The Illusion Of His Love

ith a deep, settled exhaustion that sleep couldn't fix. Ethan acted as if nothing had happened. He was consumed with Scarlett, who had moved into our guesthouse. He spent his days wit

ntion Lily. Instead, he dropped a leash on the counter. "Scarlett's emotional sup

ce I was a child. Scarlett appeared in the doorway, a smug smile on her face. "His name is Cerberus," she said, her voice sickly sweet.

rom it as possible. On the third night, I was woken by a high-pitched yelp from the guesthouse. I ran outside to find Scarlett cradling the

as already crying, accusing me of poisoning the dog's food, of wanting to hurt her. The vet she called later claimed the dog had

the basement. "You wanted to hurt her," he hissed, his grip tightening until bruises formed. "You're jealous and you're cr

voice was raw, but no one came. The cold seeped into my bones, a biting, relentless chill that made my teeth chatter and my muscles seize. I curled into a ball on the concrete floor, the darkness absolute. My body grew numb, my thoughts