Chapter 0004

I looked down at the divorce papers scattered across the floor. Caleb had already signed them in his ever-so-elegant handwriting that I used to admire.

It was almost funny, actually, how all the work I put into this marriage was thrown away for one woman everyone thought was pure-hearted. Meanwhile, she was a devil in disguise, and this charade had even turned Grandfather against me.

I peered at him. “Grandfather, do you remember what you told me in the hospital? You said my eyes were so pure-hearted that they showed exactly what was in my soul. Do you know what I was thinking at that moment?”

His brow furrowed.

“I thought you were the only person in the world who loved me unconditionally. No matter what happened, you were always there for me. Even without Caleb, I still loved you. And when you learned it would be hard for me to have a child because of what I’d done, you asked if I regretted saving Caleb. Do you remember what I said?”

Grandfather bit his lip and gripped his staff until his hands turned red.

“I told you didn’t. I didn’t regret putting my life in danger. But now…” I raised my head, unable to stop the tears from falling. I was numb, but I was still crying. “Now I regret it. I regret it so much. I wish I’d never been there that day. I wish Caleb had died in that place. If he had, I wouldn't be hurting so much now.”

“You bitch!” Clara screeched, storming forward. She slapped me across the face, just as my mother had. A crisp sound rang through the room, but I barely flinched; it couldn’t hurt more than I was already hurting.

I bent to pick up the papers and pen. With shaky hands, I scrawled my signature in all the necessary places, my chapped lips curling into a faint smile. “I’ve given you what you wanted, Caleb.” I held the papers out to him, watching his expression light up with satisfaction. He snatched the papers from my hands and shoved me away.

My mother regarded everything coldly, her eyes promising wrath. I scoffed. I didn’t even know why I bothered anymore.

“Elaine… I’m sorry.” Emily stepped forward, tears brimming in her eyes as though she were an innocent flower. Such a delicate and fragile woman to be pitied. Ha! One day she would fall, and everything would be stripped from her, just like it was being stripped from me.

“Sorry?” I said. “There’s no need for that, Emily. After all, you got exactly what you wanted. But one day, everyone in this family will see just how fake and evil you are.”

“You… get out! Get out!” Clara screamed, her face red with fury.

My mother grabbed my arm and dragged me outside. I allowed her to pull me all the way to the gates, then yanked my arm free from her grip. “I’m not going with you,” I whispered. “I’ve had enough.”

“What nonsense is this? Are you trying to embarrass me even more? After all you did back there, now you’re going to—”

“Mom… Should I even call you that? I’m nothing more than a bargaining chip to you. You never treated me like a daughter. Even animals care for their young better than you’ve ever cared for me. Am I even your child?”

“Elaine! Stop saying these things. Of course, you’re my daughter!” My mother’s voice cracked, but there was no emotion in her eyes. She’d always known how to play the concerned mother, but I could easily see through her facade.

I took a step back, putting distance between us. “Don’t call me that.” Bitterness welled inside me. “I’m not your daughter. You’ve made that clear every day of my life.”

“You ungrateful brat! I clothed you, fed you, gave you everything, and this is how you—”

“No. You sold me like I was nothing. But no more. This ends now.”

I turned and walked down the street. I didn’t know where I was going, but it didn’t matter. I just needed to go… someplace. She called after me, but her voice faded with each step I took.

I walked until I found myself on an abandoned road. There were no cars in sight, just the wind rustling through the trees.

Then, the low rumble of an engine sounded behind me. As I turned, the car screeched to a stop, and the doors swung open. Two men jumped out, moving so fast I barely had time to scream before one of them grabbed me, lifting me off the ground.

“Let me go!” I shouted, thrashing wildly as I tried to break free.

“Shut up!” he growled as he shoved me into the car. I struggled, kicking and swinging, but it was useless. I was no match for either of the two burly men. One of them raised a fist. I watched it come toward my face, and a second later, there was a burst of pain and everything went dark.

#

“Ugh,” I grunted as I came to and pain radiated through my body. My head throbbed, as did my shoulders. I attempted to move my arms to loosen the stiffness, but my hands were bound behind my back. My brain tried to process that, but couldn’t. Instead, I tried to open my eyes. Material stopped me—a blindfold.

The memory came back to me. I had been kidnapped. All I had to determine my location was my sense of smell. So I inhaled deeply. The smell of dust and concrete filled my nostrils—I was in some kind of unfinished building.

Footsteps approached, and then, without warning, someone yanked the blindfold from my face. It took a moment, but soon, the figure in front of me came into focus.

“Emily,” I spat. “Why did you bring me here?”

“Surprised to see me?” she asked, her sweet voice dripping with malice.

“What do you want? You’ve already taken everything from me.”

She smiled, but her eyes remained cold. “You were always a problem, Elaine, always in the way. Caleb should’ve left you long ago, but you just had to cling to him, didn’t you? I had to wait years for him to finally get rid of you. And now, with our baby growing inside me…” Emily placed a hand on her stomach.

My heart froze. “A baby? You’re pregnant?”

“Yes,” she said, beaming evilly. “Caleb and I are going to have a baby. Didn’t you wonder why he forced that wine down your throat, knowing you’d miscarry? He wanted you to lose that baby, Elaine. He never wanted that child to come into this world.”

Her words felt like a crushing weight on my chest. I knew Caleb had done it on purpose, but hearing Emily confirm it felt like a knife twisting inside me.

Out of nowhere, one of the men kicked me so hard in the stomach that I doubled over. The other joined him, and they kicked me repeatedly, each blow aimed at my abdomen. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth, but they kept going.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Emily’s voice rang out. “Enough,” she commanded. “Take her to the bridge.”

They dragged me to a car, and we drove for a while. The pain was so all-consuming, I barely noticed where we were going. But as we stopped, the smell of water hit me, and I realized where we were.

They forced me to stand at the edge of a bridge. The cool evening breeze brushed against my skin, and I knew this was it—a fitting end for their “villain.”

I laughed, despite everything. Then I turned to Emily, and said, “One promise, Emily. You’ll pay. When karma comes, it’ll be ten times worse than what you’ve done to me.” My voice was low, steady. “I’ll haunt you both, and when I come, it won’t be quick or painless. It’ll be slow. Agonizing.”

“I’d like to see you try,” she said as she raised her arms. “Goodbye, Elaine.” She shoved me over the edge.

As I fell, I twisted backward. The last thing I saw was Emily’s face, and just behind her, Caleb’s. A second later, the icy water swallowed me whole.

#

“Ah!” I gasped, sitting up with a jolt, my lungs burning.

“You shouldn’t move like that. You’ll tear your stitches.”

I looked toward the voice and saw two tall men dressed in black suits, their auras dangerous. One stood with his eyes closed and long hair pulled back into a low ponytail. The other had shorter hair and wore gold-rimmed glasses. He looked oddly familiar.

“She’s awake,” he said to the pony-tailed man. “Call the nurse to check on her.”

As Mr. Ponytail turned to leave, I stared at the remaining man with glasses, trying to place him. He stayed silent until the door closed and only the two of us remained.

“It’s a shame seeing you like this, Elaine,” he said.

I arched an eyebrow. “Do I know you? And how do you know my name?”

“I must have changed a lot for you not to recognize me.” He removed his glasses, then fixed his grey eyes on me.

I gaped. “It's… you…” I stammered, all the cells in my body screaming. It had been a long time, but his face hadn’t changed. My ex-boyfriend, Zade Silver, looked just as handsome as always, maybe even more so.

“It's been a long time… Elaine.” He flashed a crooked smile that I always loved.