I felt myself unraveling right there in front of him, my voice choking up, each breath a battle. He could see I was a wreck, struggling to speak, to breathe, to do anything at all. He should have known better than to push me, but of course, he did it anyway.

His eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched as he spewed out more lies. I knew he was full of it. I was sick of his charade. If he wanted to keep up the act, he'd have to deal with the fallout too.

"Do you really think I can't be ...