Chapter 163:
Myra’s face turned bright crimson with embarrassment. She tried to focus on her food, hoping the conversation around her would drown out the discomfort she felt. Tony’s behavior was pushing her limits, and she just couldn’t face him anymore.
Meanwhile, Henry was as cheerful as ever. He piled various dishes onto Myra’s plate, speaking in an excited tone, “Myra, this sweet and sour pork is delicious! You have to try it. My mom also said this collagen soup is great for your skin—let me get you a bowl. Oh, and Mrs. Frye’s pineapple fried rice is the best! I’ll get you some too!”
It was only Henry’s constant chatter that kept Myra from feeling completely suffocated by the awkward silence. She was relieved to have him beside her; otherwise, she feared the tension in the room would become unbearable.
Just as Myra reached for the collagen soup, she felt a hot hand rest over her thigh. Tony. Her stockings were ruined after their earlier moments in the car, and her pencil skirt was riding up slightly as she sat. She crossed her legs instinctively, trying to avoid showing too much, but Tony’s hand moved boldly, sliding under her skirt.
A shudder ran through her body. The soup she was holding splashed onto her dress, and she gasped in shock, trying to get up. But Tony swiftly tugged her back, pulling her off balance and making her fall into his lap.
His eyebrows furrowed in displeasure. “Why can’t you even stand properly?” he muttered, not releasing her. He stood up, his hand still on her waist, and without giving the family a chance to respond, he said, “She spilled something on her clothes. I’ll take her to the bathroom to clean up.”
The family could only watch in silence as they left. Myra’s heart was pounding with frustration. The dining room had been so full of eyes on them, and now here she was, trapped alone with him.
As soon as the bathroom door was closed and locked, Myra started struggling in his grasp. “Tony Hart! You bastard!” she yelled, furious. “There were so many people out there! How could you do that to me?!”
Tony, however, was unfazed. “If you have something to say, say it. I’m not going to chase you if you want to leave.”
Her anger flared, and she started to speak, her voice trembling with emotion. “I’m not shamelessly clinging to you. If you don’t want to be with me, fine. I’ll leave. I won’t be a burden.”
Her words were filled with hurt, and it made her eyes well up with tears. Tony, seeing her emotional state, couldn’t help himself. He kissed her, a deep kiss, one that she tried to pull away from. In retaliation, she bit him hard. She tasted blood, but before she could pull back, he slapped her hard on the backside.
The sound of the slap echoed in the bathroom. “Do you know what you did wrong?” he said coldly.
Stunned, she didn’t have time to respond before another slap landed. His voice was dangerously low. “Do you want me to take you right here, right now?”
Shivers ran down her spine at the thought, but the humiliation from being slapped twice made her want to push him away. She tried to shove him off, but he held her tighter.
“I want to lock you up at home where no one can look at you,” he said, his voice dark with possessiveness. “How dare you look at him like that?”
She could hardly breathe as she bit her lip. “He’s just a kid, Tony! What’s wrong with you? Why are you making such a big deal out of nothing?”
Tony’s eyes darkened further, but he sneered. “He’s still male.”
“You’re being unreasonable!” she shot back, biting her lip so hard she tore it. “If you don’t like me being here, just say it! Why do you have to make everything so difficult?”
She was done with this back-and-forth, especially when just hours ago he was sending her flowers and chocolates. How could he turn so cold so quickly? She was furious. She wanted to leave, to escape from his control.
Tony, however, pulled her closer. “Were you upset seeing him today?”
That question stopped her. The pain in her heart surged. It wasn’t just the situation with Tony—it was everything.
She stood motionless, tears flowing silently down her face. He turned her around to face him and saw her silent sobbing. He frowned, then demanded, “Why are you crying? I haven’t done anything to you.”
“Yes, you haven’t done anything! I’m just being petty! I’m upset! So what?!” She wiped her tears angrily, frustrated with herself for even coming here tonight. She regretted everything—now she was alone in a bathroom, lost in her emotions.
Tony’s expression softened for a brief moment. He kissed her forehead gently. “I won’t say anything else. Let’s go back to the dining room and finish dinner.”
But she pulled away from him. “You can go back to dinner. I’m leaving. You can explain everything to everyone else.”
As she tried to open the door, Tony wrapped his arms around her, stopping her from leaving. “Okay. I was wrong. Can we go back now?”
His tone had softened, but the gloom in his eyes remained.
Her frustration boiled over. “What did you do wrong, Tony? The relationship with Sean lasted so many years! You think I’m just going to forget all that? I’ve been through hell trying to break free from him, and now you’re treating me like this, making me feel like I’m worthless!”
Tony’s face darkened further. “Don’t provoke me, Myra. You have no idea what I might do next.”
“Do you want to hit me? Scold me? It won’t change anything. I still love him! When you treat me like this, it only makes me love him more. I—”
Before she could finish, Tony’s voice cut through the air. “Myra Stark!”
Her heart skipped a beat. The fury in his voice was unlike anything she had ever heard. She turned to look at his face through the mirror and saw a terrifying expression that reminded her of the time he rescued her from the construction site. For a brief second, the anger left her, and she felt completely powerless.
“Why won’t you believe me?!” she finally shouted, her fists pounding against his chest. “I don’t have feelings for him anymore. I’m with you! I’m not a lowly woman who’ll go back to him! Why can’t you trust me?!”