Chapter 2

The next day, I feel like a ghost in my own home. I stay in my room, the one at the far end of the hall, away from the master suite Ethan and I never shared.

From my window, I see them. Ethan and Gabrielle.

He' s showing her the new greenhouse, a magnificent structure of glass and steel that glistens in the weak winter sun. He had it built last year. It was supposed to be her wedding gift, a promise he made to her years ago. He never gave me so much as a single flower.

He holds her hand, his expression soft and adoring. Gabrielle looks radiant, her blonde hair catching the light. She laughs, a sound that echoes faintly up to my window. They look perfect together, the golden couple reunited.

I feel like an intruder, a rat hiding in the walls, watching a life that was never meant for me.

Later, there' s a soft knock on my door. It' s Gabrielle.

She steps inside, closing the door behind her. She' s wearing a beautiful cashmere sweater, looking warm and healthy. She gives me a look of feigned sympathy.

"Annabel," she says, her voice sweet as honey. "I' m so sorry you had to see that. It must be so difficult for you."

I just stare at her, my heart pounding with a familiar mix of fear and resentment. My father, a man respected by the whole town, always favored her. He let her treat me like dirt my entire life, and I was forced to endure it.

"What do you want, Gabrielle?" I ask, my voice hoarse.

She moves closer, her eyes scanning my plain, worn-out dress. "I just wanted to talk. To clear the air."

She reaches out as if to touch my arm, then pulls back, "accidentally" letting her sleeve ride up. I see them then-faint, silvery scars crisscrossing her wrist. My breath catches in my throat.

She sees my expression and a flicker of triumph appears in her eyes before being replaced by tears.

"Oh, God," she sobs, covering her face. "I didn' t want you to see."

"What happened to you?" I ask, despite myself.

Her head snaps up, her blue eyes filled with accusation. "You know what happened! You told me to meet him, that man. You said he was a friend."

I stare at her, confused. "What man? I don' t know what you' re talking about."

"Don' t lie, Annabel!" she cries, her voice rising. "The man you sent me to on my wedding day! He... he took me. He held me captive for three years. He hurt me."

Tears stream down her perfect face. "If you had just told me you were in love with Ethan, I would have stepped aside. I would have let you have him. You didn' t have to do this to me."

Her words hang in the air, a poisonous lie. Before I can even process it, the door bursts open.

Ethan stands there, his face a mask of pure fury. He heard everything.

"You," he snarls, his eyes locking onto me. He strides across the room and grabs me by the throat, his fingers digging into my skin. "You did this to her. You vile, jealous creature."

He shoves me against the wall, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. Gabrielle rushes to his side, clinging to his arm.

"Ethan, no! Don' t hurt her. It' s not her fault she' s so... twisted."

Her words only fuel his rage. He looks from her tear-streaked face to my terrified one.

"She' s not a guest in this house anymore," he declares, his voice dangerously low. "From now on, she' s a servant. She will work to repay the debt she owes you. She will learn what it means to suffer."