"That wasn't the turning point, though. She'd cornered me but was reluctant to follow through with her plan to seduce me. I should've let it go, should've been the voice of reason telling her to just walk away and marry an honest man. But I didn't. I promised her things, spoke lies into her ears just to lay with her."

Mari sensed he'd come a long way, sharing so much personal, private information. "What happened?"

He laughed, a humorless, sharp laugh that echoed ...