Chapter 3

The villa, once my sanctuary, now felt like a mausoleum of broken promises. As I pushed open the heavy oak door, the cloying scent of Haylee' s perfume, mixed with the musky smell of sex, assaulted my senses. My stomach turned, a wave of nausea washing over me, unrelated to my pregnancy. It was the stench of betrayal.

I dragged my suitcase through the silent halls, each step an act of defiance. My bedroom, our bedroom, was a disaster. Clothes lay scattered, expensive lingerie tangled with cheap, gaudy fabrics. The silk sheets on the bed were rumpled, stained, a testament to their recent occupation. My personal space, tainted. My blood ran cold, a familiar fury replacing the nausea.

Then I saw them. My wedding album, ripped to shreds, photos of Charles and me smiling, laughing, scattered like confetti. My favorite antique vase, a gift from my grandmother, shattered on the floor. My heart ached, not for the objects themselves, but for the memories they represented. They were desecrating my past, spitting on what little good remained.

A low growl sounded from the corner of the room. Haylee' s pampered poodle, a yapping terror named Princess, stood guard over a pile of what looked like shredded cloth. My gaze sharpened, focusing on the jade amulet, the last tangible link to my biological father, the only thing I truly cherished. It lay in pieces, crushed, its delicate green shattered beyond repair. Princess, the instrument of Haylee' s malice, wagged her tail innocently.

A guttural cry tore from my throat. My amulet. My father's memory. Destroyed. That was the final insult. A red haze descended. I lunged, a primal scream escaping me. I pushed Haylee, who had just emerged from the bathroom, giggling, unaware of my presence until it was too late. She stumbled, falling with a shriek.

Charles burst into the room, his eyes blazing with fury. "What the hell is wrong with you, Abigail?!" he roared, rushing to Haylee' s side. He didn't even look at me, at the shattered pieces of my life scattered around the room.

"She destroyed it!" I screamed, pointing at the poodle, then at Haylee, tears of impotent rage streaming down my face. "My amulet! My father's! She deliberately destroyed it!"

Haylee, feigning fragility, clung to Charles. "She's mad, Charles! She attacked me! And look what her dog did to Princess!" She pointed dramatically at the still-living poodle, then at a fresh scratch on her arm. "She tried to hurt my baby!"

Charles's face darkened. "You bitch!" he snarled, his voice colder than I had ever heard it. He grabbed my arm, his grip bruising, and dragged me towards the walk-in closet. "You want to act like an animal? Fine. You can spend some time in the dark, thinking about what you've done. Maybe it'll cool that temper of yours."

Panic seized me. The closet. Dark. Enclosed. My breath hitched. "No, Charles! Please! You know about my claustrophobia! Not the dark! Please!" My voice was a desperate plea, cracking with genuine terror.

He paused, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes, then it was gone, replaced by icy resolve. "Good," he said, his voice devoid of warmth. "Maybe this will fix you." He shoved me inside, the door slamming shut with a resounding thud. Darkness enveloped me, a suffocating blanket. The air immediately grew thick, heavy, pressing in on me. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. I clawed at the door, but it was locked. I sank to the floor, gasping, shaking, the familiar terror of being trapped overwhelming me.

Hours later, the door creaked open, blinding light flooding the small space. My eyes, accustomed to the oppressive darkness, burned. Charles stood there, his face a mask of cold indifference. Haylee, looking smug, was beside him.

"Get up," he commanded, his voice flat. "Haylee's dog... Princess... didn't make it. You're going to dig her grave."

My head snapped up. Princess? Dead? But she had been alive. A cold, unsettling premonition crept into my mind. Haylee. She wouldn't... would she?

"And you're going to apologize to Haylee," Charles added, his eyes daring me to defy him.

I looked at Haylee, her expression triumphant, a hint of something cruel dancing in her eyes. She had killed her own dog, hadn't she? To frame me. To punish me further. The sheer depravity of it made my stomach churn.

"I won't," I said, my voice barely a whisper, but firm. "I won't apologize for something I didn't do."