Chapter 9 At that moment , Dexter wanted nothing more than to crush Angelas jaw to make her remember . No one knew better than he did just how important that wedding ring was to her . Angela , on the other hand , struggled hard against him . Red marks appeared on her pale cheek from his vice like grip . Her eyes were red , but she clenched her teeth and refused to beg for mercy . That illusionary love she had once held on to had vanished the moment she had discovered Elenas existence . Selling that ring had been a relief . Otherwise , it would have only reminded her of the humiliating life she had lived the last three years , being nothing more than a doormat to Dexter . As she struggled , her towel slipped and exposed her breasts it was an alluring sight . Dexters gaze darkened as his eyes shot to her exposed skin for a brief moment . He then smirked wickedly while remarking , Whats this ? Are you trying to seduce me now ? Do you think that using such cheap tactics will make me go easy on you ? His gaze was filled with mockery , as though he saw her as nothing more than an escort . Fine … Dexters smirk grew wider , but the look in his eyes became colder . Since youre so eager , Id hate to disappoint you . He moved in to kiss her lips . After all , the only thing Angela had going for her was her face . Dexter thought she had crossed a line and deserved punishment that day . Get away from me ! Angela shouted , somehow mustering enough strength to push Dexter away . Then , she slapped him hard across the face . The sound of the slap echoed in the room . Dexters face turned sharply to the side from the force of the slap . A glaring red handprint quickly appeared on his grim face . Youve already disappointed me enough , Dexter Bamford . Dont make me sick , Angela spat , her gaze fixed on him as she held back tears . The humiliation she had endured in recent days was nothing compared to that single comment Dexter had made just a second ago . Angela found herself laughable . She had loved him for so many years , only to have him teach her the importance of knowing when to cut her losses when something was no longer worth it . Get out ! She glared at him with her jaw clenched . She pointed toward the door , her gaze +25 BONUS Chapter 9 icy . Dexters expression became incredibly grim . With a cold laugh , he grabbed her wrist and threw her onto the bed , pinning her down and kissing her forcefully . She was crazy , and he was just as mad . Dexter couldnt stand this audacious side of Angela . He was thoroughly angered , and his fury was so intense that it almost burned away all of his rationality . So , he let it burn . Angela felt as if she had been run over by a truck . She had no idea how she had endured the previous night . She lay exhausted on the bed ; she had already been awake for some time but was unwilling to get up . Dexter had left during the night . Before he had left , she had given him one last gift . Her phone suddenly chimed . Angela finally forced herself to sit up and opened an art app , Heartistry . A few days ago , she had registered an account on the platform and uploaded some of her previous illustrations and designs . She had mentioned that she was open to commissions . She was surprised to find that her work had already garnered thousands of views . Today , someone had even sent her a friend request . The person asked if she could create an illustration based on a prompt and inquired about her rates . Angela hesitated , realizing that she hadnt even looked into the pricing norms in this field . After considering it for a moment , she replied , I can draw it for you . Ill need a 50 dollar deposit , and I charge 200 dollars for the completed illustration . She set a low price . It was one similar to her rates back when she had been in art school , which the client would likely find acceptable . Sure enough , the client quickly replied , Okay Then , they sent her the prompt ripples on a green lake . Angela sketched a quick concept , finding that it wasnt too challenging . She thought that not having a job at the moment was fine . At least she could rely on her design skills to support herself . No matter how powerful and capable Dexter was , he wouldnt be able to discover her alias on this app . She could use this opportunity to build her fortune , and things would gradually improve . Angela forced herself to get up . After washing up, she planned to go to the store to buy some art supplies . +25 BONUS Chapter 9 But when she looked in the mirror , she noticed the obvious love marks on her neck , chest , and shoulders . Last nights madness replayed in her mind , and a displeased grimace formed on her face . So , she decided to place a delivery order for her supplies instead . She spent the entire afternoon painting . She had no idea that someone had been lingering downstairs where she was staying for hours . The sun was blazing , and the temperature was high . Bamford , please get into the car . Youre going to get heatstroke . Another one of Dexters drivers , Henry Urban , couldnt help but suggest cautiously . Was it necessary to get this mad over a few teasing remarks ? In fact , Dexter was so mad that he had stormed over here directly from the office . Henry shook his head at Dexter upon recalling what had happened earlier . Dexter had arranged to meet with the CEO of Treble Group , who was more than ten years older than him in age . When they had met , his eyes had been immediately drawn to the bite mark on Dexters jaw , and he had burst out laughing . Bamford , I didnt expect you and your wife to be so close , he had joked . The CEO of Treble Group was a loud and boisterous man . He had even encouraged his subordinates to appreciate the obvious mark on Dexters face . Unsurprisingly , Dexter had been enraged . He had stormed out of the conference room huffily without so much as a word to his guests . Shut up ! Dexter snapped , his sharp gaze cutting toward Henry . Henry shivered and dared not utter another word . A moment later , Dexter got into the car . However , his anger wouldnt subside . All he could think of was the laughter he had endured and the look of disgust in Angelas eyes when he had left last night . He had to admit that she had changed . Now , he had no intention of letting her have it easy anymore . If she wanted to keep playing hard to get , she could do so forever . Take me back ! Dexter commanded coolly . It took Angela three days to complete her first commission , which she sent to the client . The client was thrilled with the result and immediately sent her the rest of the payment . Angela was overjoyed and treated herself to a meal while editing a video . She had recorded . +25 BONUS Chapter 9 her entire painting process on her phone . She sped it up and had it edited down to ten minutes . To her surprise , Heartistry had a high amount of traffic . Within an hour , her video received thousands of likes . Wow ! Theres an expert among the newbies . Where did this skilled artist come from ? She seems to be a young lady . Her hands are so beautiful , and she isnt wearing a ring ! Shes single ! Oh my , when will I ever be as skilled as her ? Life is so unfair ! The comments lifted Angelas spirits , and she engaged with her followers . Her video quickly topped Heartistrys trending list . Art enthusiasts flocked to her profile , leaving comments and sending messages . Angela was thrilled . After posting the video , she received two more commissions . Within a week , between her art fees and platform earnings , she had made over 4,700 dollars . Though it was a modest income , it strengthened her confidence immensely . The money wasnt close to what she needed to reclaim Maries house , but for the first time since asking Dexter for a divorce , she felt a sense of purpose in her life . She wasnt just Dexter Bamfords trophy wife . She was Angela Graham , the designer , and she could support herself . Gazing at the balance in her account , Angela felt elated . She decided to reward herself with a nice meal . As the sun set , a crowd of elderly folks were line dancing in the open space outside the motel . Angela bought herself some food and sat in a shaded spot to watch their energetic dancing . Suddenly , a pair of black leather shoes appeared in front of her . Todays Bonus Offer In CrushReel's ongoing romance novel, "All the Wrong Reasons," the protagonist, Andrea, faces a pivotal choice: either write a sex column or risk losing her job due to her lack of experience in that area. 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