I was jerked awake by pain spreading across my chest and arms. My eyes flew open as I gasped, the shock of hot water burning my skin. Through the steam and my own tears, I saw Ethan standing over me, empty kettle in hand, smiling.

"Are you done pretending yet?". The kettle dangled from his small fingers, a few drops of hot water still dripping onto the floor.

I couldn't speak, couldn't breathe through the pain. My skin felt like it was melting off my body.

"My mom would be alive if it wasn't for you. You're just a replacement part that doesn't even fit right."

The burning sensation intensified as I struggled to sit up. "Ethan, why would you—"

"Stop saying my name like you know me," he spat. "You're nothing to me. Nothing!"

Something in me snapped. Five years of abuse, five years of trying to love a child who only wanted to hurt me. I lunged forward, reaching for his arm, wanting to shake some sense into him, to make him understand the pain he caused me daily.

But my legs were tangled in the sheets, and I fell forward instead. My arm caught on the edge of the bedside table, slicing open. Blood spurted from the wound, splashing across Ethan's face and white t-shirt.

Ethan's eyes widened in shock, and then he let out a scream. "Help! Help! She's trying to kill me!"

Heavy footsteps pounded down the hallway. Daniel's mother burst into the room, her face changing from concern to rage when she saw her grandson's blood-splattered shirt.

"What have you done?" she pulled Ethan protectively against her. "My God, look at him!"

"I didn't—" I tried to explain, but she cut me off.

"I always knew you were unstable," she hissed, wrapping her arms around Ethan's trembling shoulders. "You've been jealous of this child from day one, haven't you? Jealous that Daniel loved his son more than he could ever love you."

I pressed my hand against my bleeding arm, wincing at the dual pains of my burned chest and cut arm. "That's not what happened. He poured boiling water on me while I was sleeping."

"Liar!" Ethan sobbed into his grandmother's chest. "I didn't do anything! I just came to wake her up for breakfast and she attacked me!"

The older woman's face hardened as she stared at me with contempt. "You disgust me. My son married a harlot who would harm a child and then lie about it."

"I'm not lying," I insisted, my voice cracking. "Why would I hurt myself?"

"For attention, of course," she sneered. "You've always been desperate for Daniel's attention. But he'll never truly love you. How could he? You're nothing compared to Jessica—now there's a woman who knows how to be a proper wife and mother."

I staggered to my feet, the room spinning around me. "I never wanted to be Melissa's replacement. I only wanted to help."

"Help?" She laughed bitterly. "You've done nothing but bring misery to this house. You don't fit here—you never have. My son needs a real woman, not some pathetic imitation playing house."

Blood dripped onto the carpet as I stumbled toward the closet, pulling out my suitcase with my arm. I couldn't stay here another minute, not after this. The pain from my burns and cut arm was nothing compared to the agony of being so hated in what was supposed to be my home.

I threw clothes hastily into the suitcase, not caring what I packed. My fingers left bloody smears on everything I touched.

The bedroom door opened again, and Daniel stood in the doorway, his expression shifting from anger to shock when he saw my state.

"Kate, you're bleeding badly," he said, stepping toward me. "We need to get you to the hospital. Those burns look serious, and your arm needs stitches."

His voice carried concern, but his eyes held something else—calculation, as if he was wondering how this would affect him.

"I'll call an ambulance. You need medical attention right away."

"Don't waste your time on her," his mother snapped, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. "This is what happens when you treat Ethan the way she does. Let her deal with the consequences of her actions."

I zipped the suitcase shut. "I don't need your help, Daniel. I just need you to sign these." I nodded toward the divorce papers on the dresser.

Daniel's eyes widened. "You're bluffing. You wouldn't really leave."

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life," I shouted angrily.

He ran a hand through his hair, suddenly looking desperate. "Look, I know you're angry, but why make it this way? We can work something out. Jessica can take care of Ethan on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and you can have him the rest of the week. It can be even."

