Chapter 4

Carter stared at me, his face a mask of confusion, his brow furrowed. My bitter laughter and sudden, silent tears had clearly unnerved him. He didn't understand the depth of my despair, the finality of my broken heart. But before he could question me further, Jade, ever the opportunist, seized her moment.

"Oh, Carter, my head is spinning," she moaned, clutching her temples dramatically. Her eyes fluttered, and she swayed precariously, leaning heavily against him. "All this shouting... it's too much. I feel so unwell."

"Jade? What's wrong?" Carter immediately forgot me, his attention snapping to her. His voice, just moments ago filled with cold annoyance for me, was now laced with genuine concern for her. "Are you alright? You look pale."

"Maybe... maybe I should just go," Jade whispered, her voice weak and fragile. "I don't want to cause any more trouble. Perhaps I'm just a burden." She made a show of trying to pull away, feigning reluctance.

"No! Don't be ridiculous, Jade!" Carter gripped her arm, pulling her back against him. His eyes, now wide with panic, darted to me, a flash of accusation in their depths. He blamed me. He always would. "You're not going anywhere. You need to rest. Let me take you upstairs."

He put his arm around her, supporting her as she leaned heavily on him, her performance Oscar-worthy. As he led her away, Jade glanced over her shoulder, a smug, triumphant smile briefly gracing her lips before she buried her face against Carter's chest.

I stood there, abandoned once more, the diamond pendant still glittering mockingly in its open box. My body, exhausted by the emotional turmoil, sagged. The emotional anguish was so profound, it manifested physically, a dull ache spreading through my chest, making it hard to breathe. This was it. The final, undeniable proof. Our marriage was a hollow shell, I was a discarded inconvenient object, and he was completely, irrevocably lost to her.

Jade' s subtle smirk, the way she clung to him, the way he doted on her-it was a brutal spectacle, designed to break me. And for a moment, it almost did. But then, a flicker of something new ignited within me. A cold, steady flame.

They walked out of sight, leaving me alone in the vast, echoing hallway. I closed my eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath. When I opened them, the last vestiges of love, of hope, had been extinguished. My voice, when I spoke, was quiet, but it resonated with a new, unwavering strength.

"Carter!" I called out, my voice cutting through the silence.

He stopped, turning back, a hint of annoyance already returning to his face. "What is it, Alayna? Jade isn't feeling well. This can wait."

"No," I said, my voice gaining strength. "It can't. We're getting divorced."

His face, which had been softening with concern for Jade, instantly contorted. The tender mask evaporated, revealing pure, unadulterated rage. His eyes, usually so calculating, blazed with unexpected fury. "What did you say?" he growled, taking a step towards me, his jaw clenched.

"I said, we're getting a divorce," I repeated, meeting his furious gaze without flinching. "I want out. From you, from this house, from this entire charade."

He scoffed, a harsh, disbelieving sound. "Don't be ridiculous, Alayna. You're not going anywhere. You can't even stand on your own two feet, much less leave me." He took another step, towering over me, his presence menacing. "Don't forget who you are. Don't forget what you are. You're my wife. And you'll stay my wife."

"I know exactly who I am, Carter," I said, my voice cold and firm. "And I know who you are. A liar. A manipulator. A man who drugged his wife and covered up a hit-and-run to protect his true love, the daughter of the man who crippled me." Each word was a precise, calculated blow, designed to hit him where it hurt. "You sabotaged my recovery, you made me believe you loved me, all while you were plotting with her. Don't you dare deny it. I heard you."

His face went ashen. For the first time, I saw genuine fear flicker in his eyes. He stumbled back, his bravado momentarily deflated. "That's not true, Alayna! You're delusional! You're imagining things!" he stammered, his voice laced with a desperate denial. "I did it for us! For our future! I just wanted you to be comfortable, to rest, to let me take care of you."

My heart, or what was left of it, twisted in a fresh spasm of pain. His denial was so transparent, so pathetic. The sheer audacity of his lies, even now. "Comfortable?" I echoed, my voice breaking. "You mean trapped. Sedated. A prisoner in my own home. You wanted me out of the way, Carter. Admit it. You're a monster."

"How dare you!" he roared, his face contorting with renewed fury. He lunged forward, grabbing the armrests of my wheelchair, shaking it violently. His face was inches from mine, his breath hot on my skin. "You think you can just walk away? After everything I've done for you? Who would take care of you? Who would want a broken, crippled woman?" His words were laced with venom, intended to devastate, to remind me of my vulnerability. "You're useless, Alayna! Without me, you're nothing!"

The words, brutal and cruel, sliced through me. They were meant to shame me, to break me, to remind me of the physical limitations that had defined my life for so long. But instead of despair, a cold, fierce anger surged through me. He had weaponized my disability, mocked my pain. He wanted me to be helpless. He wanted me to believe his lies.

But he was wrong.

I met his furious gaze, my own eyes now blazing with a quiet fire. He thought he had broken me. He thought he had won. He would learn the true meaning of a broken woman's fury.

"I am not useless, Carter," I said, my voice low and steady, though my body still trembled from his aggression. "And I will walk away. And I will ensure you regret every single word you've just uttered."

Before he could respond, a piercing shriek echoed from upstairs, followed by a series of hurried footsteps. "Carter! My head! It's so much worse!" Jade's voice, shrill and frantic, pierced the tense silence.

Carter's face, still contorted in rage, immediately softened, replaced by a panicked concern. His grip loosened on my wheelchair. Without another word, he turned and sprinted up the stairs, leaving me once again. He had chosen her. Every single time. He always would.

"Carter! Hurry!" Jade cried out, her voice desperate, her performance still in full swing. "I think I'm going to faint!"