Chapter 3

Elisabeth Ward POV:

My hand, steady despite the tremor in my soul, wrote two simple words on the blank IOU: "Divorce Papers." I pressed the pen down with finality, the ink a dark, unyielding statement. Then, I called my lawyer.

"I want a divorce," I told him, my voice as calm and flat as a still lake. "I have the signed IOU. I want it expedited."

He cleared his throat, a nervous sound. "Mrs. Newton, there's a mandatory cooling-off period for divorces in this state. And then the process itself can be lengthy, especially with assets of your magnitude."

"I know," I replied, my gaze fixed on the rain streaking down the hospital window. "Just make it happen. As fast as possible."

He left, his footsteps echoing in the sterile hallway. I was alone again, a hollow in my chest where my heart used to be. The quiet was deafening.

The door creaked open, breaking the silence. Joy. She stood there, a vision of meekness in a pale dress, carrying a small, covered basket. A wave of revulsion, sharp and visceral, washed over me.

"Elisabeth? How are you feeling?" Her voice was soft, laced with a feigned concern that grated on my raw nerves. "Chase told me what happened. I'm so, so sorry."

She stepped closer, placing the basket on the bedside table. "He's so distraught, Elisabeth. He blames himself. He told me he never meant for things to escalate like this. He just... he loves me so much, you see, and losing our baby, it broke him." She dabbed at her eyes with a pristine tissue, but her gaze was oddly triumphant. "He said you were so strong, so independent, that you could handle anything. He never imagined you'd... struggle like this."

I cut her off, my voice a low, dangerous growl. "Get out."

She flinched, a practiced move. But then, her eyes hardened. She reached for the basket. "I brought you some soup. For your recovery," she said, her voice cloyingly sweet. "It's a special recipe. Very nourishing."

"I said, get out!" I snarled, pushing myself up, my body screaming in protest.

Her delicate facade shattered. Her eyes narrowed, glinting with something cold and sharp. "You think you can just dismiss me? After everything you've done?"

Before I could react, she lunged. Her hand clamped around my jaw, surprisingly strong, and she tilted my head back. The sweet, cloying smell of the soup filled my nostrils, then a thick, lukewarm liquid was being forced between my lips. I choked, gagged, struggling against her, but I was weak, my body still recovering from the trauma. The soup spilled down my chin, burning my skin with its disturbing warmth.

She released me, watching as I coughed and retched, my throat burning. She wiped her hands on a napkin, a small, satisfied smirk playing on her lips.

"How does it taste?" she asked, her voice a chilling whisper.

My stomach churned. A sudden, horrifying thought flashed through my mind. "What did you put in that, you monster?" I gasped, my voice hoarse.

Her smile widened, a truly grotesque sight. "Just a little something to help you recover, Elisabeth. A reminder of what you lost. Of what we lost." She leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with a manic satisfaction. "That's the blood and flesh of your little monster, Elisabeth. My baby's revenge."

My head snapped back. A wave of nausea, so intense it made my vision swim, washed over me. I dry-heaved, bile burning my throat. The horror of her words, the absolute depravity, twisted my insides. This wasn't just a woman; she was a viper.

Tears, hot and angry, sprang to my eyes. She watched me, her expression a grotesque parody of pity, her own eyes now welling up.

"You deserve this," she sobbed, but her eyes were cold, filled with something ancient and venomous. "You tried to take my family, my future. Your child was a punishment, Elisabeth. A karmic debt."

A furious, primal scream tore from my throat. All the pain, the betrayal, the humiliation, coalesced into a single, explosive rage. My hand shot out, fueled by an adrenaline I didn't know I possessed, and slapped her across the face. The sharp crack echoed in the silent room.

The door burst open.