Chapter 4

The carvings were a map of her suffering.

Each letter a silent scream in the endless nights at Serenity Pines.

Ethan Cole had enjoyed her "devotion," as he' d called it, finding new ways to make her carve Liam' s name deeper.

It was the only way she could hold onto him, even as they tortured her in his misunderstood name.

Her love, twisted into a weapon against her.

Now, seeing Liam with Cassandra, hearing Cassandra was pregnant with his child – a lie, but Ava didn' t know that – shattered the last fragile remnants of hope.

There was nothing left but the promise to Chloe and the ticking clock of her illness.

Liam forced her to attend endless pre-engagement events.

Charity galas, private dinners, meetings with florists and caterers.

Ava was a shadow, fetching, carrying, enduring Cassandra' s snide remarks and Liam' s cold contempt.

The fatigue from the ALS was a constant, heavy cloak. Her muscles twitched, her hands grew weaker. Swallowing was becoming difficult.

At one event, a fundraiser, Liam and Cassandra were the golden couple.

He was attentive to Cassandra, his hand always on her arm, a smile for the cameras.

For Ava, there were only curt commands.

"Get Cassandra a drink."

"Find my coat."

"Stay out of sight."

She obeyed, her face a blank mask. Anything to avoid being sent back to Serenity Pines.

One afternoon, after a particularly grueling series of errands, Ava felt a wave of nausea.

Her illness made keeping food down a struggle.

She discreetly vomited into a restroom toilet, then rinsed her mouth, trying to compose herself.

Liam found her leaning against a wall in the corridor, pale and trembling.

He threw a wad of cash at her feet.

"Clean that up," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "And try not to look so pathetic. It's an embarrassment."

Ava bent down, her fingers fumbling with the bills, tears stinging her eyes.

The public humiliation was a constant.

Her only goal now was to disappear. Cleanly. Completely. The research program was her only solace.

Then came the preparations for the engagement party itself.

A lavish affair on a yacht, cruising the Hudson.

Ava was tasked with overseeing every detail, from the guest list to the seating charts to the music.

Cassandra changed her mind constantly, adding to Ava' s workload, seeming to delight in her exhaustion.

One evening, after working for nearly twenty hours straight, Ava collapsed in a small utility closet on the yacht.

She dreamed of her own engagement to Liam.

A simple picnic in Central Park. Sunlight filtering through the leaves. His smile, so full of love. The cheap silver ring he' d slipped on her finger, promising forever.

She woke with a start, Cassandra standing over her, a smirk on her face.

"Daydreaming, Ava? Or just too lazy to work?"

Ava scrambled to her feet. "I'm sorry, I just..."

"Save it," Cassandra said. "Liam wants you on deck. Now."

On deck, Cassandra, resplendent in a new gown, confronted Ava.

"He still looks at you sometimes, you know," Cassandra said, her voice a low hiss. "Like he' s remembering. I hate it."

Ava said nothing.

"But he' ll forget," Cassandra continued, her eyes glittering with malice. "Especially after tonight."

She took a step back, then deliberately poured a glass of red wine down the front of her own expensive white dress.

"Oh, no!" Cassandra shrieked, just as Liam approached. "Ava! How could you be so clumsy?"