Chapter 5

Alec hesitated. His jaw worked, searching for the right words, the right lie.

"I... I had him transferred," he finally said. "It was a stressful situation. Catalina wasn' t well."

He couldn't even look at me. It was always about her. Every decision, every action, filtered through the lens of what Catalina needed.

A wave of hot, useless anger washed over me. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. The pain was a grounding sensation, a sharp point of focus in the swirling chaos of my emotions. I wanted to scream, to rage, to claw at his handsome, lying face. But my body wouldn't cooperate. The rage was trapped inside, a silent, burning poison.

He saw the flicker of pain in my expression and misinterpreted it. "I' m sorry, Haven," he said, his voice dripping with practiced sincerity. "We' ll move past this. I promise."

He started talking again, painting another beautiful picture of our future, a future where none of this had ever happened.

I cut him off. "I' m tired, Alec."

The words stopped him cold.

"I want to be alone," I said.

The hurt in his eyes was real this time. He wasn' t used to being dismissed. He had pursued me for years, a relentless, charming force of nature. I had believed in the fairy tale he sold me. I had believed our love was the one true thing in my life.

Now I saw the truth. It was a story he told himself, and I was just a supporting character.

He left without another word.

A few days later, he drove me home. Back to our condo. The city skyline looked the same, but everything felt different. Alien.

Our garden on the terrace, the one I had spent years cultivating, was overgrown with weeds. Inside, things were missing. A painting I loved. A sculpture I' d bought on our honeymoon. My favorite armchair.

"What happened to my things?" I asked.

Alec shifted uncomfortably. "I had to make some room. Catalina... she stayed here for a bit. She needed a place to feel safe."

He said it so casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for his ex-girlfriend to move into our home while his wife was in prison.

"Don' t worry," he added quickly, trying to placate me. "She' s in the guest room now. I made her move out of the master bedroom this morning."

He led me through the apartment, showing me the changes, a proud host displaying his hospitality. I followed him, my face a blank mask. My heart was a cold, dead stone in my chest.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind, his chin resting on my shoulder. "I missed you so much, Haven. I' m so sorry for everything."

I stood rigid in his embrace. Then, with a strength I didn' t know I possessed, I pushed him away.

"Don' t," I said. "Don' t talk about it. I don' t want to hear it."

He looked stunned. "Haven..."

Just then, the front door clicked open.

Catalina breezed in, carrying shopping bags. She stopped short when she saw us. A flicker of annoyance crossed her face before she rearranged it into a bright, welcoming smile.

"Haven! You' re home! How wonderful." She glanced at my hospital-issued clothes. "Oh, you poor thing. We need to get you some new clothes. Alec, did you tell her? I' m so sorry, I had to clear out some of your old things to make space."

I just looked at her, my silence a wall she couldn' t penetrate.

She tried to take my arm, to guide me towards the bedroom. "Let me show you what I' ve done with the place."

I pulled my arm back.

Her smile faltered. I saw the flash of anger in her eyes.

"It' s fine," I said, my voice eerily calm. "I' m sure it' s lovely."

I needed to get away. I needed to put the next phase of my plan into motion. "I think I' ll take a bath."

While the water ran, I took the tiny, waterproof camera Jetta had slipped me from its hiding place. It was no bigger than a button. I secured it behind the mirror in the master bathroom, the lens perfectly positioned to capture the entire room.

When I came out, Catalina was alone with Alec. Her voice was a low, venomous hiss.

"She hates me, Alec. She' s going to try to ruin everything. You have to choose."

"I already chose you," he said, his voice weary.

Catalina wasn' t satisfied. She wanted a public declaration. She wanted to humiliate me.

"I' m going to throw a party," she announced, her voice suddenly bright and loud for my benefit. "A commitment ceremony. For us. To show the world that our love is real."

Then, she walked over to the fire alarm panel by the door and, with a malicious smile, pulled the lever.

The alarm blared, a deafening, piercing scream.

The building' s automated voice began to chant: "FIRE DETECTED. PLEASE EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY."