Abigail
The park was as loud as a zoo, with the sounds of children running around playing with each other, and the chatter of other adults.
Roxy and I sat side by side on the park bench, our feet brushing the mulch under us as I told her about the fight Conrad and I had gotten into after coming back from the hospital. I knew the question that was coming before she even opened her mouth.
“So?” she asked, her voice breathless as she listened. “What happened next? After you slapped him?”
The memory flashed through my mind—the anger, the unbelievable accusation Conrad had hit me with, the sharp sting of my palm against his face. I stared down at the mulch beneath my feet, scuffing it with the tip of my shoe
AbigailThe first thing I felt when I woke up was pain. The coarse rope binding my wrists had rubbed the skin raw, and every movement sent a sharp, burning sting shooting up my arms. My head pounded in a way that made it hard to piece together what had happened. The hands carrying me roughly dropped me to the ground, deliberately brushing up against the side of my body, and I shuddered in disgust.I groaned in agony as I landed on my shoulder, forcing my eyes open. I was in a dimly lit, grimy room, and the air heavy with the stench of sweaty bodies and cigarette smoke. A low murmur of voices reached my ears, followed by gruff laughter. Panic cut through me like the sting of ice water as the pieces fell into place—I had been kidnapped. I struggled to sit up, my breathing ragged.
AbigailMy chest heaved with panic as I struggled against the firm grasp of the person who had grabbed me. My body thrashed, still locked in survival mode, as the arms holding me tightened just enough to keep me from slipping to the floor. I clawed and kicked, my breaths ragged and sharp.“Abigail, stop,” a voice commanded, firm but quiet.I froze. That voice. It couldn’t be.Alexander.“It’s me. Calm down. You’re safe now.”The words registered slowly in my mind, as if they were coming through a fog. My heart pounded so loudly in my ears that it nearly drowned them out. His voice sent a jolt
AbigailI turned to him, surprised by the seriousness in his tone. His expression was tight, almost pained. My hands tightened on the piece of tissue as I braced myself for whatever was coming.“When I heard you were in danger…” He trailed off, his voice thick with emotion. He looked away for a moment, his jaw clenched. “I can’t even describe what it felt like. I thought—” His voice broke, and he shook his head. “I thought I was going to lose you.”“Conrad…” I started, my voice trembling, but he held up a hand.“Please,” he said, his tone pleading. “Just let me finish.”I closed my mouth
AbigailAlexander had planned the kidnapping? It couldn’t be true—could it? Conrad was sure, but doubt clawed at me.The idea alone felt impossible. Alexander, even though he was reserved, and the rest of the family seemed to fear him as much as they respected him, did not seem like he could ever hurt me. He was my family by marriage. And if he wanted to harm me, why would he have saved me?My thoughts circled back to the figure who had wrapped me in safety for one fleeting moment. Could it have been Alexander? No—he was confined to a wheelchair. But then why did that voice, that presence, feel so familiar?I didn’t know what to believe. None of it made sense.
