Chapter 2

Jillian Andrews POV:

The next morning, Alex woke me with a kiss and a small, beautifully wrapped box. "A little anniversary gift," he murmured against my hair, his voice still thick with sleep. "I made it myself."

My stomach clenched. I knew this wasn't his gift. This was Charlotte's. I remembered a message from their group chat, a picture of this very box with the caption: Round two. Let's see if she has the stomach for this one.

My fingers felt like ice as I took the box. It was a small, artisanal cake, a delicate tiramisu dusted with cocoa powder. It looked perfect. Innocent.

But I knew better. I remembered another message, one that had made me physically ill.

Marco: Is that what I think it is in the mascarpone?

Charlotte: Just a little something from my prize-winning show dog. A personal touch. She won' t even know. Alex will tell her it' s a fancy new kind of truffle.

A wave of nausea washed over me, so strong I had to grip the sheets. I could feel the phantom vibration of their laughter, see their mocking faces on the screen of his laptop. They were probably watching now, on some hidden camera, waiting for me to take a bite.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, his brow furrowing in that performance of concern I was coming to know so well. "You look pale. Don't you like it?"

"I... I'm not very hungry this morning, Alex," I said, my voice barely a whisper. I pushed the box away.

His smile became a little tighter, a little less warm. "Just one bite, Jill. I worked so hard on it. For you."

He picked up a small silver spoon, dug it into the cake, and held it to my lips. He had deliberately scooped from the center, from the part of the cake I knew was contaminated.

"Come on," he coaxed, his voice a gentle weapon. "For me."

I looked into his eyes, searching for any flicker of guilt, any crack in the facade. There was nothing. Only a serene, loving sincerity. He was a master. A sociopath in a bespoke suit.

The fight went out of me. It was easier to play my part, to be the docile, trusting wife they expected. It was the only way my own plan would work.

I opened my mouth.

The creamy texture was immediately violated by something gritty, something foul that coated my tongue. The taste was unspeakable. I forced myself to swallow, the bile rising in my throat. I smiled at him, a dead, hollow thing.

"It's... delicious," I choked out.

His face broke into a triumphant, loving grin. "I knew you'd like it." He patted my head like a dog. "I have to run to the office for a bit, but I'll make us a proper breakfast when I get back. You just rest."

He kissed my forehead and left the room, whistling softly.

The moment the front door clicked shut, I scrambled to the bathroom and retched, my body convulsing as I threw up the cake and everything else in my stomach. I knelt on the cold marble floor, shaking, a profound cold seeping into my bones. This wasn't just a prank. This was a violation. He didn't just not love me; he held me in such contempt that he would watch me eat filth for his and his lover's amusement. He had no regard for my health, my dignity, my humanity.

Later that day, the stomach cramps started. They were violent and unrelenting. By evening, I was curled in a ball on the floor, sweating and delirious with pain. Alex found me there and rushed me to the emergency room, his face a mask of frantic worry.

"Acute gastritis," the doctor said after they had pumped my stomach. "Did you eat something unusual?"

Alex, holding my hand, answered for me. "No, nothing. I don't understand how this could have happened." He looked so convincing, so utterly distraught.

I drifted in and out of a morphine-laced haze. In a moment of semi-lucidity, I heard his phone buzz repeatedly on the bedside table. He thought I was asleep. I watched through slitted eyelids as he picked it up.

His face was illuminated by the screen. He was smiling.

I couldn't hear what he was typing, but I didn't need to. I knew. I had seen the messages before I was rushed here.

Charlotte: Is she okay? You didn't actually poison her, did you?

Alex: Relax. Just a little stomach bug. The doctors are baffled. You should see me, I'm playing the part of the devoted husband to perfection. I deserve an Oscar for this.

Marco: LOL. Tell her we're all thinking of her!

A cascade of laughing emojis filled his screen. He typed back, She' s asleep now. Poor thing. Completely clueless.

My heart, which I thought could not break any further, fractured into a million tiny pieces. I squeezed my eyes shut, a single, hot tear tracing a path through the grime and sweat on my temple.

I felt a light touch on my shoulder. I opened my eyes. Alex was leaning over me, his face etched with concern. He had put the phone away.

"Hey," he whispered, stroking my hair. "You're awake. You scared me, Jill."

I just stared at him, my expression blank.

He smiled softly. "Get some rest. I'll be right here."

He settled into the uncomfortable visitor's chair, pulling his jacket around him, feigning a weary vigil. I watched him until my eyelids grew heavy again.

When I woke hours later, the first light of dawn was filtering through the window. Alex was gone. A note was on the bedside table.

Had to go to the office for an emergency meeting. Will be back as soon as I can. Love you. - A

I knew where he was. He was with Charlotte, laughing. Recounting the story. Celebrating their latest victory.

I lay in the sterile white bed, the antiseptic smell filling my nostrils, and for the first time since this nightmare began, I didn't feel rage or sadness. I felt nothing at all. Just a vast, empty quiet. It was the quiet of a house after the storm has passed, leaving only wreckage behind. The love was gone. The hope was gone. All that was left was the plan.

I turned my head to the window, watching the city wake up, and a dry, bitter laugh escaped my lips. A single tear rolled down my cheek, hot and final.