I stared at him in disbelief. Even now, he was trying to negotiate, to find a solution that would benefit him without addressing the real problem.

"I'm done being your backup plan. Sign these, or my lawyer will contact you tomorrow."

I managed to stand up straight despite the pain radiating through my body. My legs trembled as I dragged my suitcase toward the door.

Daniel stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "Kate, please. Think about what you're doing. Where will you go? How will you support yourself?"

"Move," I said.

Jessica appeared in the doorway behind him, her perfectly made-up face showing no sympathy for my injuries. "Let her go, Daniel. She clearly doesn't fit here."

A real woman would know how to handle a child without resorting to violence. You're pathetic.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of them both. I always have, even when you thought you were the only woman in Daniel's bed."

Before I could respond, she grabbed my suitcase and shoved threw it into the hallway. "Your taxi's waiting, replacement."

I stumbled after my belongings, barely keeping my balance as pain shot through my body. Jessica pushed me again, harder this time, and I fell against the wall.

"Don't ever come back," she hissed and slammed the door behind me.

I stood in the hallway, bleeding and burned, listening to Daniel's mother comforting Ethan, Jessica's laughter, Daniel's muffled voice. No one came to check if I was okay.

With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and called for a cab. The screen was slick with my blood, making it hard to dial.

Somehow, I managed to drag my suitcase down the stairs and outside to the curb. The morning air was cool against my burned skin, offering small relief. I sat on my suitcase, waiting, wondering how my life had come to this moment.

Five years ago, I had made a promise to my dying best friend, ever since then I've been trying to love a child who hated me, and be a wife to a man who saw me as a convenient replacement.

Minutes passed and I kept expecting the door to open for Daniel to come rushing out with apologies and promises, but the house remained silent.

Finally, a cab pulled up.

"Miss, are you okay? Do you need an ambulance instead?" he asked as he came and reached for my suitcase.

I shook my head, trying to stand. "No, I just need to get away from here."

"Where to, then?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to answer, but the words wouldn't come.

"Miss?" He asked.

"Anywhere but here," I managed to whisper.

As I reached for the cab door. My body felt suddenly heavy, like I was being pulled underwater. 667

The last thing I heard was the cabbie shouting for help, as darkness swallowed me whole. Then... nothing.

Daniel ' POV

I stood frozen at the window, watching Kate stumble down the driveway. Blood was dripping from her arm, staining the concrete path. She couldn't really be leaving—not like this. Not with those burns on her chest and that deep cut on her arm. She was bluffing. Had to be.

The cab pulled up. I pressed my palm against the glass, waiting for her to look back at the house, to change her mind. The darkness would chase her back. It always did. Kate never stayed mad for long.

But this time, something was different. Even from here, I could see how straight her back was, how determined each painful step looked. The cabbie jumped out, alarmed at her condition. I should run down there, I thought. I should stop her.

"Daniel." My mother's voice cut through my thoughts. "Stop watching her. She's made her choice."

I turned to face her. Mom stood with her arms crossed, head high, looking like a general who'd just won a battle.

"She was bleeding pretty bad, Mom."

"And whose fault is that? She attacked Ethan. Be grateful she's gone before she could do worse." She walked over and placed her hands on my shoulders. "You've always deserved better than that woman. You're worth so much more, Daniel. I've been telling you for years."

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I ignored it.

Jessica sauntered into the living room from the kitchen, carrying a tray of fresh muffins like this was just another Sunday morning.

"I made breakfast," she announced, setting the tray down on the coffee table. "Ethan needs something in his stomach after that terrible ordeal."

The ease with which she moved through my house, like she already owned it, made my stomach tighten. But I said nothing as she headed straight for Ethan, who was sitting on the couch, looking smaller than his nine years.

"There's my brave boy," she cooed, wrapping her arms around him. "Your grandmother told me everything. How awful for you to go through that."