AbigailThe sound of a car woke me up, and I realized I had fallen asleep amidst a pile of documents. Lately, I’ve been getting sleepier and sleepier, probably because of the chaos at home. I’ve been busy taking over the burdens Conrad, my husband, has been carrying, hoping he’ll stop looking so troubled all the time.Looking out the window, I saw Conrad's car pull up. After getting out from the driver’s seat, he bent down to open the door for the passenger side. A woman stepped out and walked into the house. I couldn’t see the woman’s face from the window as it was hidden by her hat. Filled with curiosity, I went downstairs to greet them.As I came down to the bottom and moved toward the foyer, I couldn’t see who it was at first, only Conrad by the doorway, his head bent as he spoke to the woman just beyond my view. I couldn’t make out her words, but the voice was familiar. He was smiling—a smile so wide and bright it made me pause. I took a step closer, and that’s when she came into
AbigailAs I sat there on the examination table, the sharp antiseptic scent in the hospital room pricked at my senses. The doctor asked me seriously, "Are you here alone?""Yes, my family, they’re all busy," I instinctively made an excuse for Conrad. Though the truth was, he and the family doctor were at home, tending to Susanna, who wasn’t even injured but wouldn’t stop crying. Their actions today hurt me more deeply than any shattered fragments. It made me feel that instead of staying there hoping for help, I might as well come to the hospital alone to take care of my wounds.The doctor glanced up, his brows knitting together as he took in my pale face and trembling hands. He’d been treating me in silence for a few minutes now, but I could sense his growing concern. He held my gaze with patience, waiting for me to take a breath and settle myself. “Are you all right?” His voice was soft as if he knew that just the act of being in the same room as this open wound was almost too much f
Abigail “What are you doing in here?” I asked sharply, my voice cutting through the quiet. Susanna held up one of my scarves against her arm, admiring it. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” she said, waving a hand. “I’m just getting settled. I’ll be staying in this room.” I blinked, the words taking a moment to sink in. “Excuse me?” Her grey eyes sparkled with amusement. “It makes sense, doesn’t it? You and Conrad need to be close if I need anything, and my room is so far down the hall. It’s just more convenient for everyone if I stay here.” My pulse quickened, anger rising swiftly. “This is our room. I and Conrad’s. You don’t just decide to move in without even asking.” Susanna smirked, unfazed by the heat in my voice. “I wasn’t asking. Conrad said I could stay here.” “Did he?” I said, my tone ice-cold. “I find that hard to believe.” Our voices rose, each word louder than the last, until the door creaked open behind us. Conrad entered the room, his expression wary as he took in the
AbigailMy stomach dropped. “What?” “Susanna fainted,” he said, his voice rising. “The doctors think it could be something she ate. She said it started after breakfast.” “You think I did something to her?” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. “I’m not accusing you,” he said, though his tone didn’t fully match his words. “I just need to know if there was anything unusual in the food. Susanna’s health—”“Was fine when I left the house,” I interrupted sharply. “I made her an omelette. Eggs, cheese, a pinch of salt. Nothing unusual. The same thing I’ve made a hundred times before.” He sighed on the other end of the line, and I could almost picture him pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m not accusing you of anything, Abigail. I just—” “Just what?” I interrupted. “I’m here at the hospital, dealing with my own recovery, and now I have to defend myself because Susanna fainted? You think I’d harm her?” There was a long pause, and for a moment, I thought he’d hung up. Finally, he sai
AbigailAlexander had planned the kidnapping? It couldn’t be true—could it? Conrad was sure, but doubt clawed at me.The idea alone felt impossible. Alexander, even though he was reserved, and the rest of the family seemed to fear him as much as they respected him, did not seem like he could ever hurt me. He was my family by marriage. And if he wanted to harm me, why would he have saved me?My thoughts circled back to the figure who had wrapped me in safety for one fleeting moment. Could it have been Alexander? No—he was confined to a wheelchair. But then why did that voice, that presence, feel so familiar?I didn’t know what to believe. None of it made sense.
