"Afraid a divorce would look bad? Hurt your chances at a promotion?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

He frowned at me, his tone matter-of-fact:

"Didn't I already explain this to you? There's nothing between Denise and me. She just wanted to offer herself to me, to fulfill some fantasy of hers."

"I agreed to marry you. You're the only one I'll ever marry, and I'm not going to divorce you."

The absurdity of it hit me like a wall. My voice came out cold as ice:

"I don't need any of that, Ezra. What makes you think that after you killed me and our child, I'd be willing to spend the rest of my life playing house with you?"

Ezra looked at me, something unreadable crossing his face.

"Shelagh, the last life is over. This time around... I'll treat you well."

Before I could respond, he yanked the door open, stepped out, and locked me inside.

Dread flooded my chest. I threw myself at the door and pounded on it with both fists:

"Ezra! What are you doing? Open this door!"

His voice came through muffled, thick with something I couldn't name:

"You know Denise is pregnant. She's still young. If she keeps the baby on her own, her reputation will be ruined for good. I already promised her that once she gives birth, we'll take the child in and raise it as ours..."

"I know you resent Denise. And to make sure you won't mistreat the baby in the future... I can only make it so you can't have children of your own. Without a child of your own, you'll pour everything into that one."

The cold spread through me like poison. I screamed until my throat burned:

"You've lost your mind, Ezra! You want to make it up to her? Fine! Divorce me and do whatever you want! But what gives you the right to destroy me? What gives you the right to ruin my body just to prop up your love story with her?!"

His voice dropped low, almost gentle:

"You owe Denise this... You've always owed her. You owe her and the baby a life..."

"Shelagh, I promise, after this, I'll cut ties with Denise completely. I'll be good to you for the rest of our lives..."

I screamed and cursed at him, but none of it slowed his retreating footsteps.

The door was kicked open. Several men walked in, their faces twisted with ugly intent.

My pupils blew wide the instant I saw them.

These men were the violent offenders Ezra had personally apprehended just weeks ago.

Convicted of assaulting and killing dozens of people.

I understood Ezra's plan in an instant.

My heart had gone cold long ago, but in that moment it tore apart as though pierced by a thousand blades.

Denise stood a short distance away, dangling the key to the lock between her fingers, smiling at me.

Tears spilled down my face before I could stop them. I screamed at her:

"Denise! Why won't you leave me alone? Why are you doing this to me? I'm your sister!"

Rage twisted her features:

"You have the nerve to ask me why? Our whole lives, Mom and Dad favored you over everything!"

"You think I don't know? They sold every acre of land the family had! All that money went straight to your dowry so you could marry well!"

"Why do you get to have everything while I get nothing?"

"They were so desperate to marry you off to someone good! So I'll make sure you end up abandoned! I'll make you lose everything, just like me! I'll make you suffer for the rest of your life!"

Her words hit me like a bucket of ice water.

I couldn't stop shaking. Despair carved itself across my face:

"Denise! What makes you think they favored me? Ask yourself where your college tuition came from! When you were living it up in the city, where do you think all that money for your expenses came from?"

"Do you have any idea that to put you through school, Mom and Dad tore up my college acceptance letter with their own hands? Because this family could only afford to send one of us!"

"Do you have any idea why I was married off so young? It was because they promised to pay your tuition! That's the only reason they gave me away!"

My words didn't provoke the slightest reaction from Denise. She just let out a cold laugh.

"So what? If they'd never had you, I would've gotten even more."

"Shelagh, when it comes down to it, you're the one who should never have been born. But that's fine. Now that you're dead, everything you had is mine."

She threw her head back and laughed.

"I should really thank you for landing such a wonderful man. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known where to find a good father for my baby."

"Don't worry. He and I are going to be very happy together."

Her face twisted into something grotesque as she turned to the convicts.

"When you're done with her, strip her naked and dump her on the road. I want everyone to know the bride couldn't keep her legs closed on her wedding night. That she slept around like a whore!"

"No!!"

I screamed as several pairs of hands pinned me to the ground. The fabric of my clothes tore under their grip.

Denise locked the door behind her with a satisfied smile, then slipped back to the banquet.

She was about to sidle up to Ezra and act like nothing had happened.

Then came the explosion.

A ball of fire erupted from the bridal suite in the distance.

Everyone shot to their feet.

"Oh God! The bridal suite is on fire! The bride is still in there! Someone go help her!"

Ezra felt his eyelid twitch, once, twice, three times.

Panic clawed through his chest.

He staggered up and bolted toward the bridal suite, knocking a table over in his wake.

"Shelagh! Shelagh is still in there!"

Staring at the sudden blaze,

Denise felt a flicker of unease. She forced a smile and reached for Ezra, trying to calm him, but he shoved her aside.

