His Cruelty, My Despair

wung open, and I looked up, my heart

is arm, her smile bright, her eyes sweepi

, his voice flat,

r a divorce, claiming our life wa

apers," I told him, the

n, "Ethan, darling, maybe she jus

as he gestured vaguely, tired of

t into our custom-de

t he did. And her light laughter dr

p. It felt like a wire pulled tight, a strange agony I' d b

d the sight shattered the last piece of my hope

" he said, his eyes filled wi

y room," I

h longer," h

t just want a divorce; he wan

I walked to the study, and

empty, holding them out.

with unconcealed joy. "Finally. Let' s

ized with Olivia' s initials. He was so eager t

ed in twenty minutes. As he walked a

The million-dollar bed. It wa

ust a bed

was for us!" I cried, th

iry tale," he said, dissecting ou

before, shot through me. I crumbled to the

matic," he said, p

ball, the world

ed. A few days later, Olivia showed up, dema

e years we had built together,

or the pearls

said, my v

"She' s been unwell. She might not be thi

via cried, "Oh my god! She fell!

. Take her to the old property with the bas

rowing me into a damp, dark basement. The hea

He had saved me then, binding his life force to mine with a forb

out, desperate to clear my name. I went to Mar

wellness retreat," Marcus s

"He locked me in a basem

r. He wouldn' t do s

pregnant,"

physical blow. A baby wo

ispered, though I kne

e. "I' m going to call Eth

treets, with no money, no phone, nowhere to

ed a lot of trouble," he said, leading

is having a difficult pregnancy," he sai

wanted me, his ex-wife whom he had impri

ied, a spark

. Or I will have you commi

r, cleaned for her, treated like an invis

tray, an unbearable agony struck

Dr. Hayes was grave. "You

rd Ethan and Olivia. He cooed, "Don' t b

d. "How can you be so cruel

flat. "I' d be relieved. It wo

he final blow. H

prognosis. The only comfort was Whiskers, my rescue cat. I

s!" I scream

"He scrat

m her scratch. "Chloe' s cat attacked me! And no

e snarled at me, bl

she' s lying!

s fell, crying. "You' re a monster. Get out

ody out, buried him in a qui

. "Where is it? The herb. The

that could save my life, to

e baby, isn' t

Tell me where it is. Olivi

I think I might need it." I pl

o is really sick." He twisted the past, claiming

ng," I whispered. "Your betrayal

ng the condo apart. My pain flared

box. I could let him fail. But suddenly, w

e box, then the

" he demanded,

ing for me. I want the divorce finalized. No

An hour later, the

rough me as I fini

e papers. "Th

placed it in his hand. He

he said, al

I gasped,

ou just need to rest

saw him racing to the hospital, giving Olivia the herb,

ssionate sealing of their u

as dancing on my grave. A few days later, nightmares began fo

d a sharp pang would hit. He looked for me

but my lawyer had vanished. A f

nto his bones. What if I h

ghtmares came back. I was always there, jus

guez. He told her everything. My death. The cause: hea

said, her voice shaking wi

, leaving everything to Sarah. A

alized she had to keep him in the dark.

my condo, staring. He felt an overwhelming urge t

too late. I was probably

Olivia walked down the aisle, a knot of dread forme

il the reception. Sarah fo

loe is dead, Ethan. She di

ispered. "Yo

tificate at him. He stare

mind flashed back to me, collapsed

This is a trick! Chloe is

Ethan. And yo

allroom, collapsing in the gardens. Every

force, and thrown it away. He had traded

e about Chloe. Her condition..

body had simply los

will," Ethan sai

by isn' t yours to take. It' s mi

how he had killed me. She

Olivia. You lied a

as always going to be be

ivia. Was the baby ever

ed. "The baby w

is new life was a lie. Only Chloe' s love h

ed patch of grass. He found my locket.

, collapsing. He stayed for

mories of another life, of his sacred

plotting. He looked at them. "I

c. He dismantled her life, piec

y was born. He gave the child to another famil

, consumed by regret. He poured his fort

ght ancient texts, per

required him to burn the locke

inal, agonized cry. The ritual failed. T

New York, a ghost, the memory of my face bur

spiritual guide, someone who coul

ourney. Weeks of climbing, enduring, sheddi

, the monk tried

I don' t even remember her face!" h

you seek cannot be brought ba

to see her. She is in the wor

have to f

remember her. It is hidden in the p

esperate. At my unmarked grave,

ite stone. He remembered. A promise o

my smile, my voice-it all rushed

d, and saw an image: a young woman with famil

watched her emerge. It was me. But

he warning held him back. "To interfere wo

ere in love. It was a fresh stab of pain,

e day, he sat near her in the park. She looked u

ir bond flare. She felt a strange chill, a fli

story, was still a poison. He finally unders

ssive trust fund, delivered u

His heart clenched. She was mov

putting himself between Ethan

new ring. And on her thumb, another, a si

" he wh

sorry, I think you have me

ard. "I think yo

f her frightened eyes burning

lfish. He would make the final arra

gain in the park. Lily was smili

r since that strange man in the park, I' ve fel

peace tracing his cheek. She had a protector now.

felt the hollow ache of grief. His obsession turned inward

radiant, confident. Noah was beaming. Et

were Lily' s. The cold basement, the dying cat

tion dawning. His presence

ret is meaningless," my spirit-voice whispered. "It is the regret of a man

his years of suffering, had all be

to erase himself from the w

ridge. "I love you, Chloe,

en, he

han ever. Noah held her, reassuring her it was jus

odriguez appeared. "He passed away. An

stammered. "I don' t k

showing her a photo. A younge

life. And that is Ethan Mil

ares-it all coalesced. The dream

envelope. "He wanted

ritual bond, the cruelty, the long, painful atonement. How he watche

. "He did

our guardi

But on one condition. I want to use it to cre

lear. Chloe Davis was a part o

ed. She and Noah married. The Chloe Davis Found

was out. "His heart... looking like the heart

ice, had drained him. His final act was the severance

t. Returned by the mystic. "A soul

symbol of a great, tragic lov

painting waiting. She had a new story to