Chapter 5

Graham's face twisted into a sneer. "Child? You're delusional, Elise. There was no child. You're just making that up to hurt me, aren't you? Always the victim. Always manipulating." He scoffed, stepping back. "I regret ever believing a word that came out of your mouth. I regret ever thinking you were different."

His words, sharp and cruel, felt like a thousand tiny cuts. He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my skin. "You know, Keeley was right. You're nothing but a fraud." He shoved me towards the wall, my head slamming against the plaster. A dizzying pain exploded behind my eyes. My body, already weak, crumpled to the floor.

Just then, the bedroom door burst open. Keeley stood there, beaming, a tablet clutched in her hand. "Graham, darling! Guess what? My paper just got accepted by Nature! I'm going to be famous!" She practically skipped into the room, oblivious to my crumpled form on the floor. "Oh, and you know, my PR team thinks a joint appearance would be amazing for my 'genius academic' image. You could introduce me, talk about our groundbreaking collaboration."

Graham, still breathing heavily from his outburst, glanced at me lying on the floor. His eyes, for a fleeting second, held a flicker of something resembling concern. "Elise? Are you... are you alright?" He took a hesitant step towards me. "Maybe I should call a doctor."

Keeley rolled her eyes, a dismissive flick of her hand. "Oh, please, Graham. She's just being dramatic. Again. You know how she gets. Probably faking it for sympathy. She's just jealous of my success." She kicked gently at my foot. "Get up, Elise. Stop pretending."

Graham paused, his gaze wavering between Keeley's insistent stare and my bruised face. "She does look a little pale," he mumbled, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

"Nonsense!" Keeley scoffed. "She's always pale. It' s her default setting. Just ignore her, darling. She'll snap out of it when she realizes no one's paying attention." She tugged on his arm. "Come on, let's go celebrate! I want to tell everyone about my amazing news."

Graham hesitated for another moment, then, with a shake of his head, allowed Keeley to lead him out of the room. As they left, he cast one last, cold glance at me. "Stay here, Elise. And don't make any more trouble." The words were a dismissal, a final abandonment.

The door clicked shut, leaving me alone in the oppressive silence. The pain in my head throbbed in rhythm with my aching body. My vision blurred. The world spun. Darkness, once again, claimed me.

I woke with a start, disoriented. The room was unfamiliar, yet strangely comforting. I was in a small, cozy guest bedroom, sunlight streaming through lace curtains. A glass of water and a plate of fruit sat on the bedside table. Someone had taken care of me.

The door opened, and Graham entered, carrying a tray laden with food. He approached the bed, his movements stiff. "Elise," he said, his voice softer than it had been in days. "You're awake. How are you feeling?" He placed the tray on my lap. "I made you some soup. You need to eat."

I looked at the steaming bowl, then at his face. The concern in his eyes seemed genuine, for a moment. But then I remembered Keeley's voice, his dismissive words, the casual cruelty. It was a charade. Another performance.

"Where's my phone?" I asked, pushing the tray away. My voice was weak, but firm.

He sighed, his gaze flickering. "Your phone? Oh, it was damaged in the fall. Completely shattered. I ordered you a new one, of course. It'll arrive tomorrow." He reached out, his hand hovering over mine. "Please, Elise. Don't be like this. Let's just put all this behind us."

I pulled my hand back, a shiver of revulsion running through me. His touch felt like a violation. "My data, Graham. I asked you about my research data. Where is it?"

He cleared his throat. "It's... safe. Don't worry about it. I'm handling everything. The institute is very excited about the progress on the gene therapy. We're on track for human trials by next quarter." He smiled, a self-satisfied smirk. "It's all thanks to my brilliant management, of course. That old coot, Dr. Chen, he was too slow. Needed a real visionary to push things forward."

Dr. Chen. My mentor. My confidante. He had been a scapegoat, another casualty of Graham's arrogance.

"And you know," Graham continued, leaning closer, "once the cure is successfully commercialized, we can finally start thinking about our future. A real future. A family." He reached for my hand again, his eyes pleading. "Imagine, Elise. A perfect family. Just like we always talked about."

My stomach churned. A family? After he had dismissed our child as a figment of my imagination? After he had stood by while Keeley attacked me, causing me to lose everything?

"You know," he mused, almost to himself, "that old Stanford director, Dr. Davies? He's so arrogant. Thinks he knows everything. Doesn't realize the real brains are working behind the scenes. He's always trying to take credit for other people's work."

My eyes widened slightly. Dr. Davies. He was the figurehead, the public face of the institute. The one who had covered for my true identity, allowing me to work in secret while I pursued the cure for Graham. Graham, in his boundless arrogance, was mocking the very people who were working tirelessly to save him.

I thought of the endless nights, the sacrificed weekends, the years I had poured into his cure. My identity, my family, my future – all put on hold for him. And he saw none of it. He saw only a "convenient distraction," a "naive graduate student."

"My data, Graham," I repeated, my voice flat, hollow. "Tell me where it is."

He sighed, exasperated. "Elise, I told you, it's fine! Stop being so obsessed with that silly little research project. I bought you a new phone! It's better than your old one anyway." He pulled a sleek, expensive device from his pocket. "Here. A peace offering. All new, all shiny. Just like you deserve."

My gaze hardened. He thought a new phone could erase everything. He thought material possessions could placate me. I took the phone, my fingers brushing his. The warmth of his skin felt alien, repulsive.

He smiled, triumphant. "See? Now, let's forget about all this unpleasantness. We have a party to get ready for tonight. A celebration of Keeley's success. It's a very important event in the academic world. And you, as my wife, need to look your best."

My jaw clenched. "A party? For Keeley?" The bitterness in my voice was unmistakable.

"Of course," he said, oblivious. "She's a rising star. And I, as her... close associate, need to be there to support her. And you, my dear, need to be by my side. It's important for appearances." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Make sure you wear something appropriate. Something elegant. We need to present a united front."

He left, the door clicking shut behind him. I sat there, the new phone heavy in my hand. A cold, hard resolve solidified in my heart. A united front, he wanted? He would get a front, alright. Just not the one he expected.

I opened the closet, my eyes scanning my carefully curated wardrobe of unassuming graduate student attire. Then, my gaze landed on a box tucked away in the back. Inside, a simple, elegant black dress. It was a classic, timeless piece, not flashy, but impeccably tailored. It was the dress I wore when I presented my first major research paper, the one that caught the attention of the Morton Foundation. It was a dress of quiet power.

Graham's words echoed in my mind: "Make sure you wear something appropriate. Something elegant." I smiled, a chilling, humorless curve of my lips. Oh, I would.

He returned an hour later, holding a vibrant, emerald green gown. "Here, Elise," he said, his voice bright. "I picked this out for you. It's Keeley's favorite color. It'll be perfect."

I looked at the dress, then at him. My smile widened, cold and dangerous. "No, thank you, Graham. I already have something in mind."

His eyes narrowed in confusion as he looked at my simple black dress. "That? But it's so... plain. This is a big event, Elise. You need to make an impression."

"Oh, I intend to," I said, my voice sweet as poison. "A very big impression."

He looked at me, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes, but then he shrugged, a self-satisfied smirk returning to his face. "Well, if you insist. I suppose a little understated elegance can be charming. It will certainly make Keeley stand out even more." He patted my head. "You always were so stubborn. But it's good, shows you have spirit. Just like I like it. Perhaps this little lesson has finally tamed you." He chuckled, turning to leave. "Now, hurry up. We don't want to be late."

He thought he had tamed me. He thought he had broken me. He had no idea what was coming.