By the time everyone reached the bridal suite, they saw me crawling out of the fire, covered in wounds.

Every face around me was frozen in horror.

I hauled myself to my feet, wrenched open my smoke-scorched throat, and screamed:

"Officers! I am making a formal accusation! My husband, Ezra Mason, is having an affair with his personal medic! They released convicted rapists into my bridal suite to assault and kill me!"

"Shelagh! What the hell are you talking about?!"

Ezra roared, pulling Denise behind him. She swayed on her feet, her face a portrait of wounded innocence.

"Your petty jealousy on a normal day is one thing! But how dare you spread lies about my medic! Denise has treated my injuries and helped me more times than I can count! Instead of being grateful, you turn around and do something this vile!"

He turned to face the officers, whose expressions had gone stone-cold.

"Sirs, I'll be honest with you. My wife has mental health issues. She's always been convinced I'm cheating on her..."

His voice took on a note of bitter resignation.

"I'm deeply sorry for the harm this has caused Dr. Galloway. I will make it right."

"And I refuse to cover for her just because she's my wife! I will personally draft a formal reprimand to be circulated across the entire district! I will hold a public meeting to criticize her conduct! She will apologize to Denise in front of everyone!"

Denise's eyes rimmed red.

"Ezra... hearing you say that is all I need..."

The officers and colleagues gathered around turned their gazes on me, contempt plain on their faces.

"Never would've guessed she was that kind of person."

"Shelagh, this is supposed to be a happy occasion! Did you have to ruin it like this? Ezra really drew the short straw marrying you."

I looked at every single one of them and laughed. A cold, hollow sound.

"Ezra Mason! You're so damn sure I'm lying? Then let your medic get a physical exam! Better yet, let every woman here who's ever had a child take a look at her belly! She should be about four months along by now!"

The moment those words left her mouth, every pair of eyes locked onto Denise's loose-fitting clothes.

Panic flashed across her face. She burst into tears.

"You're smearing my name just because you know I'm too decent to fight back! Demanding I bare my stomach in front of all these people! You're trying to destroy my reputation!"

"Fine then, I'll just die! If that's what it takes to prove my innocence!"

She bolted toward the cliff's edge.

"Denise!"

Ezra shouted and lunged forward, catching her before she could reach it.

Her face had gone white as paper, and she collapsed limp in his arms. He turned on me, his voice cutting through the air like a blade:

"Shelagh! You forced my hand!"

He wheeled toward the officers, anguish twisting his features:

"Sir! I'm formally requesting that my wife be sent to the psychiatric facility for treatment!"

"I've heard electroshock therapy can correct certain mental disorders. I'm requesting she undergo the procedure!"

I whipped my head toward the officers:

"Sir! Everything I said is true! If you don't believe me, go check! The convicts you brought in a few days ago are already gone!"

"The only person with the authority to release them is Ezra Mason!"

I could see it. The officers' expressions had turned grave. One of them was already reaching for his pager, about to contact headquarters.

Ezra's voice cracked through the room like a whip.

"Shelagh! That's enough!"

He squared his shoulders and addressed the officers, every word measured and absolute:

"I stake my entire career as my guarantee. Everything she's said is the raving of a sick mind. There is nothing between Denise and me. And we certainly did not release any convicts to harm her."

"If any of it turns out to be true, I will surrender everything willingly. I'll accept whatever punishment comes."

The officers exchanged a long look, then turned to me:

"Comrade Galloway, it would be best if you cooperated and went to the facility for treatment. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll recover."

"No!"

I screamed and thrashed, but Ezra's subordinates pinned me to the ground and dragged me into the transport vehicle.

Through the window, I saw Denise still nestled in Ezra's arms. She lifted her face just enough for me to catch it. A smile. Triumphant. Gloating.

Hatred surged from the pit of my stomach, wave after wave, relentless.

Ezra Mason. If you knew that the woman you just staked your entire future on sees you as nothing more than a stepping stone...

Would you still throw everything away for her so willingly?

……

After Ezra brought Denise to the hospital, the unease in his chest refused to settle.

He paced. He sat. He stood again. Finally, he decided to call the psychiatric facility.

He had heard things about electroshock therapy. That the pain was excruciating. That patients lost control of their bladders, their bowels. That some were left on the floor afterward, unable to move.

Even the most hardened criminals broke after a few sessions, sobbing through their confessions.

Shelagh was so thin. So slight. If she was strapped into that chair, something could go terribly wrong.

He pulled out his pager and was about to dial when the door burst open.

A communications officer stumbled in, ashen-faced, and shouted at everyone in the room:

"We have a situation! Headquarters just confirmed that twelve high-security convicts are missing!"

"Someone on the inside let them out!"