Chapter 3

I walked back into my house, the house Derek and I had chosen together, and it felt like a stranger's home. The photos on the wall of our smiling faces were a mockery. I moved through the rooms in a daze, my earlier joy replaced by a chilling silence.

That evening, Derek came home. He was a perfect actor. He walked in, smiling, and came straight to me, placing a kiss on my cheek.

"How are my two favorite people?" he asked, his hand resting on my belly.

I flinched at his touch but forced a weak smile. "We're fine. Just tired."

"I brought you something," he said, walking into the kitchen. He returned with a glass of warm milk. "For the baby. You need to keep your strength up."

He held it out to me, his eyes full of fake concern. The same eyes that had looked at his friends with such cruel amusement just hours before. My stomach turned. I knew, with a certainty that chilled me to the bone, that this milk was not just milk.

"I'm not thirsty, Derek," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

"Just a little, for the baby," he coaxed, his smile tightening at the edges. "Don't you want our son to be strong and healthy?"

Our son. The words were poison.

"No, really, I can't," I insisted, pushing the glass away gently.

His face changed in an instant. The mask of the loving husband fell away, replaced by a flicker of irritation. It was so fast I might have missed it if I hadn't been looking for it.

"Aleida, drink the milk," he said, his voice low and firm. It wasn't a request. It was an order.

He pressed the glass to my lips. I had no choice but to drink, the warm, slightly sweet liquid sliding down my throat. I felt a sense of dread with every swallow.

Soon after, a heavy drowsiness washed over me. My limbs felt like lead, my eyelids too heavy to keep open.

"I think I need to lie down," I murmured, my words slurring.

Derek guided me to the couch, his touch now feeling like a spider's caress. "That's right, honey. You just rest."

The world faded into a blurry haze. I was vaguely aware of other figures in the room, shadows moving in the periphery of my vision before I slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.

I woke up hours later, my body aching and a strange, sticky residue on my skin. I felt violated, a deep, primal wrongness that settled in my bones. The house was quiet. Derek had already left for work.

My mind was surprisingly clear. The rage from yesterday had sharpened into a cold, focused purpose. I stood up and walked to the bookshelf in the living room. Tucked behind a row of classic novels was a small, black box. A hidden camera. Derek had installed it months ago, claiming it was for "security." I now knew what he was securing.

I took out the memory card and inserted it into my laptop. My hands were steady. I had to see. I had to know the full extent of their betrayal.

I fast-forwarded through the empty hours until I saw movement. The recording was from last night, after I had passed out.

The screen showed Derek letting two people into the house. My heart stopped. It was Else Ortega and Edison Hubbard.

I watched, my breath held tight, as they stood over my unconscious body on the couch.

Else looked down at me, her face a mask of pure hatred. "She looks so peaceful. It's disgusting."

"It's just the sedative," Derek said, his voice casual. "It works like a charm. She'll be out for hours."

Edison leaned in close, a lecherous smile on his face. "So, this is what she's like when she's pliable. This makes things much easier."

"We're just testing the new serum tonight," Else said, pulling a small vial from her purse. "The 'submissive serum,' as Edison so elegantly calls it. I want to make sure it's perfect for the party. I want her completely aware but unable to resist. I want her to know what's happening to her."

My stomach lurched. They had been planning this for weeks. Drugging me, testing things on me in my own home.

"Why do you hate her so much, Else?" Edison asked, almost admiringly.

"She tried to take him from me," Else spat, gesturing toward Derek. "She filled his head with ideas of a normal life, a family. She tried to make him forget what was important. Me."

Derek looked at Else with an expression of pure adoration. "No one could ever make me forget you."

Then, a new person entered the frame. A man I didn't recognize. He was tall and brutish, with cold, dead eyes.

"This is the guy I was telling you about," Edison said. "He's willing to pay top dollar for a 'test run' before the party. It'll be a nice little bonus for our pot."

"The party is in two days, when Else officially 'returns'," Derek confirmed. "Everything is set."

I watched in horror as Else took a swab from inside my cheek. "Just need to test the sedative levels. Make sure she's completely under."

She looked at the result on a small device. "Perfect. She's completely helpless."

They talked for a few more minutes, their voices a low murmur of conspiracy, finalizing their plans for my public degradation. Then Derek and Else left, leaving Edison and the strange man alone with me.

I couldn't watch anymore. I slammed the laptop shut, a strangled cry escaping my lips. The depth of their depravity was bottomless. This wasn't just a bet. It was a systematic, long-term plan of abuse and exploitation.

I took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing the despair down. I had to be smart. I had to be strong.

Suddenly, I heard the front door open. "Aleida? I'm home early!"

It was Derek.

Panic seized me. I quickly put the laptop away, my hands shaking.

"I'm in here," I called out, trying to keep my voice even.

He walked in, smiling. "I was worried about you. You seemed so out of it last night. Are you feeling better?"

"Much better," I lied, my heart pounding. "I was just resting."

He seemed to believe me. "Good. I need to run upstairs for a minute to grab a file."

As soon as he was out of sight, my survival instincts kicked in. His phone was on the coffee table. This was my chance.

I snatched it. His password was Else' s birthday. Of course.

I quickly swiped through his apps. It looked normal. Too normal. Then I noticed it-a slight shimmer at the bottom of the screen. I pressed my thumb on it, and a second, hidden interface appeared. It was a completely separate system on the same phone.

My fingers flew across the screen, opening a messaging app I didn't recognize. The first person on his priority list was Else. Their chat history was filled with vile, twisted messages about me.

Then I saw a group chat. I clicked on it.

The name of the group made the air leave my lungs.

"Aleida's Auction."