A Wife's Vengeance, Two Lives

fe, I had cho

whose hands were hailed as miraculous. He was charming, wealthy, and powerful. He dot

aised Liam for his athletic ability and his popularity, while my academic achievements went mostly unnoticed. She ha

t into my father' s arms, believing

so w

In private, the "love" he showed me twisted into something mons

onary one. He was developing new, experimental surgical techniques and bio-en

ialed th

sts" that resulted in painful rashes and difficulty breathing. He would meticulously d

he would say, his voice a soft poison. "We're

n, the sickness, the endless nights spent as his

that left ugly, permanent scars. Implants of untested bio-monitors that ached under my skin. My healt

, needles, and pain, all orchestrated b

surgery he performed on a wealthy client was a technique perfected o

cruelty was the day I overheard him talking to his

his voice filled with pride. "The regenerative serum worked even fast

m that very "trial." I was sixteen. I was dying. My organs

girl?" Mr. Tho

ved her purpose. It' s a shame, but her system is too compromised now. We'

r holding my hand and weeping for the benefit of the nurses. I hea

g his next research pa

st, but he knew enough. He saw my sickness, my scars. He s

, the designer clothes, the effortless entry into a top university, all

am, my voice weak, b

ot even looking up from his phone. "You're always so dram

g him. That's

hat lawyer' s office, ten years old again, with the

as only

he architect of their ruin. Richard, Sarah, Liam. E

t a gift. It was a

going to