His Obsession Became My Perfect Escape

r I woke up in his bed, drugged and confused. On that same day, the woman he truly love

his dead lover, lives with us. He adores her, while my own

The final blow came at the annual charity gala. He took the sapphire necklace he once gave me, the

ture once reserved only for me, I knew it was over. He wasn

athroom floor, miscarrying a child I never knew I was carrying. As I cleaned myself up,

pte

grand staircase, her steps s

cked on the din

osture a study in rigid control. His attention,

Kel

opted

t copy of the late Everleigh Mathews. She

mit. It's pe

and sweet, a melody

of something so brief Doris might have ima

for Doris, it was a blade turning in an old

t Arnold's wife, a title tha

of the Arnold estate. He was the golden heir, her fierce protector who pr

fused, she'd woken up in his bed. A pregnancy followed. Then came a

e woman everyone, including Doris, believe

he family friend to the villain of the stor

rned to a glacial, pu

gh's face. And she sat

the bottom o

felt a familiar tightness in her throat. She

Doris said, he

n't look

You're up. Come, have some breakfast. I had

e: a silver bowl overflowing with tropical

hungry,"

ou're too thin. Emit worries

inally turned his gaze on

nd eat," he

n't a

he had clung to the memory of the boy he used to be, a foolish hope that her patie

d been

ing into the room. Her children. T

ied. "Can we go to

igi cooed, stroking his

at Doris. "Why is she her

s only allowed to see them once a week. The rest of the time, they were with nan

oris a triu

er tone dripping with false sweetne

d was a

last stubborn ember, finally died.

rned t

Emit's voice cut through

d. She didn'

to my room,

get them?

ers. He had presented them to her a wee

tic, final act of defiance.

ad happened long ago. She was

now," she said,

n't run. She walked with

at had been her cage for three years, she r

steady as she too

ere. Cold, sharp, and decisi

e blank line wai

it. The

ginning of

em. But not today

is one small piece of powe

the pape

out her phone

then a man's

si

one raised alongside her

ked. His tone was,

favor,"

pa

ind of

ted. My own set," she said. "And I need a lawyer

She could picture him, his brow furrow

e finall

and the words tasted like free