When Trust Became a Poisoned Blade

too high to reach. I lost track of time, the hours blurring into an endless cycle of despair and growing numbness. My body ached

gave out, and I crumpled to the floor, the hard impact briefly jolti

lights hummed above, a stark contrast to the oppressive gloom of my prison. My arm was bandaged, an

surrounding my bed, I hea

one murmured. "Flowers, chocolates, even had the w

ful note in her voice. "He's truly devoted. Such a Romantic gestu

th a weekend getaway, a private dinner, and a small, heartfelt son

tions, a master at performing devotion. It wasn't love; it was a script. The realization was both devastating

The tears came unbidden, silent and slow, a final release of the las

ched with fatigue, his eyes red-rimmed. But there was no con

Do you have any idea the mess you've made?" He didn't

staring at the sterile white wall. I had

"Elisa is devastated. She lost the baby. Our baby. You need to apol

?" I said, my voice hoarse, but laced with a bitter edge. "Was it truly your

said nothing. The silence was his answer. A sickeni

tted. My body began to tremble uncontrollably, a deep, wracking sob tearing from my

eded comfort. She was vulnerable. You were... not well." He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "But we can fix this. You

Apologize to the woman who laughed about Alexis?

a. A chance to put all this behind us. For Alexis's sake." He held up a hand, brandishing his phone. On the scree

t. He was threatening Alexis again. This

ion, a cold, hard finality. "Apologize. Retract. Or I r

e was caught in his cruel game. For a fleeting, desperate moment, I wished she had never been born, so she wouldn't have to su

ething in return. A house. In my name. Fully paid off. For Alexis

hink you can negotiate with

gly. "Then you meet my conditions. Or I stay silent. And you'll have to exp

hadn't expected this from me. "Fine," he conceded, a flicker of irritation crossing his f

They're ready. I want them brought here. I want everyth

quite demanding, haven't you?" he muttered. "Fine. It will be done." He

s of a divorce decree. I recognized Jeremiah' s firm's letterhead on one. The other, a quick, barely legible scrawl, was a document Emmett' s lawyer had drafted, likely to speed things along. It stat

e transfer document and the divorce decree with a flourish, eager to get my retraction out. He was so confident in his control, so blind to my subt

involving my daughter. It was an unfortunate misunderstanding driven by my emotional distress. I apologize for any harm caused." Every word tasted like ash in my mouth.

e sense of detachment. It was done. The humi

cold, "I'm going back to Alexis." I stood,

you going? You're still recovering. We can talk about... our future, now tha

more. And there is no 'future' with you." My eyes, hard and

clicked shut behind me, severing the last fragile thread between us. He called my