Chapter 4

"You won't?" Charles's voice was a low snarl, laced with incredulity. He stepped closer, his shadow engulfing me. "Do you think I'm playing games, Abigail? You think you can defy me?"

He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my flesh, and dragged me out of the closet. I stumbled, my knees weak from fear and confinement. My gaze fell on the shattered jade amulet again, lying amidst the debris. My father's last gift. My heart constricted.

"My amulet," I rasped, pointing a trembling finger at the pieces. "Where is it? What happened to it?" My voice was thin, but it held a desperate urgency.

Charles glanced at the broken jade, then at me, a dismissive frown creasing his brow. "That old thing? It's just a trinket, Abigail. Don't be so dramatic. Haylee's dog is dead because of you. That's what matters."

"It's not just a trinket!" I cried, my voice cracking. "It was my father's! It was all I had left of him!" The pain of his callous disregard was a fresh wound. He didn't care. He never cared about anything that truly mattered to me.

Haylee, who had been silently watching, stepped forward, a sly smirk playing on her lips. "Oh, that green rock? I think Princess might have dragged it under the bed when she was playing. Such a naughty little thing." Her eyes glinted with malicious pleasure.

I glared at her, a fire igniting in my chest. She was enjoying this. Every agonizing minute. I dropped to my knees, despite my aching body and swollen belly, and peered under the bed. My heart sank. There, amidst the dust bunnies, lay the pulverized remains of my amulet. It wasn't just broken; it was ground into dust, unrecognizable fragments.

A guttural cry escaped me. My vision blurred with tears and rage. I scrambled to my feet, my hand flying, connecting with Haylee' s cheek with a resounding slap. The sharp crack echoed in the silent room.

Haylee reeled back, a look of genuine shock on her face, before collapsing to the floor with a theatrical sob. "Charles! She hit me! She's crazy!"

"You bitch!" I screamed, lunging at her again, fueled by pure, unfiltered fury. "You murdered my babies! You killed my dog! You destroyed my father's memory! You deserve to burn!"

Charles moved with lightning speed, intercepting me. He shoved me back, hard. I lost my footing, my pregnant body an unwieldy weight, and crashed to the floor, a sharp pain shooting through my back. My hands instinctively flew to cover my belly, protecting my last hope.

He helped Haylee up, cradling her as if she were a delicate flower. "Are you alright, my love?" he murmured, stroking her hair. He didn't spare a glance for me, sprawled on the floor, gasping for air. "Abigail, your behavior is unacceptable! How dare you lay a hand on Haylee, especially when she's carrying my child?" His voice was laced with disgust. "You're a wild animal! You're out of control!"

He turned, a dark glint in his eyes. "Fine. You want to be a beast? You'll be treated like one. No electricity, no food, no water until you apologize to Haylee and dig that grave. And for good measure, you'll stay in the dark. Maybe that claustrophobia of yours will teach you some manners." With a flick of his wrist, he plunged the room into suffocating darkness once more.

"No, Charles! Please!" I cried, my voice choked with renewed terror. "You can't! You know I can't handle the dark!"

"Precisely," his voice, cold and distant, came from the oppressive blackness. "This is your punishment, Abigail. When you're ready to beg, when you're ready to accept Haylee as my wife and the mother of my child, then maybe, just maybe, I'll let you out."

I heard the click of the door, then his footsteps receding. Haylee' s mocking laughter, faint and chilling, was the last sound before complete silence. He had taken my phone. I was truly alone. Trapped. In the dark. The walls pressed in, suffocating me. I clawed at my throat, gasping for air that wouldn't come. My body shook uncontrollably. I cried out, a weak, desperate sound, but no one answered. The world spun, then dissolved into blackness. The last thing I tasted was the salty tang of my own tears.