Chapter 2 The Escape Plan

Chapter Two: The Escape Plan

Reina stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Her long dark hair hung limply over her shoulders, and her eyes-once bright with hope-were now hollow and tired. She couldn't recognize the woman looking back at her. The Reina she used to be was gone, replaced by someone who had endured too much pain, rejection, and humiliation.

It had been hours since the dinner downstairs, but the words Ethan had spoken kept echoing in her mind. "You're not needed here." The final confirmation of what she had known all along. No matter what she did, he would never see her as more than a burden. He didn't care that she had bruises from the accident. He didn't care that she was his wife.

Her hand moved instinctively to her stomach. He didn't care that she was carrying his child, either.

That realization hurt more than anything. She had loved Ethan, truly. She had spent years trying to win his affection, to make him see her as someone worth loving. But all her efforts had been in vain. He never loved her. He never even tried.

The tears she thought had dried came again, slipping down her cheeks silently. But this time, they weren't tears of sorrow. They were tears of resolve.

I have to leave. I can't stay here anymore.

She glanced around the room, the bedroom she had shared with Ethan for years. The cold, empty space that had never felt like home. Reina wiped her tears and began to pack. She grabbed a suitcase from the closet and started filling it with her clothes, her hands trembling with the urgency to get out.

With every piece of clothing she folded, a sense of freedom began to bloom inside her. She didn't know where she would go, but anywhere would be better than here. Anywhere would be better than living with a man who hated her, who made her feel worthless. She didn't have much-just a few thousand dollars saved up, enough to rent a small apartment until she figured things out. But that was all she needed.

Just her, and her baby.

The thought of the child growing inside her gave her strength. She wasn't just leaving for herself anymore. She was leaving for the life she carried. Her baby deserved better than to grow up in a house filled with hatred. Her baby deserved a mother who wasn't broken by a cruel man.

Reina zipped up her suitcase and walked over to the nightstand. She pulled open the drawer, her hand brushing against the cold surface of the divorce papers she had signed earlier that day. It felt like a lifetime ago. Ethan didn't even know about the papers yet. He wouldn't care, she was sure. If anything, he would be relieved that she was making it easy for him.

But she didn't care about that anymore. She wasn't doing this for him. She was doing this for herself.

She slipped the papers into the suitcase and closed it with a snap. The room felt heavier now, as if the walls were pressing in on her, reminding her of all the nights she had cried herself to sleep here, all the nights she had waited for Ethan to come home only to be met with silence. She wasn't going to cry anymore.

Reina took one last look around the room, then grabbed her suitcase and headed for the door. Her heart pounded in her chest, the reality of what she was about to do sinking in. She was really leaving.

Her hand trembled as she reached for the doorknob, but she didn't hesitate. She had to be strong now, for her and for her baby.

As she stepped into the hallway, the house was eerily quiet. Everyone had gone to bed, and the only sound was the ticking of the grandfather clock downstairs. Reina moved quickly, making her way down the stairs, careful not to make any noise.

But as she reached the front door, a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?"

Reina's breath caught in her throat. She turned slowly to see Ethan standing at the bottom of the staircase, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression cold as ever.

Her heart raced, and for a moment, she thought about lying. She could make up some excuse, pretend she was just going for a walk or a drive to clear her head. But then she remembered the divorce papers in her suitcase, the baby growing inside her. She couldn't pretend anymore.

"Yes," she said, her voice steady even though her hands shook. "I'm leaving."

Ethan's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "You think you can just walk out?"

Reina swallowed hard. "I signed the divorce papers."

His eyes flicked to the suitcase in her hand. "And what makes you think I'll let you go?"

Her pulse quickened. Ethan had always been controlling, but there was something different in his voice now, something darker. She wasn't sure if it was anger or something else, but it made her uneasy.

"I don't care what you want," Reina said, summoning every ounce of courage she had left. "I'm leaving, Ethan. You don't get to control me anymore."

For a moment, he said nothing, just stared at her with that same cold, hard gaze he always gave. Then, slowly, his lips curled into a cruel smile.

"You think you're free just because you signed some papers?" he asked, stepping closer. "You're forgetting one thing, Reina."

Her breath hitched as he stopped just inches from her, towering over her like a predator.

"You're carrying my baby," Ethan said, his voice low and dangerous. "You think I'm just going to let you walk away with my heir?"

Reina's stomach twisted in fear, but she forced herself to stay calm. She had to be strong now. She couldn't let him intimidate her anymore.

"I'm not staying," she said, her voice firmer this time. "Not for you, not for anyone."

Ethan's eyes darkened, and for a moment, she thought he might grab her, force her to stay. But instead, he stepped back, his smile fading into something colder.

"You'll come back," he said, his voice dripping with certainty. "You always do."

Reina shook her head, gripping the handle of her suitcase tighter. "Not this time."

Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked out the door, the cool night air hitting her like a wave of relief. She didn't stop, didn't look back, even though her heart was pounding in her chest.

She was free. At least, for now.