding vows, Estelle. We’ll