To my surprise, Ethan leaned into her embrace. He'd always been standoffish with Jessica before, but now he clung to her like she was a life raft.

"She tried to hurt me," Ethan mumbled into Jessica's shoulder. "Kate's always been mean to me."

Jessica stroked his hair. "Well, she's gone now. And I'm here. I'll take care of you properly."

"Will you stay?" Ethan asked, looking up at her with those big eyes of his. "Forever?"

"If your daddy wants me to," Jessica answered, looking over at me with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

It was strange how quickly Ethan had warmed to Jessica. For years, he'd been cold toward anyone who wasn't Melissa. But here he was, cuddled up to Jessica like they'd been close forever.

My phone buzzed again. This time, I pulled it out.

It was Cheryl, my secretary. I stepped into the hallway to answer.

"Mr. Miller," she said, skipping any greeting, "I just saw Kate being helped into an ambulance outside your building. Her clothes were soaked in blood. Are you aware of this?"

I felt a chill run down my spine. "An ambulance?"

"Yes, sir. The doorman said she collapsed on the sidewalk waiting for a cab. Is she all right? Should I meet her at the hospital?"

I was annoyed at being questioned like this. Who did Cheryl think she was? But I kept my voice even. "That won't be necessary. Kate and I had a... disagreement this morning. She decided to leave."

"In that condition?" Cheryl's voice was sharp with disapproval. "Sir, she brings your favorite lunch to the office three times a week, did you know that? Jessica always tells me you're too busy and sends it back."

"What are you talking about?"

"Kate waits for you after every board meeting, sometimes for hours. You never notice her sitting in the lobby. And she picks Ethan up from school every day, but he always says he's waiting for Jessica or the bus."

I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Cheryl, I don't think this is appropriate—"

"She got you a reservation for that fantasy island resort you've been talking about for months. And some expensive gaming system for Ethan. She was going to surprise you both next week."

My mouth went dry. "How do you know all this?"

"Because she talks to me, sir. Unlike you." There was a pause. "Check your email if you don't believe me."

Cheryl hung up before I could respond.

I walked to my home office in a daze, ignoring Jessica's calls for me to join them for breakfast. At my desk, I opened my personal email. There it was—a confirmation from Fantasy Island Resort, dated three weeks ago. A reservation for the Presidential Suite, seven nights, all expenses paid.

Next to my computer was a small, wrapped package I hadn't noticed before. I tore off the paper to find the latest gaming system—the one Ethan had been begging for, the one that had been sold out everywhere for months.

How had Kate gotten this? It must have cost her a fortune.

I sat back, staring at the resort confirmation on my screen and holding the expensive gaming system in my hands.

With shaking hands, I pulled open my desk drawer, looking for a pen. Instead, I found a small, unfamiliar package wrapped in silver paper.

I opened it slowly, dreading what I might find.

Inside was a silver frame with a photo of Melissa, Ethan, and me from our last vacation before she got sick. A note was attached

Daniel ' POV

I stared at the note in the silver frame for what felt like hours, reading the same words over and over until they blurred together. Kate's handwriting was shaky, probably from the pain she was in when she wrote it.

*"For the family we could have been. I hope someday you remember the woman who loved you both."*

My hands trembled as I set the frame down. This was just another one of her guilt trips. She'd done this before—packed a bag, threatened to leave to make me feel bad about something. Then she'd come back within a day or two, apologizing and trying to make up for whatever had upset her.

Kate didn't have anywhere else to go. I crumpled up the note and threw it in the trash. She'd be back by dinner, guaranteed.

The rest of the day crawled by. Every time my phone buzzed, I expected it to be Kate begging to come home. Instead, it was just work emails and a few texts from Jessica asking if I needed anything.

When I finally left the office at six, I felt oddly nervous. The whole drive home, I kept telling myself Kate would be there. She'd probably cooked my favorite meal as an apology.

