Chapter 3

Emmett' s words echoed in my head, a chilling mantra: "Obligations to Elisa' s family... Old money, old debts." What kind of debt was worth sacrificing his wife, his child, his integrity? What dark pact had he made that cost me everything? The thought twisted in my gut, a bitter knot of confusion and pain.

I stood there, rigid in his suffocating embrace, every fiber of my being screaming in protest. My hands, once so ready to reach for him, were now clenched into fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms. I fought the urge to break free, to scream, to shatter the illusion of his concern. Not yet. I needed to play along. I needed to survive this.

I remembered the early days, how I had twisted myself into knots to fit into his world. His wealthy, old-money family had eyed me with thinly veiled disdain, an adopted girl from a middle-class background. I wore the right clothes, learned the right etiquette, stifled my quirky artistic impulses, all to be "worthy" of Emmett, of his name. I thought I was making a home, building a future. Instead, I was merely a prop in his carefully constructed life.

After Alexis was born, the artistic urge, long suppressed, clawed its way back. It started in secret, late at night, fueled by the quiet hum of the baby monitor. Sketching, drawing, pouring my soul onto digital canvases. Emmett had found me one night, paintbrush in hand, a surprised smile on his face. "Adelia, this is... amazing," he' d said, his eyes filled with an unfamiliar admiration. "You should do more. Don't hide your talent." He had encouraged me, or so I thought. He even helped me set up my online presence, chose the name "Wish."

The bitter irony of it all. The very thing he encouraged, the seed he helped plant, was now the crop he was harvesting with Elisa. He hadn't seen my art as talent; he saw it as an asset, something to be exploited, to be stolen. He had betrayed not just me, but the purest part of myself, the passion that defined me.

A whisper escaped my lips, so low I wasn't sure if it was audible. "My love for you... it died tonight, Emmett."

He stiffened slightly, a momentary flicker of alarm in his eyes. Then, he chuckled, a forced, light sound. "Silly girl. You're just upset. Come on, let's get you a warm bath."

I pulled away from him, my face a carefully constructed blank. "Yes, a bath sounds lovely. I'll be fine."

He seemed reassured, his concern quickly replaced by a complacent smirk. He thought he had me back under his thumb. He thought I would fall back into line, meek and compliant. He was wrong. I was playing a new role now: the obedient wife, waiting for her divorce papers to arrive.

The next few days blurred into a haze of forced smiles and carefully chosen words. I avoided Emmett as much as possible, retreating to Alexis's hospital room, my phone clutched in my hand, waiting for Jeremiah's call. He was working fast, collecting everything he needed.

Elisa, emboldened by her recent triumph and Emmett's unwavering support, reappeared a few days later, a triumphant glint in her eyes. She wore a tailored silk dress, her hair perfectly coiffed, radiating an air of smug superiority. She even had the audacity to suggest we attend a public art gala together.

"It would quell all the rumors, Adelia," she chirped, her voice falsely sweet. "Show everyone we're still friends. And you know, a little public appearance would do wonders for your... image. Since you' re so out of touch."

My stomach clenched. My image? She meant my humiliation. The thought of standing beside her, a living testament to her theft, twisted my gut. I remembered our past. Elisa and I, once inseparable. She was the glamorous socialite, I the quiet artist. She' d always been a little dramatic, a little self-centered, but I' d dismissed it as harmless eccentricity. She was my only real friend in Emmett' s stifling world.

I remembered her "perfect" life, the lavish parties, the designer clothes, the effortless charm. But beneath the surface, her family's fortune had been dwindling. She often spoke of financial worries, of past glories fading. I used to comfort her, unaware of the envy festering beneath her smiles.

I even remembered her at my wedding, a bridesmaid in a carefully chosen gown, shedding a tear during my vows. Looking back, was that a tear of joy, or of something else? A subtle, almost imperceptible possessiveness in her gaze when she looked at Emmett. A casual touch that lingered too long. I dismissed it all as sisterly affection. Now, every memory was tainted, twisted into something sinister.

She saw my hesitation. Her eyes narrowed, the false sweetness replaced by a steely glint. "Don't forget, Adelia. Your daughter is still... vulnerable. Emmett is very protective of her care. You wouldn't want anything to disrupt that, would you?"

The veiled threat landed squarely in my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs. Alexis. Always Alexis. My daughter was her shield, her weapon against me. I had no choice.

"Fine," I said, my voice barely audible. "I'll go."

The gala was a blur of flashing lights and whispered conversations. It was a public humiliation, perfectly orchestrated. As soon as I stepped out of the car, a discreet envelope was pressed into my hand. Jeremiah' s legal papers. Signed and dated. A tiny flicker of triumph, a breath of freedom, pierced through the suffocating dread. It was done. The divorce was filed. The first step. Emmett still didn't know.

Inside, the cacophony of polite chatter and clinking glasses was deafening. I saw them immediately. Emmett, his arm around Elisa, both of them beaming, posing for photographers. He looked at her with an adoration he had never shown me in public. He never even held my hand in front of the cameras. The crowd buzzed, fawning over them, calling them "the new power couple," "the golden duo of the art world." The injustice was a dull ache, then a sharp stab.

I felt a cold sweat break out on my skin. I couldn't breathe. It felt like I was drowning in a sea of their smug smiles and flashing cameras. And worse, I heard the whispers. "Isn't that Adelia Murray? Didn't she try to sue the school?" "She looks... disheveled." "Such a pity, trying to cling to her husband. Elisa is clearly his true love." The public, once my fans, now saw me as a pathetic interloper, a jealous ex-wife.

I tried to disappear into the background, to become invisible. But a reporter, emboldened by the gossip, cornered me. "Ms. Murray," she chirped, shoving a microphone in my face, "sources say your previous accusations of art plagiarism were unfounded. What do you have to say about that?"

Before I could answer, Elisa swept in, her face a picture of feigned concern. "Adelia, darling, are you alright? You look a bit faint." She smiled sweetly at the reporter. "My poor friend has been through so much. It's truly tragic, the way her mental health has deteriorated. We're all just trying to support her, guide her through this difficult time." She squeezed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. "It's understandable, of course. The stress of her daughter's... accident. Such a shame, really. That poor, troubled girl."

The last words, innocent enough to an outsider, hit me like a physical blow. Poor, troubled girl. The dismissive tone, the subtle insinuation that Alexis was somehow at fault, that her bullying was a symptom of her "trouble."

My blood ran cold. The public, always so quick to judge, nodded sympathetically at Elisa's performance. The whispers grew louder. "Poor Elisa, dealing with a madwoman." "And pity her son, Gordon, having to be around such a difficult child."

That was it. That was the line. They could steal my art, my husband, my reputation. But they would not, could not, trash my daughter's name. Not while I had breath left in my body.