The smoke clawed at my lungs, each breath a searing agony. My vision blurred, tears streaming down my face, not from sorrow, but from the unbearable heat and the acrid fumes. I stumbled, desperate, pushing through the inferno, trying to find an escape. The bedroom door, the one Holden had just run through with Max, was now engulfed in flames, a solid wall of fire. There was no way out.

I turned, coughing violently, my eyes searching wildly. The window. It was my only option. I crawled towards it, the floorboards hot beneath my hands, the air thick and suffocating.

Through the smoke-stained glass, I saw them. Holden, outside, in the front yard, holding Max. And Isabelle, clinging to him, her face buried in his chest, sobbing hysterically.

"Holden, darling, I was so scared! I thought I was going to die!" she cried, her voice carrying clearly through the night. "It was just like when we were little, and that stray dog attacked me! You always saved me, didn't you?"

Holden stroked her hair, his arm wrapped tightly around her. "Shh, Isabelle, it's okay. I'm here. I'll always protect you."

My heart, already a barren wasteland, felt nothing. No anger, no pain. Just an immense, profound emptiness. It was the moment I realized I truly didn't care anymore. My life, my death-it no longer mattered to him. I was utterly, completely alone.

And then, a strange sense of calm washed over me. Acceptance. I wouldn't wait for anyone. I wouldn't hope for anyone. I would save myself. Or I wouldn't. It was all the same.

I pushed open the window, the fresh, cold night air a temporary relief. Below, the ground looked impossibly far. But there was no choice. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I climbed onto the Sill.

And then I jumped.

The fall was a dizzying blur of wind and terror, ending with a sickening thud. Pain exploded through my body, a thousand shards of glass tearing through my flesh. I lay there, gasping, a crimson stain spreading rapidly beneath me.

A scream pierced the night-the housekeeper. Holden spun around, his eyes wide with horror as he saw me. He dropped Max, running towards me, his face a mask of unprecedented panic.

"Celeste! My God, Celeste!" He knelt beside me, his hands hovering, unsure how to touch me.

I tried to speak, but a gush of blood choked me. My vision swam, tinged red. Then, darkness.

I awoke to the familiar sterile scent of a hospital. My body was a symphony of aches and pains, every joint, every muscle screaming in protest. Holden was there, slumped in a chair by my bed, his face pale and haggard, dark circles under his eyes.

He looked up as I stirred, a flicker of desperate hope in his haunted eyes. He reached for my hand, his grip surprisingly gentle. "Celeste... you're awake. Thank God. I was so worried."

I pulled my hand away, slowly but firmly. The contact felt alien, unwelcome.

His face fell. "Celeste, about the fire... I swear, I didn't mean to leave you. Max was right there, whimpering. It was instinct. Why didn't you scream? Why didn't you call for help?" His voice rose, tinged with a desperate defensiveness.

I looked at him, my eyes empty. "What would have been the point, Holden?" My voice was a dry, rasping whisper. "You weren't coming back for me. You would never come back for me."

He stared at me, his jaw clenching. He realized, then, the finality in my tone. The utter lack of expectation.

"I don't expect your love, Holden. I don't expect your protection. I don't expect anything from you anymore."

His phone buzzed. Isabelle. Again. He glanced at the screen, then at me, a silent apology forming on his lips.

"Go," I said, my voice devoid of emotion. "She needs you, doesn't she?"

He looked relieved, almost grateful. "I'll be quick, Celeste. I promise. I'll make it up to you. We can go to your mother's grave tomorrow. It's her... anniversary, isn't it?"

My heart, if I had one, would have shattered anew. I felt a cold, bitter laugh rise in my throat. "No, Holden. It's not her anniversary tomorrow."

He frowned, confused. "But I thought you always said..."

"Tomorrow, Holden," I interrupted, my voice flat, "is Isabelle's birthday."

His face drained of color. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. He had forgotten my mother's death anniversary, conflated it with Isabelle's birthday, and then offered it as a token of his "remorse." The sheer audacity, the casual cruelty of it, was breathtaking.

He stood there, stunned, silently begging for me to react, to scream, to lash out. But I just stared at him, my eyes devoid of judgment, devoid of feeling.

"It's fine, Holden," I said, a faint, chilling smile touching my lips. "Go. Celebrate her. It's what you always do."

He finally turned, his shoulders slumped, and walked out of the room, leaving me alone once more. The door clicked shut, sealing my fate. He would never choose me.

Chapter 4

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