The silence stretched, thick and suffocating. My stomach churned, but the thought of food made me nauseous.

The lock clicked again.

I didn't move from my spot on the floor. I watched as the door opened and Donna slipped inside, carrying a tray with a bowl of soup and a glass of water.

"Eliza?" she whispered, her voice dripping with that sickening, sugary concern. "You must be hungry. I brought you something."

"Get out," I rasped, not looking at her.

"Please, Eliza," she sighed, setting the tray on the nightstand. She sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing her skirt—my skirt. "I just want us to be happy. I want to help you accept the reality of the situation."

"The reality?" I looked up, my eyes burning. "The reality is that you’re sleeping with my husband."

"We’re in love," she said simply, as if discussing the weather. "George and I… we connect. He needs someone who understands him. Someone who can give him what he needs."

"You mean a son?" I spat. "You mean the heir I couldn't give him because he almost killed me?"

"Shh," she soothed, reaching out. "Don't be like that. You should just be honest with yourself. You were never right for him. You were always too… fragile."

"I was his wife!"

"And you cheated on him," she said, her eyes wide and innocent.

"You know that's a lie! You faked those photos! You hired someone!"

"Does it matter?" Donna shrugged, the mask finally slipping. A slow, cruel smirk spread across her lips. "He believes me. That’s all that counts."

"You whore," I whispered, the venom in my voice surprising even me.

Donna’s smirk widened. She stood up and walked over to me, looking down like I was a stain on the carpet.

"Call me whatever you want, Eliza. But the truth is, he wants me now. You’re barren. You’re empty. A broken vessel with nothing to offer. Why would he keep a car that can’t run when he has a brand new model right here?"

She placed a hand on her stomach, a gesture that made my blood boil.

I forced myself to breathe. In and out. I wouldn't let her see me break. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of my tears.

I stood up, wincing as my stitches pulled, and faced her.

"You might be right," I said, my voice deadly calm. "He might want you. He might sleep with you. But look at where we are, Donna."

"What?" she frowned.

"He locked me in here because he won't let me go," I said, stepping closer until I was inches from her face. "He said it himself. He won't divorce me. Which means, as long as I breathe, I am Mrs. George Caldwell. I am the wife."

I poked her chest hard.

"And you? You’re just the mistress. You’re the dirty little secret he keeps on the side. You’re the placeholder until he gets bored. And trust me, Donna, he always gets bored."

Donna’s face flushed red. Her composure cracked.

"You think a piece of paper makes you special?" she hissed. "He hates you!"

"He hates that he can't control me," I shot back. "And he hates that he still needs me for something. Otherwise, I'd be dead already."

Donna glared at me, her hands balling into fists. Then, she spun around and marched to the door.

"Enjoy your soup, Mrs. Caldwell," she sneered. "I'm going back to bed. With your husband."

She slammed the door. The key turned in the lock.

The night dragged on, a sleepless blur of shadows and pain. But when the sun finally broke through the heavy curtains, the lock turned again.

George walked in.

"Good morning, Eliza," he said, placing a fresh cup of coffee on the bedside table as if he hadn't held me prisoner for the last twelve hours.

I sat up, pulling the duvet to my chin. "George?"

"I trust you've calmed down," he said, adjusting his cufflinks. "You were quite hysterical yesterday. It was… concerning."

"I… I was upset," I said carefully, testing the waters.

"Understandable. Losing the baby… it’s hard on a woman’s mind," he said dismissively. He checked his watch. "Look, Grandfather’s 80th birthday dinner is tomorrow night. It’s a milestone. We need to make an appearance, and we need to bring a gift."

He looked at me, his eyes hard.

"I’m going into the city to pick something out at the auction house. You’re coming with me."

"I am?"

"Yes. We need to present a united front. No more rumors." He paused, his expression darkening. "Donna is coming too."

My fingers clenched under the sheets. "Donna?"

"She has an eye for these things. And frankly, Eliza, after the way you treated her last night, you owe her an apology."

I stared at him. "You want me to apologize to the woman who is sleeping with you?"

"I want you to apologize to my sister-in-law for physically assaulting her!" George snapped, his mask slipping for a fraction of a second. "If you can't do that, if you can't be civil, then maybe you really do belong in a psych ward."

He waited, challenging me. He expected me to fight. He expected the tears, the screaming, the "it's not fair."

But the Eliza who fought for fairness died in that hospital bed.

I took a deep breath. I forced the corners of my mouth up. It felt unnatural, like stretching plastic, but I held it.

"You’re right, George," I said softy.

He blinked, taken aback. "I am?"

"Yes. I was… out of my mind with grief. I shouldn't have pushed her. She’s family." I looked down, feigning shame. "I’d love to come. I want to make it right."

George studied me for a long moment, searching for the crack in my armor. When he didn't find one, he smiled—a smug, victorious smile.

"Good girl," he said, patting my head like a dog. "I knew you’d see reason."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out my phone.

"Get dressed. We leave in an hour. And Eliza? Don't make me regret giving this back."

He tossed the phone onto the bed and walked out, leaving the door unlocked.

I waited until his footsteps faded before I grabbed the phone. My hands were trembling, not with fear, but with adrenaline.

I turned it on. Dozens of missed calls from my mother, from friends I no longer trusted. I ignored them all.

There was only one message that mattered.

It was from a number saved simply as Nico.

I opened the text.

I’ll see you soon, future wife. Be ready for me.

I stood in the shadows of a marble pillar, invisible in my red dress, while George and Donna paraded through the center of the room.

