You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 772

She suddenly lost all interest in the glass of water she was holding.

“I’m heading to the office,” she said.

“I’ll drive you,” Oliver offered.

“No, I’ll drive myself,” Patricia replied, not even looking at him.

Drive herself? Oliver frowned and followed her to the door. “Didn’t I arrange for a driver?”

“I can’t afford one,” she said.

The elevator doors slid open just as Oliver reached out and grabbed her arm. “Patricia,” he said, his voice low.

Inside the elevator, their upstairs neighbor appeared, making Oliver swallow whatever he was about to say. Every part of his upbringing told him to keep private matters behind closed doors. He didn’t let go of Patricia’s arm.

The neighbor glanced at them, puzzled. “You two coming in?”

He stared at her, his voice suddenly cold. “You want to handle me now? Other couples argue and fix things. You want to fix me? Did I not give you the space to deal with things? I kept my distance, sent Sara and Roger home so you could focus. What does that count for in your eyes? You knew I was in Switzerland for meetings, but you still moved out with Marian and Jackson. Patricia, what does that make me to you?”

She glared right back. “What do you take me for? A pet, something you own, who has to follow all your rules and stay in the little world you made for me? The second I do something you don’t like, you give me attitude, you get angry. I haven’t done anything wrong, so why should I have to keep trying to please you? Sure, you’re patient, you know how to talk me down, but your patience only goes so far. Like just now in the dining room, I told you I was fine, and you just stared at me, judging, trying to pressure me into giving in. I’m a person. I’m your wife, not your employee. You’re used to being the boss everywhere else, but do you want to be the boss at home too? Oliver, I know I didn’t come into this marriage with a perfect past, but that doesn’t give you the right to use your power over me.”

For the past couple of weeks, Patricia had done a lot of thinking. He was the one who wanted to get married. He knew everything about her situation back then, and he said he could accept it. With all his experience and insight, he would never have stood in the way of her getting revenge. The truth was, all of this happened because she was no longer under his control.

In this marriage, Oliver always needed to be the one in charge. The moment she stepped outside his lines, he got restless, even scared. But he was too proud to ever say that out loud, not even to his wife. So if he wouldn’t talk about it, he’d just try to solve it another way. The same way he handled Sara and Colton. That silent pressure. That need to make her give in.