But as I pulled into the driveway, the house looked... empty. Dark. None of the usual lights were on in the kitchen.

I walked through the front door and called out, "Kate? I'm home!"

Silence.

The kitchen was spotless but cold. No smell of dinner cooking.

"Kate?" I called again, louder this time.

Mom appeared at the top of the stairs, holding Ethan's hand. "She's not here, Daniel. I told you—she's gone."

"She'll be back," I said, more to convince myself than anyone else. "She's just... making a point."

I wasn't hungry but my stomach felt twisted up in knots.

I walked past them and headed upstairs to our bedroom. Kate's side of the closet was completely empty. Her perfume bottles were gone from the dresser. Even her pillow was missing from the bed.

I sat down on the edge of the mattress, staring at the empty space where her things used to be. The room felt huge and cold without her stuff cluttering it up.

I'd always complained about how she left her books everywhere, how she never put her jewelry back in the right place.

Now I would have given anything to see her reading glasses on the nightstand or her hair ties scattered across the dresser.

I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. It went straight to voicemail.

"Kate, it's me. Look, whatever this is about, we can work it out. Just come home, okay? Ethan needs you. I need you. Please call me back."

I hung up and immediately felt stupid. She was probably listening to the message right now, smiling as she planned her dramatic return.

The house felt different that night. Too quiet. Usually Kate would be bustling around, getting Ethan ready for bed, reminding me about meetings I had the next day. Instead, Jessica had handled everything with an efficiency that somehow made me feel worse.

"Daddy?" Ethan appeared in my doorway around eleven, holding his stuffed elephant. "I can't sleep."

"What's wrong, buddy?"

"The room's too dark. Kate usually leaves the hallway light on for me."

I looked down the hall. Jessica must have turned it off. "I'll turn it on for you."

"And she always checks under my bed for monsters," Ethan continued. "And she leaves my door open just a little bit so I can see the light."

Each thing he said felt like a small punch to my chest. I'd never realized how many little things Kate did for him every single night.

"I can do that," I said, walking him back to his room. I turned on the hallway light, checked under his bed, and left his door cracked open.

Now go to sleep, I said to ethan as I returned to the room.

I must have fallen asleep around midnight, but something jolted me awake. I lay there in the dark, listening.

What had woken me up?

Then I heard it. A scream from down the hall.

I shot out of bed and ran to Ethan's room. He was sitting up in bed, his whole body shaking. His face was pale in the moonlight streaming through his window.

"Ethan! What's wrong?"

He looked at me with wide, frightened eyes. For a moment, he didn't seem to recognize me.

"The monsters," he whispered. "They're in the dark. They're trying to get me."

"There are no monsters, buddy. It's just a bad dream."

I reached out to touch his shoulder, but he flinched away from me.

"Kate always checks under the bed," he said, his voice tiny. "She always looks in the closet. She makes sure they're gone."

My heart twisted. "I can check. I can do that."

"No!" Ethan shook his head frantically. "You don't know how. Kate knows the right way. Kate makes them go away."

I got down on my knees and looked under the bed anyway. "See? Nothing there."

But when I stood up, Ethan was crying.

"They're still there. I can feel them watching. Kate always says the magic words. She always makes them disappear."

"What magic words? I can say them too."

Ethan looked at me like I was crazy. "You don't believe in them. Kate said the magic only works if you really believe. You think I'm being a baby."

"That's not true, Ethan. I—"

"Where is she?" he interrupted, his voice breaking. "Where's Kate? Why isn't she coming to help me?"

"She's... she had to go away for a while."

Another scream tore from his throat, and he pressed himself against the headboard like he was trying to disappear into the wall.

"Ethan, please. Let me help you."

"You can't!" he sobbed. "

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. He kept screaming her name, over and over, begging her to come back and make the darkness go away.

I stood there helplessly, watching my son fall apart, and realized that Kate hadn't just left me.

She'd left us both.