"Oh, George, look at this one!" Donna squealed, pointing a manicured finger at a sapphire necklace that cost more than my father’s house. "It matches my eyes perfectly."

"Then it’s yours," George said, his voice smooth as silk. He raised his paddle without even looking at the price.

I watched as the auctioneer slammed the gavel. Sold.

I was the wife. I was the one standing there with the ring on my finger. Yet, I was treated like the hired help, holding Donna’s coat while she draped herself over my husband. People whispered behind their programs, their eyes darting from Donna’s triumph to my humiliation.

I felt bile rise in my throat and slipped away toward the restrooms, needing a moment to breathe.

As I turned the corner near the private viewing alcove, I heard them.

"Why did you bring her?" Donna’s voice was a harsh whisper. "It’s embarrassing, George. Everyone is staring. We should just end her. Or divorce her. Why drag this out?"

I froze, pressing my back against the cold wall.

"The doctor failed for some reasons, but I realized not yet," George replied, his tone dark and amused. "Divorce is messy right now with the merger. Besides..." I heard the rustle of fabric, the sound of him pulling her close. "I enjoy torturing her. Did you see her face when I bought you the necklace? It was priceless."

"You’re terrible," Donna giggled.

"I’m practical. And I’m yours."

Then came the wet, sickening sound of them kissing.

The evening was a blur of misery. We arrived at the Caldwell estate for his grandfather’s 80th birthday. The air in the grand dining room was stifling, heavy with the scent of roast duck and judgment.

"So," Grandfather Caldwell boomed from the head of the table, his bushy white eyebrows drawn together. He didn't look at George; he looked straight at me. "Another year, and still no heir."

The room went silent. The clinking of silverware stopped.

"Grandfather," I started, my voice small. "I..."

"I heard about the hospital," the old man interrupted, slamming his wine glass down. "Careless. Absolutely careless. You had one job, Eliza. To carry the Caldwell line. And you lost it."

"It wasn't my fault," I whispered, tears stinging my eyes despite my resolve.

"It is always the mother's responsibility!" he shouted. "You are weak! A weak vessel produces nothing but dust!"

"Grandfather, please," George interjected, placing a protective hand over mine on the table. It felt like a branding iron. "Don't be so hard on her. Eliza is... fragile. She did her best. It’s not her fault she isn't strong enough to carry a Caldwell child."

He looked at me with sad, pitying eyes—a performance worthy of an Oscar.

"She’s trying to recover," George added, sighing. "We just have to accept that she might never be able to give us what we need."

The table murmured in sympathy—for him.

I sat there, frozen, letting them paint me as the broken, barren victim. I didn't fight back. I didn't scream. I just stared at the candle flame flickering in the center of the table, imagining it burning the whole house down.

The drive home was quiet. The rain had started to fall, slicking the winding roads with a dangerous sheen.

I sat in the back seat. George was driving, with Donna in the passenger seat. She was humming softly, playing with the sapphire necklace around her neck.

"George, slow down," I said, noticing the speedometer creeping up. "The roads are wet."

"Relax, Eliza," he scoffed, watching me in the rearview mirror. "I know how to drive my own car."

"But—"

"I said relax!"

He turned his head to glare at me.

That was the moment the world ended.

A horn blasted—loud, deafening, terrified.

George whipped his head back around, but it was too late.

Twin beams of blinding light filled the windshield. A massive truck was skidding across the center line, jackknifing on the wet asphalt.

"George!" Donna screamed.

He slammed on the brakes. The tires locked. The car spun.

CRASH.

The sound was like the earth splitting open. Metal screamed against metal. Glass shattered into a million diamonds. The world tumbled over and over, a kaleidoscope of darkness and pain.

Then, sudden, violent stillness.

I was hanging upside down. The seatbelt cut into my chest like a knife. My head throbbed with a blinding rhythm, and warm liquid trickled into my eyes.

"Ugh..."

I tried to move, but my legs were pinned. The door was crushed inward.

"George?" I croaked.

Smoke began to fill the cabin, acrid and choking.

"Donna! Donna, are you okay?" George’s voice was panicked, coming from the front.

"My stomach!" Donna shrieked. "George, it hurts! The baby! Oh god, the baby!"

I saw George scramble out of the driver's side window, cutting his hand on the broken glass. He fell onto the wet road, then scrambled to the passenger side. He ripped the door open.

"I've got you," he panted, pulling Donna out. She was clutching her stomach, wailing.

"George..." I whispered, reaching a hand out toward the gap between the seats. "Help me... I'm stuck..."

George looked back.

His face was illuminated by the headlights of the truck. He saw me. He saw the blood on my face. He saw the smoke curling around my legs.

He hesitated.

"George, please," I begged. "The car... it’s going to catch fire."

He looked at Donna, who was sobbing about her baby—his baby. Then he looked at me.

"I..." He took a step back, supporting Donna. "I have to get her to the hospital. She’s bleeding, Eliza!"

"What about me?" I cried, the smoke stinging my lungs.

"I'll come back for you!" he yelled over the sound of the rain. "Just wait! I'll come back!"

He turned around.

He didn't look back. He helped Donna toward the truck driver who was running over, leaving me trapped in the twisted metal.

"George!" I screamed, but my voice was swallowed by the night.

The smoke got thicker. Orange flames licked at the hood of the car. The heat began to rise.

I watched their silhouettes disappear into the darkness.

He left me. He actually left me to die.

My hand fell limp. The pain faded, replaced by a cold, heavy numbness.

So this is my end?