AbigailI turned to him, surprised by the seriousness in his tone. His expression was tight, almost pained. My hands tightened on the piece of tissue as I braced myself for whatever was coming.“When I heard you were in danger…” He trailed off, his voice thick with emotion. He looked away for a moment, his jaw clenched. “I can’t even describe what it felt like. I thought—” His voice broke, and he shook his head. “I thought I was going to lose you.”“Conrad…” I started, my voice trembling, but he held up a hand.“Please,” he said, his tone pleading. “Just let me finish.”I closed my mouth
AbigailMy chest heaved with panic as I struggled against the firm grasp of the person who had grabbed me. My body thrashed, still locked in survival mode, as the arms holding me tightened just enough to keep me from slipping to the floor. I clawed and kicked, my breaths ragged and sharp.“Abigail, stop,” a voice commanded, firm but quiet.I froze. That voice. It couldn’t be.Alexander.“It’s me. Calm down. You’re safe now.”The words registered slowly in my mind, as if they were coming through a fog. My heart pounded so loudly in my ears that it nearly drowned them out. His voice sent a jolt
AbigailThe first thing I felt when I woke up was pain. The coarse rope binding my wrists had rubbed the skin raw, and every movement sent a sharp, burning sting shooting up my arms. My head pounded in a way that made it hard to piece together what had happened. The hands carrying me roughly dropped me to the ground, deliberately brushing up against the side of my body, and I shuddered in disgust.I groaned in agony as I landed on my shoulder, forcing my eyes open. I was in a dimly lit, grimy room, and the air heavy with the stench of sweaty bodies and cigarette smoke. A low murmur of voices reached my ears, followed by gruff laughter. Panic cut through me like the sting of ice water as the pieces fell into place—I had been kidnapped. I struggled to sit up, my breathing ragged.
AbigailThe park was as loud as a zoo, with the sounds of children running around playing with each other, and the chatter of other adults.Roxy and I sat side by side on the park bench, our feet brushing the mulch under us as I told her about the fight Conrad and I had gotten into after coming back from the hospital. I knew the question that was coming before she even opened her mouth.“So?” she asked, her voice breathless as she listened. “What happened next? After you slapped him?”The memory flashed through my mind—the anger, the unbelievable accusation Conrad had hit me with, the sharp sting of my palm against his face. I stared down at the mulch beneath my feet, scuffing it with the tip of my shoe
AbigailConrad grabbed my wrist, his grip tight. “Come on,” he said, pulling me along. “We’re leaving.”He paused only long enough to nod curtly at his brother. “Goodbye, Alexander.” He didn’t acknowledge Daniel.We walked past Alexander and his assistant and into the parking lot, Conrad not letting go of me till we reached the car. The drive home was suffocating. Conrad’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel, his jaw set in that stubborn way of his, as though sheer silence could erase the fact he had left me on my own in the hospital. I didn’t bother speaking. What could I say that hadn’t already been said?What could I say that hadn’t already been ignored
AbigailConrad froze for a moment, his eyes darting between me and the direction of Liliana’s wails. His face twisted with the conflict he wasn’t even trying to hide. “But Susanna’s situation is more urgent,” he said anxiously, his tone pleading.I stared at him, willing him to see the betrayal that his words carved into me. “I came here for—”“You’re just here to follow up on your foot injury, Abigail,” he interrupted, his voice becoming more pleading in a futile attempt to reassure me. “There’s no rush for that, but Susanna…” He trailed off, guilt in his eyes. “Look, you heard Liliana, she fell. That can’t be good for a pregnant woman. Once I confirm she’s fine and report
AbigailI nodded at the apology, not trusting myself to speak just yet.“Susanna,” Conrad said quietly. “I think Alexander is right. You should go home with him. Your husband is back now.”The moment he finally agreed to let Susanna leave with Alexander, a weight seemed to lift from my chest.Alexander nodded. “Thank you again, for taking care of her.” He turned to Susanna. “Start packing your things. You’ll be leaving tonight.”“At least let me leave tomorrow,” Susanna said, her voice tight with barely concealed anger, but she didn’t dare show it in front of Alexander. “I can’t possibly pack all my things tonight.”
AbigailI waited for Conrad to protest, like he always seemed to do when it came to Susanna, but to my surprise he said nothing. Then again, there was no mistaking the weight of Alexander’s words, or the look in his eyes—he wasn’t asking for permission, not that anyone in this family ever truly did.Alexander turned to me, his expression contemplative. “Abigail,” he said, his voice low. “Thank you. I’ve heard from everyone how helpful you’ve been, looking after Susanna during… everything.” He hesitated briefly, his tone softening. “I owe you a great debt.”I barely had time to respond before the door to the master bedroom swung open, and out stepped Susanna. Her face was a mess of tears, her voice cracki