ears of forced inactivity and Carter's insidious drugging, ached with a dull, persistent throb. But the pain in my heart eclipsed all ph

my usual "recovery" smoothie in his hand. His eyes, once perceived a

quickly last night." He brushed a strand of hair from my face, a gesture that used to fill me wi

sive. I looked at it, then at his expectant face, a flicker of defiance igniting within m

e shards of glass in my throat. I pushed his hand away, the gl

sed to defiance from me. His perfectly sculpted facade cracked just sligh

tion, a subtle shift that seemed to baffle him. It was the quiet contempt

htstand. "Alright, if you insist. What can I get you then?" He sounded p

d simply. "Plain wa

he maid. When Maria, our kind housekeeper, arrived, her e

Carter instructed, his tone a little sharper tha

in her eyes. "Of course, Mr. Kelley. But... Miss Jade said Mrs. Kelley's dri

t his assistant; she was the warden of my prison. She contr

knife. Jade, who had just entered the room, stopped dead in her track

re. And sometimes, people like us just don't know what's best for ourselves. Especially when we're... confined." Her gaze swept over my still legs, a condescending sm

on his perfect image. For a fleeting moment, I felt a familiar wave of despair, the crushing weight of her

the truth, to defend me. He stood beside Jade, his arm still casually around her, his

just looking out for you. You do tend to... overthink things. And your condition, you know, it can be quite draining. We just want you

The very thing he had caused. The ultimate betrayal. My eyes burned, but

calculated campaign to destroy me, orchestrated by the man I loved, aided by the woman whose father had crippled me. They were a

otions. "Of course, Carter," I said, my voice calm, almost serene.

believed me. Believed my submission. He was so blinded by his own arrogance, by his sens

ce. "She understands. Always does, eventually." He gave Ja

, unadulterated triumph danced in her eyes, a silent, vicious declaration o

t face, from Carter' s complacent one. My mind was a whirlwind of memories, broken promises, and chilling revelations. He had p

mile vanished, replaced by a cruel, predatory grin. She picked up a delicate porcelain figurine from my bedside table, a gift fro

Every last piece." With a flick of her wrist, she let the figurine drop. It shattered on the marble floor,

in my chest. She was systematically dismantling

a whisper, but laced with a new, chillin

, usually so confident, darted around the room, a flicker of panic in their depths. "What are

through me. My suspicions were confirmed. "Don't play dumb, Jade. Fi

vor, you pathetic cripple! You were just a hindrance to Carter, a broken toy he was forced to keep!" She took a step closer, her voice a hiss. "And Carter? He always hated you. He married you for your fam

They were merely pieces of a puzzle, now fully assembled, revealing a picture of ut

im?" I asked, my voice dangerously soft. "It's a

Soon, you'll be out of this house, out of our lives, and no one will even remember you existed." She picked up my silver-plated cane, a symbol of my fragile independence, and with